Change is often perceived as a disruptive force, an unwelcome visitor that turns our routines and structures upside down. However, there are powerful examples from history that demonstrate how change,...
How a creative culture gives law firms a competitive edge
It was my pleasure to take part in the fifth episode of Osprey Approach’s webinar series, Build Better Habits, where I was joined by fellow guest speaker, John Wallace, founder and head of real estate at Ridgemont Solicitors.
Osprey’s marketing manager and panel host, Amy Bruce, encouraged us to explore how creativity can help modern law firms’ competitiveness, with a focus on how firms can successfully implement a culture of innovation; the benefits of doing so; and, how to prioritise continuous improvement.
What does creativity look like in a law firm
We began by defining creativity and what that can look like in a law firm setting, with John and I agreeing that it’s about considering new – and different - ideas and implementing them.
John said that “creativity means to think and do differently. Creativity in law doesn’t just mean daring marketing but also the way we give legal advice. For example, moving away from emails and telephone calls to different modes of communication.”
Creativity needs space and time to flourish, and it’s important that law firms give themselves time to pause. I advise legal clients to ensure their employees are able to step away from their desks to review what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, and to ask themselves whether things could be done differently.
Why creativity should be part of a firm’s culture
Creativity needs to form part of the firm’s culture for it to be embraced by staff at all levels. I agreed with John’s point that it’s the current structure of a firm that typically hinders innovation: - “Creativity is something firms have struggled with and I think that’s because of the traditional partnership model. The pyramid structure supports sticking with the status quo to ensure the money flows and benefits the partners. if a fee earner wants to make a change there are so many people that have to say yes, it’s unpragmatic for change to occur, so nothing changes.”
For creativity to thrive, the attitude of law firm leaders needs to reflect that. Innovation has to come from the top, or at least approved at the top otherwise it will kill the culture.
How do law firms benefit from creativity?
John and I agreed that creativity helps to address two of the legal sector’s top challenges: attracting clients and recruitment.
It’s important that law firms recognise that the world is changing. There is a lot of evidence to prove that people’s behaviours rapidly change after major life events – a pandemic included. So if law firms can’t adapt and consider change, they will be left behind.
John highlighted that there’s common ground when it comes to both attracting clients and recruiting talent: “Firms need to consider what individuals now find attractive. Aligning your firm’s mission and values to that of its employees and clients will continue to have a growing impact on their decision to work with your firm.”
Six business habits modern law firms should implement to encourage creativity
The panel agreed six fundamental habits law firms should adopt in order to benefit from a creative and innovate culture.
- Cross-departmental communication
To encourage change, communication is key. Departments need to share their successes and failures to help encourage continuous improvement and change across teams and processes.
It never fails to amaze me how there’s no communication of successes or failures across departments within law firms, so creating a system where individuals can easily share will help prioritise innovation.
- Regular meetings
Opportunities to share ideas as a group provides space for brainstorming which encourages creativity. John explained that Ridgemont hold ‘What Else’ meetings, “which bring the whole team together and ask, ‘what else can we do to improve the client journey and make the business better?’ You need to encourage people to come prepared and voice their ideas.”
- Leadership buy-in
Team leaders, management, and partners must model the behaviour they want to see throughout the firm for the culture to change.
The culture has to come from the top down. In John’s firm, for example, he embodies creativity and therefore it will be reflected in everyone he hires.
- Align performance measures
Clear expectations of behaviours and accountability need to be set out to ensure the right actions are encouraged. I recommended that firms set clear expectations by putting them in people’s appraisals.
Performance measures need to go beyond billable hours or case numbers and should incorporate other cultural expectations to help foster the right values.
- Implement ideas
To motivate teams to share ideas and experiment you need to follow through and action plans. John advised that “you’ve got to action some of the ideas employees share to drive change and motivate individuals to continue to experiment and share.”
- Prioritise creativity when hiring
Firms should seek creativity at the point of recruitment in order to foster the culture firm-wide. John recommended that firms “put creativity high up in the qualities you’re looking for in people, as much as you would prioritise experience.”
Why law firms should prioritise continuous improvement, innovation and creativity
When asked by Amy whether law firms should prioritise continuous improvement and innovation, even during turbulent times, John and I agreed they should - because it shouldn’t be considered as a ‘nice to have’ within a business seeking long-term success.
John said that “creativity shouldn’t be seen as an ‘instead of’ to the traditional fee earning structure that firms typically focus on. In a market where there are more and more lawyers and law firms, practices have to find a way to differentiate themselves and creativity offers that opportunity. No one needs to be scared of innovation.”
I agreed that creativity is vital in a changing world and pointed out that The CS Partnership has seen an increase in firms wanting to implement change and seeking our services. Perhaps with the slight downturn it’s allowing firms to lift their heads and recognise they need to make changes. It’s a great trend to see for the profession.
I also stressed the importance of simply making a start and asking the question ‘how can we do things better?’. Firms should also turn to technology to implement quick, impactful wins for optimising a law firm’s operations and services.
A culture of creativity future-proofs law firms
Having a creative and innovative approach to running a law firm and delivering legal advice is essential for long-term success. A continuous improvement mindset helps SME law firms address the biggest sectoral challenges of managing client expectations whilst attracting and retaining talent.
When exploring creativity in a law firm, it won’t always go to plan the first time. However, a cultural shift in attitudes towards testing ideas is necessary to foster a culture of innovation successfully. Firms can make a start today simply by encouraging questions to be asked and ideas to be shared.
Watch episode five on-demand now- watch here.
