The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/271291
PEER TO PEER: THE QUARTERLY MAGA ZINE OF ILTA 42 our interpretations of the actions of another and our sense of fit and favor in an organization are all individual. These differences are often magnified, not mitigated, by the multicultural, multi-time zone, multi-device environment in which we all work. As a customer service provider, it is critical to make certain that what you hear is an accurate reflection of what is said, and, in turn, that what you say is accurately heard. Active listening leads to an enhanced, more comprehensive understanding; and a sincere commitment to perfecting the skill of active listening will provide a safer path through the minefield of daily communication. It will allow you to better serve your customers. After all, we are in the service business. A conscious choice Placing the needs and wants of another before your own Treating others the way you would like to be treated Accepting responsibility for your part in the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of another Accepting the humanity of those with which you share this world Respecting the worldview of another, especially when it differs from yours Respect, compassion and good manners GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE IS When starting any project within a law firm, regardless of your department or law practice, there are several key factors that can help put your legal project matter initiative on the path to success. Maybe your firm needs a plan for identifying repetitive legal processes to create alternative fee arrangements, to design for disaster recovery, to update the accounting system or to establish a centralized communication portal for clients. How do you pave the path to success? Define the Legal Project Goals, Business Impact and Strategic Implications (identify and define | initiate). Being able to define the "why," "what" and "how" early on will allow you to measure the ROI in the end while validating budget dollars. Develop a Project Plan (analyze and design | plan). Developing a project plan allows firms to identify several crucial components that can make or break the project. Firms can identify key stakeholders and practices that need to be involved, list out project phases to determine timing and resource needs, and identify whether the current project processes (or lack of processes) need to be refined (or established). Communicate Often with the Project Team and Stakeholders (develop and implement | execute). Creating regular communications — using a matrix to define the message, audience and communication method — can be very helpful for keeping stakeholders and projects teams in the loop. Control and Adjust the Project Accordingly (monitor | control). As the legal matter progresses, the project plans must be controlled on a regular and consistent basis, making adjustments where necessary and communicating those adjustments in a timely manner. Having a centralized communication portal such as Microsoft Project Server can allow for projects to be shared across departments and/or practices. Evaluate the Project (close). Closing a project is one of the most overlooked steps in the process. Closing out a project and evaluating what worked and what didn't is a strategic way to fine-tune a process and new workflow to meet the goals originally defined. Compared to the corporate world, law firms have quite a unique culture that can make implementing a new workflow or legal project a very time-consuming task. Having the proper road map of procedures and processes to follow while continuing to be flexible as you work toward legal project management perfection will be sure to put any firm ahead of the competition! THE 5-STEP ROADMAP TO MAXIMIZING LPM SUCCESS by Natalie Alesi of Kraft & Kennedy, Inc. 1 2 3 4 5