Page 14 - Final QVM 27 PDF_Neat
P. 14
Private Draft QVM - Quality, Value, and Metrics
We have a saying on my team: Just because it's obvious doesn't mean it's easy. A lot of legal
operations is complex, for sure. But a lot of what we do is putting common sense into motion. It is
finding a way to do the things that might seem obvious but require massive change. Innovation doesn't
have to mean advanced technology or AI or robot lawyers. Sometimes it just means changing the lens
on how something is done and bringing other people to see the world the way you do. And you have
to work patiently to convince them.
Have you ever had that moment when are you are trying show someone how you can do something
better, faster or cheaper… And you have perfect logic, a great argument, tons of ROI… And they just
telling you why it can't work? I've had way, way too many of those moments. Those are the times I
look around the room and think: "Is anyone else hearing this? Am I the one who is crazy??"
Well, maybe we are the ones who are crazy … and that's OK. Maybe it's good to be a little crazy, to
push things a little too far, to make people a little uncomfortable. Maybe it's going to take a little bit of
crazy to break down those walls and prove they're just made of paper. We are the dreamers. The
rebels. The pioneers. The disrupters. The change agents. The radicals.
I recently met Kim Rivera, the GC of HP, for the first time when she came to talk about their new law
firm diversity program and how it all came about. I was so inspired by her way of thinking. She said
that before she knew what they were going to do, she encouraged her team to think big, to be bold,
and to do something that would push the boundaries and make people uncomfortable enough that they
would have to do something. I love that. I encourage you to keep that mindset when you go about
your jobs. Go all in … we're in Vegas after all!
As an organization, as a community, we need to think big and stretch beyond our comfort zone. We
need to stop asking for change and start demanding it. We are going to be the force that propels legal
forward. We are going to make our industry smarter, faster, more reliable and better.
Not everyone likes change. I personally love change. I thrive in chaos. I act quickly … immediately …
and I make decisions fast and then start taking action. Because of that I've been told that I seem like I
am not afraid of failure … are you kidding? Here's a secret. I am TERRIFIED of failure. I feel that
fear. But there is something I hate even more than the fear of failure, however. It is the feeling of
watching passively when I know something could be done so much better. I am completely incapable
of sitting back and tolerating that.
People ask me all the time why I invest so much time in these sharing initiatives, helping others with
stuff that we've already mastered. They say, "I don't get it … what's in it for you?" It is about getting
more people to do things the right way, instead of just the old way. And the faster people adopt the
new way and embrace the new standard, the faster this movement, this revolution takes place.
(Emphasis added)
I look out at this room and I see a lot of people who think the same way. People who aren't willing to
accept old ways of doing things. I see folks from HP who are pushing the envelope on their outside
counsel diversity initiatives. I see Connie Brenton from NetApp who is willing to take any technology
that comes her way, try it out and share her findings with the rest of us. I see Steve Harmon from
Cisco and Justin Ergler from GlaxoSmithKline who have always been leaders in alternative fee
arrangements and for years have been urging the rest of us to get on board. I see people willing and
ready to rock the boat, to break glass, to get into the right kind of trouble. Get out there and keep
trying and trying, testing and testing, until you find something that works.
So here is my call to action:
13
We have a saying on my team: Just because it's obvious doesn't mean it's easy. A lot of legal
operations is complex, for sure. But a lot of what we do is putting common sense into motion. It is
finding a way to do the things that might seem obvious but require massive change. Innovation doesn't
have to mean advanced technology or AI or robot lawyers. Sometimes it just means changing the lens
on how something is done and bringing other people to see the world the way you do. And you have
to work patiently to convince them.
Have you ever had that moment when are you are trying show someone how you can do something
better, faster or cheaper… And you have perfect logic, a great argument, tons of ROI… And they just
telling you why it can't work? I've had way, way too many of those moments. Those are the times I
look around the room and think: "Is anyone else hearing this? Am I the one who is crazy??"
Well, maybe we are the ones who are crazy … and that's OK. Maybe it's good to be a little crazy, to
push things a little too far, to make people a little uncomfortable. Maybe it's going to take a little bit of
crazy to break down those walls and prove they're just made of paper. We are the dreamers. The
rebels. The pioneers. The disrupters. The change agents. The radicals.
I recently met Kim Rivera, the GC of HP, for the first time when she came to talk about their new law
firm diversity program and how it all came about. I was so inspired by her way of thinking. She said
that before she knew what they were going to do, she encouraged her team to think big, to be bold,
and to do something that would push the boundaries and make people uncomfortable enough that they
would have to do something. I love that. I encourage you to keep that mindset when you go about
your jobs. Go all in … we're in Vegas after all!
As an organization, as a community, we need to think big and stretch beyond our comfort zone. We
need to stop asking for change and start demanding it. We are going to be the force that propels legal
forward. We are going to make our industry smarter, faster, more reliable and better.
Not everyone likes change. I personally love change. I thrive in chaos. I act quickly … immediately …
and I make decisions fast and then start taking action. Because of that I've been told that I seem like I
am not afraid of failure … are you kidding? Here's a secret. I am TERRIFIED of failure. I feel that
fear. But there is something I hate even more than the fear of failure, however. It is the feeling of
watching passively when I know something could be done so much better. I am completely incapable
of sitting back and tolerating that.
People ask me all the time why I invest so much time in these sharing initiatives, helping others with
stuff that we've already mastered. They say, "I don't get it … what's in it for you?" It is about getting
more people to do things the right way, instead of just the old way. And the faster people adopt the
new way and embrace the new standard, the faster this movement, this revolution takes place.
(Emphasis added)
I look out at this room and I see a lot of people who think the same way. People who aren't willing to
accept old ways of doing things. I see folks from HP who are pushing the envelope on their outside
counsel diversity initiatives. I see Connie Brenton from NetApp who is willing to take any technology
that comes her way, try it out and share her findings with the rest of us. I see Steve Harmon from
Cisco and Justin Ergler from GlaxoSmithKline who have always been leaders in alternative fee
arrangements and for years have been urging the rest of us to get on board. I see people willing and
ready to rock the boat, to break glass, to get into the right kind of trouble. Get out there and keep
trying and trying, testing and testing, until you find something that works.
So here is my call to action:
13
