Page 69 - Strategic Planning for Law Firms
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Strategic Planning for Law Firms
Making a Realistic Plan
Whatever plan you create has to be reasonable, achievable and doable. Yes, it should push your firm and lawyers to do more and achieve more than what they are currently doing and achieving. But it should include goals and tasks that are reasonable and can be accomplished.
Setting Realistic Deadlines
In addition to setting realistic goals, set realistic deadlines to achieve those goals. There is a tension between not pushing your team hard enough and pushing them too hard, and unrealistic deadlines can cause a lot of frustration and heartburn.
Setting Realistic Goals
The plan should spell out reasonable goals.
If your firm’s revenue has never grown by more than 5% per year, don’t set a goal of increasing firm revenue by 20% over the next year. If your firm has consistently been about eight to ten lawyers over the last ten years, don’t set a goal of doubling in size over the next year. Don’t set the firm up to fail.
Holding Ever yone Accountable
In addition to goals, tasks to achieve them, and deadlines by which to achieve them, you need to create a system in place which defines each attorney’s role in the overall plan and holds them accountable to fulfill their role.
©2021 Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel
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SECTION 10 THE PLAN
