Your work product is your brand, but as a managing partner of a small law firm your time is precious – and your day-to-day activity is spread across a multitude of different responsibilities. Although you hire the best and brightest associates, when your reputation is on the line, how do you ensure that you’re continually receiving their highest quality work?

As the practice of law continues to evolve, and the status quo of “do more with less” remains, it becomes more important than ever that you are equipping your associates with the right tools, resources, and direction needed to keep your law firm thriving. Today, successful firms are focusing on three key areas to optimize the work output of their associates.

• Setting clear direction and expectations

Your knowledge is power – share your experience and provide guidance on how and where to start. Sometimes getting started is the hardest part, and often times, a new associate can be caught in the process of trying to learn as they go. Don’t underestimate your role as a mentor in their success. A little can go a long way!

A clear understanding of expectations and what is needed is also critical to maximizing their output. Make sure associates have a clear understanding of timelines, when they should review their progress with you, and most importantly, where they should go when questions arise.

• Providing the tools for success

Knowledge sharing is critical. However, advances in technology have significantly closed the knowledge gap. The days of having to start from scratch or manually search through hundreds of documents is over. Invest in the technology that will not only bring out your associates’ best work, but also help them complete it faster and more efficiently. After all, the name of the game when it comes to client service is accuracy and efficiency.

Cutting-edge research tools continue to be game-changers in this area. Westlaw Edge, as one example, combines state-of-the-art artificial intelligence with over 100 years of attorney-edited annotations to help attorneys work, think, and deliver work faster to clients.  And small law firms are embracing it quickly.

“I would say to a small firm considering Westlaw Edge, if you want your people to be happy and to do better, faster work more efficiently, give it to your associates for a week or a month and you’ll make their lives easier, and if they’re happy, you’ll be happy.  If everybody’s working faster and better, everyone’s going to do better. The firm’s going to be more successful.” – William Donovan, Associate, Girardi|Keese, Los Angeles

In addition, “know-how” tools such as Practical Law provide attorneys with an unmatched starting point. Why have your associates start from scratch and continuously re-create the wheel? Think of Practical Law as an experienced attorney providing them with practical guidance on how to efficiently tackle an issue. This know-how includes standard documents, practice notes, how-to-guides, and legal checklists that are created and consistently maintained by expert attorney-editors so they can confidently practice law.

An upfront investment in technology can not only provide a huge competitive advantage for your firm, but also increase the ROI in the development of your associates. Better tools for your associates not only reduces their stress– but yours as well.

• Give honest and timely feedback

Your feedback is needed to make sure expectations are met when delivering the final work product. However, make sure the constructive feedback doesn’t outweigh the positive affirmation. Your feedback needs to be a mindful balance of both. After all, the APA 2018 Work and Well-Being Survey shows that 95% of employees that feel valued are satisfied with their jobs and that 91% of employees that feel valued are motivated to do their best. Make sure your team feels valued to bring out the best in them!  Investing in the tools and resources to help them perform demonstrates your investment in them and their success. New associates know, and value, the best technology and want to know their firm will provide the tools needed to do their best work.  

However, we also know that the only way your team will improve is with real, honest (and timely) feedback.  If they didn’t meet your expectations, let them know. This shouldn’t be an intimidating conversation, but one that is helpful so they understand what they need to do differently in the future. Balance this constructive feedback by sharing what you appreciate about them and what they’re doing well.

Get Started Today

Set your associates up for success by setting a clear direction, leveraging the best technology, and providing timely and honest feedback.  Start to explore new technology with free trials for Westlaw Edge and Practical Law today to make both your associates, and your firm, more successful!  

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Amy Larson is a Director in Small Law Firm Customer Marketing 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 how legal technology can help small law firms with their practice of law and law firm management responsibilities.