Time to Reflect and Plan

Management teams in law firms have a big job ahead. Namely, staying ahead of the competition, providing value added to clients, identifying team leaders and providing appropriate training for those leaders, assessing current service offerings and building differentiation into those offerings. In sum, there is a lot on management teams' plates, to say the least.

The time has never been better than now to take in the external environment ' competitors, clients, potential candidates ' and assess the firm from those perspectives. In fact, to do so is a necessary part of staying in the game. Whether you've been spending capital to build infrastructure (in which case per partner profits may appear low, but the potential is very high for progress) or you've been stashing capital and per partner profits are high (which, in a competitive market, means you are liquid and there is little risk on the individual partners, but it also means not as much money has been shifted in the direction of R&D), it's time to plan three years out, identify specific opportunities and most importantly, communicate the vision outward and downward to everyone in the firm. Everyone has to know they are part of the firm's future success. And, in short, your firm's clients expect your entire firm to revolve around them.

Clifford Chance is taking a strong proactive approach to meet client needs in a big way. This year alone, they will spend one million dollars on training from the top down. Despite the outspoken associates who wrote the bad reviews, Clifford Chance is a step ahead of the competition. And, in today's legal game, everyone is the competition. Another firm gearing up in the quality world is Cincinnati's Graydon Head & Ritchie. The firm has appointed Connie Cook Laug as the first Chief Quality Officer  that I know of. Graydon Head & Ritchie has already won numerous awards for quality and is now actively involved in training through their membership at the Center for Quality Management in Boston. They are putting their effort where their mouth is and their clients will be the biggest beneficiaries. Hale and Dorr, a Boston based firm, is modeling their client service program after the two-time Baldridge Award winning Ritz Carlton Corporation. A client service team meets everyone Monday and the firm hired an outside training videographer to assist them with the quality service video that all professionals and employees viewed and which will be part of every new hire's (professional and support staff) orientation.

These firms are leaders in showing their understanding that they are, after all, in the service business. And excellent service will always pay off in the long run.

In summary, take note of your firm, your firm's leadership and support teams and determine where your next move, as a management team, makes the most sense ' internally focused, or focused on the client? After all, it's simple, it's about the client.

Silvia L. Coulter, Editor-in-Chief of this publication, is President Emeritus of The Legal Marketing Association.

Management teams in law firms have a big job ahead. Namely, staying ahead of the competition, providing value added to clients, identifying team leaders and providing appropriate training for those leaders, assessing current service offerings and building differentiation into those offerings. In sum, there is a lot on management teams' plates, to say the least.

The time has never been better than now to take in the external environment ' competitors, clients, potential candidates ' and assess the firm from those perspectives. In fact, to do so is a necessary part of staying in the game. Whether you've been spending capital to build infrastructure (in which case per partner profits may appear low, but the potential is very high for progress) or you've been stashing capital and per partner profits are high (which, in a competitive market, means you are liquid and there is little risk on the individual partners, but it also means not as much money has been shifted in the direction of R&D), it's time to plan three years out, identify specific opportunities and most importantly, communicate the vision outward and downward to everyone in the firm. Everyone has to know they are part of the firm's future success. And, in short, your firm's clients expect your entire firm to revolve around them.

Clifford Chance is taking a strong proactive approach to meet client needs in a big way. This year alone, they will spend one million dollars on training from the top down. Despite the outspoken associates who wrote the bad reviews, Clifford Chance is a step ahead of the competition. And, in today's legal game, everyone is the competition. Another firm gearing up in the quality world is Cincinnati's Graydon Head & Ritchie. The firm has appointed Connie Cook Laug as the first Chief Quality Officer  that I know of. Graydon Head & Ritchie has already won numerous awards for quality and is now actively involved in training through their membership at the Center for Quality Management in Boston. They are putting their effort where their mouth is and their clients will be the biggest beneficiaries. Hale and Dorr, a Boston based firm, is modeling their client service program after the two-time Baldridge Award winning Ritz Carlton Corporation. A client service team meets everyone Monday and the firm hired an outside training videographer to assist them with the quality service video that all professionals and employees viewed and which will be part of every new hire's (professional and support staff) orientation.

These firms are leaders in showing their understanding that they are, after all, in the service business. And excellent service will always pay off in the long run.

In summary, take note of your firm, your firm's leadership and support teams and determine where your next move, as a management team, makes the most sense ' internally focused, or focused on the client? After all, it's simple, it's about the client.

Silvia L. Coulter, Editor-in-Chief of this publication, is President Emeritus of The Legal Marketing Association.