Many attorneys know what it’s like to see a successful law firm and think, “what’s their secret?” You may wonder if they’re better connected, if they have a higher rank on Google, or if they’re just spend more money on marketing.
While connections, search engine rankings, and marketing budgets do matter, there is another quality all successful law firms share: a culture of accountability.
Why Accountability Matters for Law Firms
Holding others accountable doesn’t mean micromanaging. It means empowering employees to take ownership of their work. In firms with high accountability, fewer important tasks slip through the cracks and employees are happier. That means a more effective law firm with a lower turnover rate.
Sound too good to be true? Far from it. Your law firm can begin to build its culture of accountability using these tips.
How to Build Systems of Accountability for Your Law Firm
Accountability does not just happen overnight. It takes vision and commitment to integrate into a law firm’s company culture. With these simple changes, both you and your employees will be happier and more effective.
Prioritize Good Hiring Practices
Accountability begins at hiring. Ensure you are bringing on employees who can demonstrate personal responsibility, honesty, and dedication to their work. It may take longer to find these kinds of employees, but they tend to stay longer and work better.
Many businesses make the mistake of settling during the hiring process. Develop criteria and interview questions to help you identify candidates who will best fit with the culture you are trying to build. Turnover is expensive – so are employees who slack off. Hire quality employees and put effort into retaining them.
On the other hand, you may have existing employees resistant to your company vision. At some point, you may need to evaluate if those individuals have a future at your changing law firm.
Set a Good Example
Everyone knows a great boss makes for a more enjoyable work experience. It’s important to lead by example. Make a point of holding yourself to an even higher standard than you hold your employees to. They will notice, and be happy to work that much harder for you.
Strong Training
Employees who know what is expected of them perform better. All new employees should be properly trained in their position starting day one. Have them learn from someone else in the same position, or from the person who was previously in their role.
Familiarize them with your law firm’s processes and talk often about the culture of accountability important to your firm. Share your law firm’s mission statement with every new employee.
In addition to job responsibilities, provide training for all of the technology and tools your law firm uses. Even if the employee has previous experience with a certain product, your law firm may be using it differently. This is true for case management software, printers or scanners, document storage, calendar, and more.
Invest in Legal Case Management Software
Case management software can not only make your firm more efficient, it can also give you more oversight over your employees. Programs like CASEpeer come with reporting and task management tools built-in.
With software like this, you and your employees are easily able to see what has been finished and what still needs to be done. Software with workflow features can help you build in even more accountability by giving your firm a process to follow for each case.
Give and Ask For Feedback
A culture of accountability doesn’t have to mean a culture of micromanagement. That being said, part of building this culture includes setting the expectation that employees will be held responsible for their tasks. Make a plan to conduct comprehensive performance reviews at least once per year.
Whether it’s you or someone else conducting the reviews, give each employee the chance to give you feedback as well. Pay attention to what they say. Are there patterns in feedback? These might be an indicator that changes need to be made.
A law firm full of accountable employees is a force to be reckoned with. Whether your business employees three or three-hundred employees, every successful law firm fosters a culture of accountability.
Do you know someone with a highly accountable law firm or are part of one yourself? Reach out to us on Twitter and tell us about it! We want to know what has worked best for you? What have you found most inspiring?
CASEpeer is secure case management software designed for personal injury attorneys. From intake to settlement, our robust features help law firms become more proactive and powerful. Our management screens and productivity reports were developed with feedback from successful law firms nationwide. For more practice management tips, visit our blog.
