Significant, substantial and sustainable Law Firm Growth isn’t easy. It if were, every law firm owner in the country would have an 8-figure practice.
But they don’t.
The Vision for Success starts with the law firm owner.
It’s your vision that must be brought into fruition. You must set the goals and identify the winning strategies you need to put in place. But the goals you need to achieve, and the strategies you need to put in place for success will not implement themselves. The best law firm owners understand that their success and the law firm’s success is a team effort. It requires the talents, passion, commitment and efforts of a host of individuals.
If you want your law firm to reach the destination you’ve envisioned for 2023, you need your entire team on-board, embracing your vision, and rowing as hard as they can, in sync and full force. Face to the wind.
Coaches understand the importance of getting their players’ head in the game, if they want to win games and beat the other team.
Military officers understand the importance of rallying their troops if they want to win the battle and crush their enemy.
Highly successful law firm owners must do the same.
If you want to achieve greater Success in 2023, you need to get your team’s head in the game. You need to rally your troops. You need to pump them up and motivate them so that they are 100 percent all-in.
How can you make this happen in 2023?
Read on….
Here’s your Secret Weapon for Greater Law Firm Success in 2023:
Now don’t roll your eyes – or dismiss this strategy as too cheesy. It works. I’ve done it and seen dramatic results in my law firms, and so have other lawyers who’ve taken my advice…..
If you want to get your entire firm motivated and on-board for 2023, you need to host a 2023 Law Firm Kick-Off Breakfast at the beginning of your first quarter.
Once you have formulated your 2023 Goals, it is time to get your staff and lawyers on board with your vision, goals, and objectives for the new year. No matter your personal drive and determination, you won’t be able to meet your goals alone. Successful law firms are built on the backs of a host of staff, employees, and attorneys.
If you want your team to help you reach your law firm’s goals for 2023 you need them to be behind you 100%. In order to start 2023 strong and goal oriented, you will need to rally your troops! You need all members of your “team” on board in order to achieve any significant measure of success. They will need to buy into what you want to achieve and be committed to these same goals. A firm-wide celebratory Kick off Breakfast is a great way to make this happen. It’s a simple strategy but will yield powerful results.
HOW I DID IT:
In my firms, we always closed the office on the first Friday after New Year’s Day, from approximately 8 am to 1 pm. I wanted everyone in attendance, including receptionists, so I hired a call center to cover the calls during those hours. Usually, I rented a local hotel conference room and hosted a catered buffet breakfast. Making the effort to stop everything, and set aside special time to meet, talk, and share a meal helped to connect everyone. It sent a clear signal that the team was important and that this was indeed a very special day. It also meant that I had an interested and captive firm-wide audience when it was time to “get down to business.”
The purpose of the Kickoff Breakfast is primarily two-fold: 1) To review last year’s accomplishments, affirming everyone’s efforts, and acknowledging specific individuals whose work had truly excelled and who had gone beyond the call of duty, and 2) To share the upcoming year’s Firm Vision and Goals and go over any significant changes in the firm employee policy manual. (with the increased use of remote employees, hybrid remote, and VA employees – there’s a good chance that you have added or should add some important additions to your employee manuals.)
The primary idea of the Kickoff Breakfast is to get everyone on your team pumped up and excited about what the new year will bring. Excitement is contagious, so you want to make sure that your team sees that you are excited and eager to share the inside scoop with them. How can your team help you fulfill your vision if they don’t know or understand what it is? We all work harder when we understand not only what we are doing, but why we are doing it. Most of us need to know that our work is important, and that it matters. By including your team in your vision and goals and explaining how their efforts fit into the equation, you are much likelier to have a team that is excited and pulling together to help you and your firm achieve your goals and realize your vision for 2023.
Your attorneys and staff also need to feel that you care about their thoughts and opinions, too, so make sure you ask them to share their ideas. The more vested they feel in the process, the more they will own it, and work with positive attitudes and the level of commitment you need from them to help you meet and exceed your 2023 goals.
Here’s a sample AGENDA taken directly from one of my own Law Firm Kick Off Breakfasts:
- Opening Remarks – Ken Hardison
- Employee Manual Updates – Office Manager
-
- Client Service Manual Updates – Office Manager
**Give each staff member a digital or hard copy of the manuals, with the understanding that they are expected to read them carefully, and then sign and submit a form acknowledging that they have read and understood the rules and requirements contained within the manuals.
- Holidays for Upcoming Year- Office Manager
- Review of Prior Year- Ken Hardison
- Each Division
- Goals Met/Not Met
- Things We Need to Improve Upon
- What’s New for THIS YEAR!!!
-
- New Marketing Strategies
- New Systems
- Specific Goals for the New Year
- Staff Awards for Prior Year
- Best Idea Contest Award Winner (Person who had submitted the best Idea to the Idea box, with a suggestion that either Made Us money, or Saved Us Money or Time)
- Most Referrals By Staff Member
- Best Mini-Marketer Award
- Overall Best Client Service Award
- Closing Remarks
Although the Kickoff Breakfast requires some planning and effort, it will prove invaluable in getting your team motivated for the coming year.
The enthusiasm and energy this one meeting can generate for your firm is phenomenal. Having a committed and enthusiastic staff that embraces your vision and goals as their own can make all the difference in the world between marginal performance and exceptional achievement in 2023
********************************************
If you are ready to take your firm to the next level and are hungry for the best and latest proven law firm strategies, then Register NOW for The Most Important Legal Marketing & Management SUMMIT you can attend in 2023: PILMMA’s Super Summit in New Orleans, May 16-18, 2023, at the Ritz Carlton. Grab your seat now if you want to lock in the lowest rates and secure your room at the hotel before the room block sells out.
