Simple Systems for Law Practice: A Concrete Example
If you want your practice to run smoothly you need to keep things simple.
And you need to use systems.
Simple systems are the best. But what do simple systems look like?
Well, I’m going to give you one concrete example.“
A very powerful example.
And once I give you the example you’ll smack your head and say “duh, of course!”
Maybe you’ll also say “well, I knew that.”
Yes, perhaps you did.
But…do you know how to use that “head-smacking” knowledge to craft better systems for your law practice?
That’s the more important consideration.
Because if you can work more on creating systems…you will be able to spend less time working like a frazzled employee.
Benefits of Implementing Systems
The more systems your practice has the more you’ll be able to work like a calm business owner.
And the more time off you’ll have.
Everything that you want for your work life depends on developing and refining systems.
And to refine systems you need to document them.
Well, most of them at least.
Some are so simple you can easily implement them without needing to write them down.
The example I alluded to earlier is such a simple system.
Wanna know what it is?
Here you go (get ready to smack your head, and say “duh, I knew that.”)
The Big Reveal…
When you put something by the front door so you remember to take it with you when you leave.
That’s a simple system for remembering to do something.
It doesn’t require a smartphone with “geofencing” capabilities.
It only requires you to take the trouble to put the thing you want to remember to take with you near the door you’ll exit from when you leave your house.
So…
Here’s a key insight: most systems are about helping us remember to do things.
But most of what we need to do is complex. So we need more complex descriptions of how to do the various steps, and in what order.
So, think about this for a second…
If many of us need to put things by the door to help us remember to take them with us when we leave our house…
How much MORE might we need to document the workflows that are part of our work as lawyers?
What work would be done better, and more reliably if you had a checklist of the important steps?
What workflows could you refine and improve by having a checklist that you could refer to easily?
What work could you more easily and reliably delegate by having a well-developed checklist?
Maybe you should write down a list of these ideas and put them by the door next to your office for when you leave.
So you can remember to revisit them again later.
General Resources
- Check out my Inner Circle (to participate in ongoing discussions about tech tools I discuss and recommend)
- Check out this Law-Tech Assessment if you want specific recommendations for improving based on the technology you’re using in your practice
- Click for a list of the Best Tech Tools for Lawyers
- Subscribe to: The 80/20 Principle newsletter (it’s free)
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