What lies behind us, and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
February has arrived, and it is time to stop talking about how the pandemic affected law firms in 2020, and start focusing on success in 2021.
Summarize What You Learned From 2020
- Laying off attorneys and staff is very difficult, but it can make you more efficient.
- Remote work proved that reducing office space can be a significant way to pare down expenses.
- The necessity of embracing technology compelled firms to adopt new ways of interacting, and accelerated the use of collaboration tools, cloud technologies, video conferencing platforms, and more.
- Long-term effective leadership is more critical than ever. Relationships are vital. Accountability, role modeling, mentoring, recognition and affirmation, transparency, and feedback bring a firm together.
Ask the Hard Questions About Your Current Position
- Is your brand in position, and recognized? In the new virtual world, your brand and knowledge of your brand will be everything.
- Do you need to integrate additional technology, update your website, or improve your content marketing? Now is the time to be active on the platforms your clients use. Embracing new technologies will free up your staff’s time and can take your firm to the next level.
- What is the best way to communicate with your clients, your colleagues, other law firms, the courts, and prospects? The legal community has many more options than in the recent past. What are the best options for you and your audience?
- What are your weaknesses, and how can you grow in these areas? What are your strengths, and how can you capitalize on them? Be honest and open in your evaluation.
- Where does your competition stand, and how can you sharpen your competitive edge? What practice areas and trends are set to be hot in 2021?
- How have you adapted client relations and service to a virtual world? We can be sure that virtual events, networking, and conferences will remain the norm even as people begin traveling and attending in-person events again.
- As the legal industry returns to a growth mode, do you need to recruit additional talent, or is the current roster fitting your needs?
- Does your budget, administrative team, and infrastructure need an up-to-date analysis? Create a 2021 marketing plan/ budget, keeping social media, public relations, business, and development needs in mind. While many events were canceled in 2020, there is hope for the future, and virtual events will become more active. As expenses for in-person events are lower, increase your budgets for making the most of digitalization.
Create a Strategic Business Plan for 2021
- Establish your goals and the steps it will take to reach those goals. Your plan should:
- Be specific, written, and on file.
- Include actionable, accountable processes.
- Have established measuring points.
- Have an established timeline.
- Include criteria for success.
In Summary
Success is learning from the past, planning for the future, and being intentional in the present. OnBoard Legal salutes our clients for overcoming 2020 and taking specific actions to move forward in 2021. If this results in a need for additional talent, we have the bases covered. Finding the most talented attorneys is what we do for our clients. We do it by combining our in-depth knowledge of the legal industry with decades of practical experience in conducting high-level searches. Contact us today.
