Page 34 - Strategic Planning for Law Firms

Strategic Planning for Law Firms
How to Obtain Honest and Candid Responses
Survey answers that suck up to you and the firm are worthless. Survey answers that give you the answers participants think you want belong in the trash. You need honest, thoughtful, even critical responses. The only way to get truthful responses is by setting up a survey method that keeps the respondent anonymous. You obtain these by keeping the surveys confidential and take steps to prevent the leadership from guessing who said what. (However, if you are using a consultant, it is not a bad idea for the consultant to be able to identify the respondents by age and status in the firm.
Survey Your Equity Partners, Junior Partners and Associates
Create a survey for your team. Ask their views and thoughts about the firm’s mission, vision, values, principles, its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and path forward.
Also, ask questions on mentoring, training, business development, customer service, work product, firm tech, etc.
SECTION 05 TAKING THE FIRM’S TEMPERATURE
Sur vey Your Staff
For you staff, focus your questions on customer service and relations, office processes, case handling, firm tech and firm culture. Don’t forget to ask your staff to list the three things they would change and why. They may actually see things the lawyers don’t see.
Sur vey Your Clients
Ask your clients what your firm does right and what it can improve. Ask them about your firm’s work product, processes,
and client service. Let them know you’re undertaking strategic planning to better serve them and their needs.
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