Some aspects will noticeably change as people transition back to spending more time in the office post-pandemic, particularly in terms of remote work and the transformation of the traditional law office setting.
What steps need to be taken to enhance the lawyer’s performance and boost earnings in a faster-paced legal setting? This is what you’ll discover in this article.
Reflections on working from a distance
Thomson Reuters data indicates that law firms have embraced the idea that a more adaptable and flexible relationship can be successful for lawyers amidst recent turbulence.
Only 15% of lawyers surveyed believe that remote work negatively affected legal practices during the pandemic, according to research. This discovery has presented various challenges for law firms.
- 67% of attorneys desire increased flexibility in their schedules.
- The wish for remote work to become a regular part of daily life has increased significantly.
- Only 7% of corporate legal departments reported experiencing challenges when working with law firms whose lawyers were not in their usual office setting.
Customers’ perception
Customer reactions to the fire test are positive, as indicated by recent research by Thomson Reuters showing increased satisfaction with law firm leadership in the last year. The relationship between the two sides seems dedicated to ensuring successful remote work.
It is still early to determine how law firms can balance the desire for flexibility with long-term profitability.
The decrease in spending on travel, entertainment, and certain expenses from the previous year is undoubtedly leading to some favorable feedback.
Changes in perspective
It is essential to make cultural, structural, and behavioral changes to ensure sustainable success as we progress.
These changes will not only affect leadership but also all individuals within the legal ecosystem. Areas where law firms are facing challenges were reported.
- Collaborate throughout the organization to build connections with prospective clients and secure new deals.
- Develop a supportive infrastructure and environment to foster employee growth.
Lawyers identified by Thomson Reuters research and praised by clients for their outstanding work suggest that law firm leaders should concentrate on three key areas.
Leaders must improve their communication skills.
This entails increased organization and control to effectively establish environments and avenues that maintain information flow and engage teams, all while avoiding excessive noise and exhaustion. Balancing these elements will be challenging but necessary.
Leaders must adopt the idea of cultivating both digital and human relationships.
As face-to-face interactions with teams and customers become less frequent, it is essential for leaders to take initiative in seeking alternative methods to build these connections.
Colleagues’ relationships play a crucial role in fostering collaboration and generating ideas. The effectiveness of a team and its leadership can often be gauged by their ability to identify innovative ideas and explore opportunities for customer development.
Leaders must ensure to keep the motivation alive among workers and themselves in the isolated remote work setting to prevent missing out on potential opportunities.
Leaders must purposefully plan their actions.
Leaders need to organize meetings with a specific goal in mind: to encourage younger team members to participate and collaborate virtually in order to share ideas and make decisions together. The chance for these interactions to happen naturally has decreased, so it is important for everyone to come up with innovative ways to maintain these activities.
The level of acceptance of these structural and cultural changes will determine the success of the new hybrid model combining office and remote work in the long term.
Don’t forget to check out Thomson Reuters’ blog for more information on remote work if you enjoyed the topic.