We’ve all experienced situations where organizations become overly dependent on individuals for getting key things
done. We may even have experienced being one of those individuals.
Of course, if one of those individuals suddenly decides to leave, then the organization has to scramble to replace
them and find ways of solving the problems that will shortly have no owner.
This may be the typical manifestation of a system that is dependent on people rather than processes, but it is by no
means the only one. Let’s look at some of the more common issues, along with approaches to address them.
People Problem: Lack of available talent
In an ideal world, you would staff your trusts and estates practice with only the absolute best talent. But we don’t
live in an ideal world — we live in the real one. In a competitive field like law, many factors, ranging from your
firm’s location to a top prospect’s salary demands to plain old timing, can limit your staffing options.
Solution: Implement a system that is not talent-dependent
By appropriately systematizing the work you want done, you vastly improve the odds of finding people who can do it.
Like a pro sports franchise that builds a winning team with draft picks and a solid development program instead of
high-priced free agents, a systematic approach to organizing work can enable less experienced team members to
discover their inner rock star while also providing you more hiring flexibility as you grow.
People Problem: The right hand doesn’t know – or care – what the left hand is doing
Two people inadvertently working against each other, like pushing a door from opposite sides, can create an amusing
visual. But it’s not so funny if you’re living that reality at your practice. A “system” where each team member
develops their own method for getting things done is bad enough — but it’s far worse when one person undoes a colleague’s
work simply because it was not done their way. That’s damaging not only to productivity but also to morale.
Solution: Clearly mapped processes
Standardization is the key. Staff members need to understand (and respect) that there is no such thing as their
way — there’s only the right way. That’s not to say team members shouldn’t be allowed to have input. In fact,
everyone should have the means to suggest improvements and be encouraged to do so. Effective systems and processes
capture best practices for everyone to use, while still enabling initiative and innovation to shine.
People Problem: You have cliques, not teams
A “go-to” paralegal or admin can seem like a godsend at a small practice, with just one or two attorneys. But at a
larger practice with multiple attorneys, workflow slows and tension rises if every attorney relies on the same “go-to”
assistant while others are overlooked or ignored.
Solution: Mix-and-match resource support
Lack of fungible human resources is a significant impediment to efficiency at a trusts and estates practices, as well
as a major management headache. The solution takes a delicate touch, requiring a judicious mixing of individuals across
their usual team lines as you try to isolate best practices independent of personality. It’s doable if you have the
right workflow systems in place. It’s impossible if you don’t.
Are You Sensing a Pattern?
The common thread in addressing all of the challenges outlined above — as well as many others, including managing across
multiple offices and time zones — is to systematize your practice so that your people can run the system rather than be
the system.
If you would like to discuss how EstateWorks can help you make that life-changing transition, please contact us. It’s what we do.
Schedule a Demo