P2P

Spring2021

Peer to Peer: ILTA's Quarterly Magazine

Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/1356436

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11 I L T A N E T . O R G I n 2018, I wrote an article titled Growing an Innovative Culture for the Fall issue of Peer to Peer. I focused on how not only to prepare stakeholders for change, but to get them excited about it. I discussed how to get everyone in the firm involved, how to give them a voice, and how to innovate and move technology forward as a team beyond just those with "Engineer" somewhere in their email signature. Unbeknownst to me at the time, the cultural changes taking place at Miller Johnson as it pertained to information technology would set the stage for what would be, less than two years later, the most disruptive IT year ever. I think I speak for the majority of IT departments in the legal industry when I say that 2020 saw us all figuratively taking our project plans, our strategic goals for the year, our Gantt charts (still warm from the printer), and setting them ablaze. As the fire twinkled in our eyes we of course had to consider how this would change the ways we work internally, but as law firms we also had to consider how this would change the ways clients expect to work with us. What followed were months of rapid innovation, mild discomfort, and ultimately success. As a follow up to my 2018 article, I want to consider some lessons learned as they apply to the now and as they might apply to the post- pandemic world. Technology Versus People We all know it's easier to change technology than it is to change people. It is for that reason that the IT team at Miller Johnson embarked on the journey of growing an innovative culture within the firm. So when we faced what appeared to be the largest challenge at the beginning of the pandemic, the shifting workplace, I thought we'd be pretty well positioned. Most of the technology problems we faced were easily resolved. A little extra compute here, a little sprinkle of licensing there, bandwidth to taste. Before I knew it we had some rock solid infrastructure in place. Then the calls start. "How do I print to my printer from 1999?" "My computer has been hacked. Wait, that's my kid playing with the wireless mouse in the other room." "Can I install Citrix on my graphing calculator? I swear I had it working before!" All of a sudden everything is our problem. Turns out opening up two hundred branch offices overnight isn't easy after all. Some things at home that may have just been a nuisance before are now critical. Some things that may have been pushed aside are now a focus. Resolving home office issues remotely during the pandemic has been a challenge but I argue that by growing an innovative culture that we were set up for success. A few years ago I wouldn't have imagined trying to have certain folks install a mesh network in their home. In fact I wouldn't have even imagined them being receptive to the idea at all and I bring it up because it's a real example. I like to say that by having this culture, and by the pandemic forcing us all home, our IT team has grown. These are our remote hands now. Everyone in the firm. For better or for worse. I think it can be argued that some of the biggest gains during this process were made possible by having that innovative culture, and maybe unexpectedly so sometimes. Getting employees involved in the process of IT is not just a superficial thing. It has benefits far beyond just the task at hand. Ramifications of Rapid Escalation The thing about rolling out new infrastructure is, it's a good time. Upgrading, configuring, and optimizing is a blast. It feels easy sometimes, too. Next, next, next, finish. Progress bars and shiny new toys. It's all sunshine and rainbows when we're the IT super heroes making things happen. Planning for this is all fine and good but how about just firing from the hip? Nothing like completely unplanned, unvalidated changes to make you feel alive. The pandemic

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