When we are looking to innovate, we are incurring a change. It can be a slight alteration of a process or a new technology in the organization. It doesn’t matter how small or big the change you are trying to instigate. You are likely to run into some resistance. Therefore, it is vital to know how to communicate and convince people that the firm needs the change.
When you start a change in your organization, two types of assessments need to be done. First you do an organizational assessment, so you understand your audience and its characteristics. The second assessment you need to work on is the change itself.
Lawyers are known for their resistance to change and innovation, but law practice will continue to evolve. Emerging technologies and a new generation of lawyers will shape the legal market. For a smooth change at your firm, it is essential to understand some of its processes.
Communication is critical in every relationship; we all know that, but we sometimes forget how
important it is to have a communication plan, strategy, or at least a guideline for work. We take it for
granted. Every firm must have a communication plan. It must create one and review it every few months
to make sure everyone is on the same page.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home has become the new normal. In this article, we list a few project management tips on how to work from home, tools, and methodologies that can be helpful during this crisis.
What are the ten top skills of a great project manager? 1) Creative; 2) Goal Oriented; 3) Organized; 4) Understands deadlines; 5) Able to prioritize; 6) Able to keep to a budget; 7) Acts proactively not reactively; 8) Able to Pivot; 9) Gifted communicator; 10) Spreadsheets, charts, and overall tool whiz. The application of all of these skills to our personal lives, can have significant positive impacts. Here are some reflections from a top Legal Project Manager on how she applied her many skills to her passion for farming.
To run a business or manage a project, one needs specialized training. I heard someone say: "Pilots are masters at their craft, yet they don't run airlines; what makes you think that lawyers should run firms?" Controversial, yes. But, do you see the nuggets of truths bursting from that broad statement? Some clients see it. And this is why sophisticated clients are demanding LPMs. That is what I would now call the “best practice." In this blog, we explain the basics of a project and how a LPM can be crucial to any legal organization.
Agile is not new, but its incorporation into legal is just starting to break ground. By now, most firms and legal departments have (or should have!) legal project managers to handle client's projects, budgets, schedules and deliverables. Most clients are (or should be!) demanding this level of service. But Agile law - or Agile Legal - brings a fresh approach to LPM. It provides quick and nimble techniques to pivot when requirements and specifications demand it. This is significant because, as lawyers, we like to think each of our projects is a snowflake, wonderfully unique. Putting aside all arguments to the contrary, Agile fits that mentality perfectly.
Using an Agile Legal approach makes work visible, encourages collaboration, enables responsiveness, supports consistency of communication, and can even create a competitive advantage with clients that “speak Agile.”
"Eighty-five percent of the reasons for failure are deficiencies in the systems and processes, rather than the employee, and the role of management is to change the process rather than badger individuals to do better." W. Edwards Deming
