No matter how brilliant a law firm’s partners are, they rely on the energy and dedication of their support staff to function effectively. But keeping staff motivated and engaged is an ongoing management challenge, one that often gets overlooked amid the day-to-day pressures and obligations of partnership.

To avoid the pitfalls of poor management that lead to disengagement and resentment:

Set Goals/Expectations

It is said that unhappiness is the distance between expectations and reality. To avoid unhappy employees, set measurable goals and be clear about what is (and is not) expected of them. Clear communication and regular follow-up are the keys to ensuring that staffers meet everyone’s expectations (yours and theirs).  

Plan for Professional Growth

Even if they don’t have law degrees, people who work in law firms tend to be intelligent, ambitious people who see themselves as professionals, not cogs in a legal machine. A strong sense of growth, direction, and purpose go a long way toward combating job stagnation. To identify a growth path, find out what your staff’s professional ambitions are and, to the extent possible, align their workload with their interests. If moving “up” isn’t an option, identify ways people can grow in their current positions—by taking on greater responsibility, say, or managing a new project.

Encourage Training and Development

Staffers in law firms often feel stuck. To unstick them, offer opportunities for training and development—in technology, software, research methodologies, legal studies, etc. Encourage them to join professional organizations, attend conferences, and network with their peers. Reward people who take the initiative in their own professional development.

Communicate and Listen

The best way to create a disgruntled employee is to issue orders, then lock your door. Communication on all levels—professional, casual, personal—is one key to avoiding misunderstandings and creating an effective, efficient workplace. Listening to staffers is the other key. Listening does more than make employees feel valued; it’s also the best way to find out what is actually going on in the firm.

Give Feedback, Express Appreciation

A simple “thank you, Brad” or “good work, Elaine” can go a long way. People need to know that their work is appreciated, so don’t make them guess. If someone working for you does a good job, say so. Tell them to their face, write them an email, point out their contribution in a meeting. Few actions are more effective, and nothing is easier—or cheaper.  

Respect Skills and Intelligence

Granted, lawyers compete to be the most intelligent person in the room. But that competition does not need to denigrate the non-lawyers in the room. If you hire people for their skills and intelligence, recognize that they may know things you don’t, and that their skills and knowledge enlarge rather than diminish the firm’s brain trust.

Trust Staff to Take On Greater Responsibility

Effective lawyers know how to delegate responsibilities and get the most out of their staff. Great lawyers see the potential in their staffers, and do everything they can do develop that potential. Trusting people with ever-greater responsibilities not only results in more confident, competent employees, it frees partners to spend more time on higher-order concerns.

Be Flexible

Yes, deadline pressures and case-work overload are an integral part of legal life, but constant and relentless pressure is counterproductive. Making accommodations for people who prefer to work different schedules is a necessity on the modern workplace. Such freedoms help ensure that staffers have the energy, focus, and commitment to come through in the crunch, when it matters most.  

Have Some Fun

Happy-hour with colleagues, a firm-wide golf outing, an afternoon volunteering with a local charity—all are great, relatively inexpensive ways to build teamwork and a sense of esprit d’ corps. A little fun outside the office pays huge dividends inside.

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Amy Larson is a Director in Small Law Firm Customer Marketing and Firm Central at Thomson Reuters. She has over 17 years of experience in technology marketing with extensive focus on learning how technology can meet the needs of attorneys. Amy has been involved in numerous product launches throughout her tenure, public relations efforts, interviewing customers and telling their stories, and often writes and distributes information on legal practice management.