Working together from the bottom up

Staff, particularly those
who interact with clients, are a firm’s greatest asset.
However, investment in managing and developing performance takes a back seat to regulation, compliance and knowledge gain.

Performance always varies from individual to individual; some will always deliver beyond what is required and are often seen as ‘stars’ or the future of the firm, then there are those who will do all that is asked of them but lack the desire or capability to go to that next level. These are the ‘backbone’ of the business. Such employees provide the foundation of consistency without being spectacular.

And you have those who consistently underperform,
who always find reasons why they can’t achieve and do very little to take ownership of their performance. In many people- and performance-training models, these are referred to as ‘problem children’, which I find
a little unkind, but you can see why they may be classed as such.

There could be a number of reasons why some individuals will be more successful than others but an old adage will always ring true: what gets measured gets done. What would the impact on your firm’s bottom line income be if every fee earner improved their performance by 5 per cent?

Performance at partner level is where you often find an elephant in the boardroom, either in their own performance or the inability or unwillingness to tackle an underachieving fee earner.

Failure to address these issues, whatever the position in the hierarchy, will create resentment and a perception that someone
is ‘getting away with it’ – not
to mention the financial implications on the bottom line.

Key performance indicators (dare I say sales targets and personal objectives) have in
the past been seen as an alien concept to many firms who preferred the more (softer) traditional approach to drive income and client acquisition.

Historically, the litmus
test of success for a fee earner
is bills rendered each month. Perhaps less so these days,
but nonetheless this is
one-dimensional and creates a success or fail culture. There is more to the job than that, so how do you measure it and what are the desired outcomes?

The skill set of the line manager will be vital. Are
they able to create a vision,
set clear milestones and goals, and generate enthusiasm and motivation? Can they win the hearts and minds of those
they aspire to lead? Are people
truly accountable for what is expected of them at every level?

Success should not be solely defined by how much a lawyer earns in fees billed. It’s more about wider commercial contribution and awareness across the business.

We all want to be part of something successful; no one likes to be associated with failure. Everyone in the firm needs an attitude that starts
with the client at the heart
and a mindset of how to
attract more clients. What
will I do tomorrow to make a difference in our business?

Strong leadership, dare
to be different, ditch the silo mentality and think about adding value to your clients
and your bottom line applies to every level of any organisation.
A truly high-performance culture, led with passion and with the right measures of success and accountability,
can transform any firm.

Take a balanced view to improving performance and performance management. How engaged are all your staff in making the business a success? Do they understand the business strategy and the part they play in delivering it?

John F Kennedy on a visit to NASA ahead of the 1969 moon landing came across a cleaner in the corridors one evening. JFK asked the man what he was doing. The cleaner replied: “Helping to put a man on the moon, Mr President.” SJ

Here are a few tips (outside fees billed) that can monitor an individual’s contribution to the business: Note new matters and new clients acquired monthly. Maximise the opportunity within by increasing referrals to other practice areas. Tackle underperformance at every level of the firm, starting in the boardroom. There has to be a consequence of persistent underachievement. Make performance management a priority. It’s not a ‘have’ to do, it’s a ‘want’ to do. A robust performance management approach can help create and support an incentive scheme aligned to achievement of set goals. It facilitates recognition of excellence and good performance and allows success to be shared along with best practices.

Tony Brown is the founder of consultancy AGB Legal