Summary
Expect to learn that successfully implementing fundamental change requires having internal champions, being inclusive, creating awareness, celebrating wins, being data-driven, improving lawyer-client relationships, and generating a better internal environment for sustained growth away from hourly billing.
3 Key Takeaways from this Video
- Building awareness and inclusive engagement for successful change: Designating internal champions and creating inclusive collaboration are crucial for gaining traction and driving lasting change.
- Celebrating wins and shifting focus for motivation: Emphasizing the celebration of achievements, both big and small, fosters a positive environment and keeps the focus on progress rather than challenges during the change process.
- Leveraging data and enhancing lawyer-client relationships for effective change: Adopting a data-driven approach, analyzing key metrics, and improving lawyer-client relationships contribute to gaining traction when transitioning away from hourly billing, leading to better internal dynamics and growth.
Transcript
0:07 When you move forward with any change, initiative, there's a lot to think about, to gain real traction in the long haul.
0:15 So I think the first step is if you have an internal champion or champions, co-champians that's fundamental. Somebody that it becomes one of their most important things.
0:28 And then from there, being inclusive, making sure you're reaching out, making sure that you're getting everybody's ideas, asking about challenges, making everybody's voice important.
0:41 I think starts to create an awareness around what is going on. If not actually leading to complete change. The first stage really is creating that awareness.
0:52 I think another aspect of being successful in moving in fundamental change is, celebrating the wins. Like every type of win that you can possibly imagine, make sure that you're stopping and you're pausing and that could be a project that you just completed that was very successful.
1:15 It could be virtually anything that, you know, clients, you know, being happy and commenting and sharing that around, but celebrating the wins as opposed to focusing on the challenges cause there will always be those, but try and celebrate enough.
1:33 And I'd say another thing that's really going to make a difference is be data driven.
1:39 Look at the results, look at the ad aspects like billing and realization rates and, look to see the improvements.
1:47 Look to see how improved systems and better project management leads to more profitable files. But continually go back to the data, look at velocity, look at a number of other key performance indicators.
2:02 And I think if you, you combine all those, you'll give yourself the best shot at gaining real traction and making the fundamentals shift away from billing by the hour.
2:12 I think one of the things that really helps gain traction internally is because of the lawyer client relationship. How good is it when clients no longer have to think about how much is it cost to me every time I email you, every time I phone you.
2:30 Have a sudden you're picking up the phone and you're going, “Hey, how are you? What's going on? What's important?” And your getting to a much better place.
2:38 How great is it when you finish a file and a client doesn't ask you, “how did you spend that six minutes?
2:45 Like I want you to justify that six minutes. I think that should have only taken three minutes.” Not having those conversations, not having to dwell on collecting money when they already know what they have to pay because it's been decided a long time ago.
3:02 That relationship is like so much better, which generates a better internal environment, which is how it keeps growing over time.