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As of this writing, the global economy is in a near standstill because of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Over the past few days I have spoken with friends from around the world from Nigeria to Iceland, lawyers and other professionals are working from home offices, trying to serve clients who are also working remotely.  At this point, we don’t know how long the work from home orders will persist nor the extent of the recession that will result.   We do know that the pa

In this article, I outline what the near future will look like for law firms and legal departments, what people want from leaders during times of crisis, and four commitments leaders need to address as they plan to lead through a crisis.   What the next two to three months will look like As of this writing (March 16, 2020), we can make some predictions about what the next two or three months will look like for law firm and legal department operations.  The Covid-19 virus will continue

As I write this, many firms are shutting down their physical offices and having professional staff work from home.  While most of us have done work from home before, often late at night or on a weekend, many professionals had not worked full time from a home office for an extended period.  I’ve been a consultant, trainer and coach for the past twelve years.  I work from a home office in my furnished basement.  Most of my coaching is conducted over the phone or video.&nb

Why being a visionary leader is critical in times of dynamic change “What leaders struggle with most is communicating an image of the future that draws others in – that speaks to what others see and feel.” – James M. Kouzes and Barry Posner, authors of “The Leadership Challenge” As part of my leadership coaching practice, I often ask lawyers to take a 360 leadership assessment.  The lawyer asks those that they work with – other attorneys, staff and their superiors – to assess the lawye

One of the reasons design thinking has been slow to catch hold in legal is that some of the underlying mindsets are counter-intuitive for lawyers.  It is not that lawyers can’t embrace and practice these mindsets.  Rather, their training, incentives and environment have often encouraged the opposite attitude or behavior that is needed to innovate in this way.   I facilitate Design Thinking for Legal© workshops for lawyers, legal professionals and legal operations leaders in law firms and legal d

Nat Slavin is a partner in the Wicker Park Group, a consultancy focused on helping law firms strengthen and deepen their relationships with in-house counsel through client feedback and other client facing programs. Nat has met with more than a thousand law firm clients – in-house counsel, chief legal officers, legal operations executives and business leaders – getting feedback on what drives the most successful relationships and greatest client loyalty. What do clients want f

How do you prepare new managers to be effective leaders? Many corporations have comprehensive training programs for new managers, but law firms have typically not offered specialized training for new staff managers or lawyers who transition from sole contributors to managers of staff, deal or matter teams.  This is beginning to change, with more firms dedicating training and professional development resources for new managers. New managers face a number of leadership challenges when they ta

The legal profession, marketing technology, and clients’ buying habits are changing dramatically. Lawyers need to think differently about marketing, lead generation, big data, project delivery and leadership. Here are 10 things that should be on your radar, starting now. 1. Data-driven business development. At the 2016 Legal Marketing Association Technology Conference, JD Supra’s Adrian Lurssen demonstrated how they are using readership data to help law firms identify highly engaged prospects an

When I started consulting, I met with an old friend who had been consulting for more than two decades. “You need to communicate the cost of doing nothing,” he advised me. “If firms understood the high cost of not investing in leaders, they will be more likely to start a leadership development program.” Easier said than done. Intuitively, managing partners know that investing in the development of practice group leaders, new and mid-level partners and the C-suite pays off in more effective client