Jeff has lots of legal work to do and he wants to do it during the workday – not on nights and weekends.
He was using the strategies I teach – like blocking the time for his legal work – but he was constantly interrupted by paralegals and staff. So he never got into the flow. He struggled with how to be efficient and keep an “open door” policy for his staff.
Jeff’s problem is a pretty common obstacle to growing a law firm. It’s also a tension that virtually all leaders face. They want to be available, but they also need focus time.
First, we identified the most common interrupters and interruptions. Once we saw the patterns we created guidelines to reduce the number and frequency of questions. This became part of his office operating system.
Next, we adjusted how he was delegating and managing so the staff could have the confidence to work independently – and he had a way to check up on delegated work without micromanaging.
We also provided a path so those really important interruptions got through to him at the right times.
Putting these changes into Jeff’s office operating processes didn’t just make his life easier and more productive. His staff got more confident and productive as well. With just this simple shift.
Having an outside perspective with experience in creating business processes – and who wasn’t neck-deep in the fray – really helped Jeff set the stage to grow his practice.
If you’re having the same problems with staff, start by identifying the patterns and then what things you can do to make it better. And if you’d like help with that, just get in touch.