Remote Working Checklist for Managing Partners
This article is derived from actual counseling sessions with managing partners who are operating under tremendous pressure and are doing the best they can to prioritize the the key elements of Remote Working.
Topics:
financial viability
staff who were mainly office-related – receptionist, etc.
protecting existing relationships
care of staff and vendors
effectiveness at marketing and business development
video production (including equipment)
quality – standards of excellence
engendering high satisfaction levels
adherence to the firm’s culture and values
peak performance of your people
analyzing short-term viability of specific practice areas
esprit de corps
To achieve these objectives, here is a partial (but growing) list of the kinds of topic we are helping our managing partner clients address.
The tone of both internal and external communication (In the name of disseminating information rapidly, there is a high risk of damaging relationships with clients and staff)
Technology
capacity
platforms – technology that allows teams to communicate without email (can NOT help with Citrix but augment with Slack, etc.?)
Nature of jobs/responsibilities that do not lend themselves easily to the transition
Mindset of people involved – some calm, some afraid, some panicking
Home situations
space
children
pets
ill family members
Suddenly succession issues (or position mapping)
replacing those who fall ill
capacity to rapidly reassign responsibilities
Use of video in communications
fundamental video training
positive video usage role modeling
discouraging negative role modeling
Understanding the many advantages of video over “phone calls”
positive impact on client relations
positive impact on staff morale
positive impact on focus and concentration
Adding some level of sophistication
eye contact
sound quality
how to encourage a client/co-worker to meet by video
Leadership
What the managing partner must do effectively
Communication plan
what must be imparted and how
the right tone
frequency
mode (video live, video recorded, length etc)
What the managing partner can not do effectively and what must be delegated to other leaders:
practice group leaders
industry group leaders
client team leaders
administration
Listening internally and externally. Includes creating survey-fatigue-proof surveys:
short and obviously beneficial to survey taker
for clients, measuring satisfaction, feeling valued, and ease of dealing with firm virtually
for staff, measuring satisfaction, feeling valued, and ease of dealing with firm virtually, sensitivity of firm to special needs of staff
Firm personnel training – the 20/20-style training approach is ideal for virtual workers.
Topics for all:
continuing professional development training
identifying the invisible challenges
feeling out of the loop
how to replace the real coffee break/lunch with a virtual one
how to really listen
how to demonstrate genuine empathy
how to communicate virtually with clients – what is different now
Topics for leaders:
facilitating virtual meetings
ensuring individuals are not being orphaned
the frequent (relatively short) check-in (individual/group)
getting the tone right (even brilliant people get this wrong)
empathizing – the reality of what people are facing
maintaining awareness of values
(demonstrably) trusting your people
teaching your people how to communicate
with firm’s people
with clients
“Dynamic Resilience” required from us at Edge and our clients to overcome unforeseen challenges.
How the 20/20-style training approach works (timing not year).
If you would like to have an informal discussion about this topic, please let me know and I’ll set up an initial, without fee, meeting with you.
This article will be supplemented and/or updated based on the evolution of the topic of “remote working” as it evolves with our clients. This article is based on an article posted in the Edge International Communique, April 2020 edition
I INVITE YOUR FEEDBACK: I would be interested to know your thoughts on remote working or any other matter relating law firms and their management – during crises or at any other time – either in the comments section below or or directly via email.
