Agenda for a 60-minute retreat
Despite good intentions, some law firms seem to be unable to implement. The partners spend many hours rehashing the same issues, but there is little or no forward movement.
My partner, Lisa M. Walker Johnson, has developed a four-point agenda for partners and senior managers to discuss frustrating implementation issues in law firm management:
What are we NOT doing or achieving that we WANT to be doing or achieving?- What are the obstacles to our success in these areas?
- What specific next steps will we take, separately and together, to begin to address these obstacles?
- What do we need from each other right now, and in the coming weeks, so that we can become more effective and feel more motivated?
Invest 60 minutes in discussing the issue in the context of these four questions. Stay focused and disciplined. Limit your discussions to that issue only. Avoid tangents and side issues. Document the results and assign one partner to monitor the completion of each of the action items.
If your law firm can hold only two of these “60-minute retreats” each month, each focused on a single issue, you should begin to see progress on even the most frustrating issues.
Norman Clark
Tags: communication, implementation, partners, problem solving