Gerald A. Riskin's Blog, page 2
September 2, 2021
It’s Time to Learn How to Send an Effective Email
At Peter Diamandis’s website, he doesn’t even mention that he’s a Harvard medical graduate and an MIT physicist… Perhaps these pale in comparison with his other accomplishments you can see here.
Lawyers with whom I work, whether members of a leadership teams in a global firm or simply building their books of business almost all complain that email is the bane of their existence.
Instead of focusing on our full mailboxes, maybe we should concentrate on getting our emails read by those to whom we send them.
I can’t think of anyone who will fail to get two or three great ideas for improving the effectiveness of their emails by reading Peter’s blog post:
If by chance you disagree with Peter or have additional great ideas, please share them with me…
Contact me at anytime.
June 24, 2021
Gerry Riskin guests on Steve Fretzin’s Podcast “BE THAT LAWYER”
I am so pleased to have been a guest on Steve Fretzin’s Podcast: Be That Lawyer with Steve Fretzin. In the episode, Steve and I discuss:
Leadership agility in trying times and attributes of successful leaders.Learning, as a lawyer, from businesses and what works for them.The fragmentation of the law industry and how it affects the exploration of new ideas and forward thinking.Supplementing your own training as an individual lawyer.I hope you enjoy!
“Be That Lawyer with Steve Fretzin” podcast with guest, Gerry Riskin
May 27, 2021
Richard Levick’s In House Warrior Podcast with Guest Gerry Riskin
It was such an honour and a pleasure to be a guest on the prestigious podcast of my friend, Richard Levick.
Few people have Richard’s expansive knowledge and experience in the legal profession, and it was a joy to spend time with him. I hope you might enjoy our conversation.
Agility in the Face of Fragility With Gerry Riskin, Founder of Edge International and Host Richard Levick of LEVICK In House Warrior
May 6, 2021
Leadership: Agility in the Face of Fragility
I was delighted to be asked to create an article on leadership for the Law Practice Management Magazine of the American Bar Association.
My hands-on work with law firm clients has been very focused on the pandemic, remote working, and the need for extra special consideration of members of firm teams due to the strains and stresses created by the pandemic environment.
Smart people tend naturally to focus on the “efficient and effective”, however sometimes there are other management dimensions that need attention. This article explores the dimension of managing in light of pandemic-induced fragility in every firm
I am grateful to the ABA and the Law Practice Management Magazine for publishing my article and for granting me permission to re-publish here and in the Edge International Communiqué.
Click to Download Leadership: Agility in the Face of FragilityGerry Riskin specializes in counseling law firm leaders on issues relating to the evolution of the structure and management of their law firms and the architecture of competitive strategies. He has served hundreds of law firm clients around the globe from small boutiques to mega firms including working with the largest law firms in the world. Gerry is still a Canadian but has resided on the Caribbean Island of Anguilla, British West Indies for more than 25 years.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns that you would like to discuss with me, I would be more than happy to explore them with you. Email me at riskin@edge-international.com or text or call me at +1 (202) 957-6717
October 8, 2020
Your Future Will Be Forever Changed by the Deloitte’s Legal Managed Services (LMS) Group.
Why it matters:Complacency will hit US law firms hard. That complacency stems from the illusion that American lawyers are protected from the incursion of those who are not licensed to practice in the US.
The Story:
Artificial Lawyer spoke to Emily Foges, the new lead partner of Deloitte’s Legal Managed Services (LMS) group. They explored the group’s growth plans, how it will serve clients, leveraging legal data, not using the billable hour, and how it will work with its US-based Deloitte counterparts. The story includes this 22 minute video which you would be wise to ask your firm’s leadership to watch.
As always, I am interested in your personal reaction and welcome questions and comments by email.
September 24, 2020
The Digital Transformation War You May Not Have Heard About
Why it matters: The digital transformation war is escalating in many ways:
The number of credible entities that are combatants
The talented individuals that the combatants must retain or acquire
The result will be the evolution of smarter and better platforms and processes that will be like nectar to GC’s and which will drive down cost without killing profitability for the providers.
Many traditional law firms are oblivious to what is happening and will not see overt client grabs but rather will begin to notice plummeting work intake levels and talent departures.
The Story: Process War Heats Up As UnitedLex To Spend $100m on Digital Transformation
As always, I am interested in your personal reaction and welcome questions and comments by email.
July 30, 2020
Nick Jarrett-Kerr Videos: Planning for Recovery
THE STORY: In this video series that was produced by the Law Society of the United Kingdom and Wales, Nick Jarrett-Kerr – my Edge International colleague – offers guidance that is comprised of pure gold and precious gemstones.
CAREFULLY CONSUME EACH VIDEO: Watch as Nick in his laid-back style takes you to places that most modern thinkers have not visited.
ABOUT NICK JARRETT-KERR: Edge International Principal Nick Jarrett-Kerr is a law office management legend. He was the managing partner of a prominent UK firm that saw a meteoric rise in revenues and prosperity under his stewardship. As a consultant, he has helped countless law firms around the world do everything from re-imagining themselves, to restructuring, to planning for a more prosperous future.
THE FUTURE REQUIRES A STRONG RECOVERY: Sometimes I think Nick is a time traveler…. He must have seen the future, because his insights are beyond well-imagined and well-informed.
Experience all of each of his four videos – pay close attention to the content and then discuss each episode with your senior leadership team.
VIDEOS: WATCH EACH OF THE FOUR EPISODES HERE
I INVITE YOUR FEEDBACK: As always, I am interested to know your thoughts on this or any other matter relating to law firms and how they are managed. Reply either in the comments section below or directly via email.
July 26, 2020
Nick Jarrett-Kerr Planning for Recovery Videos
THE STORY: In this video series that was produced by the Law Society of the United Kingdom and Wales, my Edge International colleague, Nick Jarrett-Kerr, has offered guidance that is comprised of pure gold and precious gemstones.
CAREFULLY CONSUME EACH VIDEO: Watch as Nick in his laid-back style takes you to places that the most modern thinkers have not visited.
ABOUT NICK JARRETT-KERR: My Edge International, fellow Principal, Nick Jarrett-Kerr, is a law office management legend. He was the Managing Partner of a prominent UK firm that saw a meteoric rise in revenues and prosperity under his stewardship. As a consultant, he has countless law firms around the world do everything from re-imagine themselves to restructure to plan for a more prosperous future.
THE FUTURE REQUIRES A STRONG RECOVERY: Sometimes I think Nick is a time traveler… he must have seen the future… because his insights are beyond well imagined and well-informed.
Experience all of each of his four videos – pay close attention to the content and then discuss each episode with your senior leadership team.
VIDEOS: WATCH EACH OF THE FOUR EPISODES HERE
I INVITE YOUR FEEDBACK: As always, I am interested to know your thoughts on this or any other matter relating to law firms and how they are managed. Reply either in the comments section below or directly via email.
May 12, 2020
Client Remote Working Outreach — Managing Partner Checklist
Why It’s ImportantThe extremely fragile state of mind of your clients makes this essential for three reasons:
It’s the right thing to do. You will help them.
The unique opportunity is NOW, when client needs are intense.
Your firm’s relationships with your clients will be forever enhanced.
My Research / Hands-On Experience
In my research with individual attorneys and client firms I have learned that:
Many attorneys have been reaching out to at least some clients.
Some have done an effective job of showing care and concern.
Others have been a bit mechanical and missed the opportunity to show caring.
Those participating in the outreach can learn a lot from each other by sharing experiences.
Questions to Ask Your Attorneys
(test your attorneys’ client-awareness)
How are your clients doing right now?
What are their situations?
Living alone or with a significant other?
Kids?
Pets?
Do they have at-risk friends or relatives?
Is any family member or friend sick?
What are they doing to stay sane professionally or personally?
Virtual Happy Hours?
Virtual lunches?
Virtual coffee?
Other?
How are they coping with working from home (WFH)?
Regular work hours/routine?
Sleep – OK, or not so much?
Stress – how bad is it and what are they doing to reduce it?
Note: Attorneys who cannot answer these questions are not really in touch with their clients right now.
Ask, “What benefits would accrue to you or your practice group by showing you care about your clients?” (In a facilitated discussion, record these benefits.)
How Do You Do the Outreach?
Have each attorney list some client contacts and referral sources, active or otherwise.
Ask your attorneys to invite several clients a day to communicate.
Attorneys should suggest video.
They should explain why they’d like to use video.
Feedback from others suggests most people prefer video.
As a precaution, they should allow clients a choice (phone).
Attorneys should be trained to ask open-ended, big-picture questions, like
How are you doing? (Make it clear that you really want to know.)
Are there any surprises – things you did not expect WFH?
What’s the hardest part about WFH?
What’s the best part of WFH?
Do you need anything? How can I help?
Encourage your attorneys to:
Probe (dig deeper): “What’s that like?”
Avoid leading questions, like “It’s not so bad, right?”
Use empathy in your answers: “That must be pretty difficult.”
Do Not Sell
The outreach is about showing care, concern and empathy. If you are perceived to be looking for more work you will have reduced your credibility to ZERO.
Tracking the Outreach
Ask attorneys to list those to whom they have reached out.
Ask attorneys tell you about how each client reacted.
Publicize the anecdotes in your team meetings.
Give the attorneys who do this well some recognition. Ask them to detail in a team meeting.
Conclusion
Your outreach is a condition precedent to maintaining or enhancing client relationships.
The door to this opportunity is wide open – walk through it.
Do a good job, not a perfect job. (Don’t be the perfectionist who missed the opportunity.)
MAY I HELP YOU? If you would like to have an informal discussion about this topic, please let me know and I’ll set up a video meeting with you (no fee).
I INVITE YOUR FEEDBACK: I would be interested to know your thoughts on your outreach to clients or any other matter relating to law firms and their management – during crises or at any other time. Reach me via email.
* This article originally appeared in Edge International Communique (EIC). Each month, EIC publishes items of interest to lawyers around the world on various aspects of law-firm strategy, marketing, technology, management, economics, human relations and a host of other topics. In addition to the most recent edition, the EIC site includes a sign-up page for those who are interested in subscribing to EIC, as well as a list of archived articles.
May 5, 2020
ABA 2020 First Ever Virtual Annual Meeting
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT: In this year of the COVID-19 pandemic, far too many meetings and conferences are being kicked down the road to new dates that should instead be converted into virtual events. The decision by the American Bar Association to move its annual meeting online is a sign of true leadership. Over the years, the ABA has been criticized for many things, but right now I think they deserve a salute from all of us for leading the way.
THE STORY: Due to the uncertainty regarding the safety of holding major in-person events through the spring and into the summer – especially ones that require travel – the board of governors of the ABA has made the decision to move its annual meeting online. The entire event, originally scheduled to be held in Chicago, is being offered as a complimentary member benefit.
In her announcement of the transition, ABA President Judy Perry Martinez said that “The virtual meeting will offer the highest quality programming with a revised schedule to accommodate members’ home locations and time. Events will include governance and business meetings, CLE Showcase programs, virtual networking opportunities, the General Assembly with the presentation of the ABA Medal, and the House of Delegates.”
The ABA has posted a Q&A for those interested in knowing how the decision to move online was reached. Registration details will be available soon.
I INVITE YOUR FEEDBACK: Will the decision to move the ABA conference online – and to offer it at no charge to members – increase the likelihood of attendance by lawyers in your firm? As always, I am interested to know your thoughts on this or any other matter relating to law firms and their management. Reply either in the comments section below or or directly via email.
