disaster and recovery plans Archives

Preparing your Law Firm for 2018

In just a few weeks we will begin 2018. How are you preparing your law firm? As the year winds down, many law firm partners and management teams are gearing up for 2018. Just as we make New Year’s resolutions to improve our personal lives, management can identify resolutions that the organization should embrace professionally. Here are some ideas to help you set your law firm up for a stronger 2018 and beyond. Here are some tips to aid you in preparing your law firm. Evaluate the firm’s technology Law firms are not known to be early adopters of cutting-edge technology. If you have been waiting to see if this whole “cloud” thing takes off, or if it’s been several years since your firm implemented any technological advances, it is time to take some of the following steps into the modern world. Automate time-consuming and repetitive tasks such as timekeeping and billing. Introduce collaboration tools so attorneys can work together in real-time. Upgrade case management software and train lawyers on how to utilize it. Manage the firm mailing list and database. Create or update the Disaster Prevention and Recovery Plan After the catastrophic events of 2017, neglecting to have a disaster prevention and recovery plan borders on negligence. Every organization should have a comprehensive plan that protects employees, clients, and data when the next event occurs. Having this plan in place will ensure your firm can weather just about any disaster with a minimum of disruption. Evaluate what worked or didn’t work during the last disaster. Update all contact information in the plan. Have both digital and hard copies of the plan available for employees. Schedule a meeting during the first quarter to review the plan with key employees. Build new profit centers The legal marketplace is rapidly changing, and firms must constantly find ways to monetize their services and bring value to clients. Certain legal services are being offered online or by third-party vendors, so it is critically important to continually develop new revenue streams. Look for ways to cross-sell clients. Offer incentives for attorneys who do so. Identify new market opportunities. Add services or practice areas that are frequently requested by your clients which can be accomplished with paralegals and contract attorneys. Examine your firm’s culture For the first time in our nation’s history, four generations are working side by side in the workplace: Traditionalists (70 or older), Baby Boomers (54-72), Generation X (42- 53) and Millennials (23-42). This gap of more than 50 years between the youngest and oldest in the workforce presents new workforce dynamics. Eventually, this will lead to a culture shift within many organizations. Understand your firm’s current generational profile. Create opportunities for different generations to collaborate Understand motivations – Each generation is motivated by different things, whether it’s stability, authority or work-life balance. Update the marketing strategy Is your firm still printing expensive, glossy brochures and running a large schedule of ads in shrinking publications? Are event sponsorships still bringing in new clients? If you haven’t already, take time to review all of the components of the firm’s marketing activities and determine which ones are generating the best results. Determine if marketing activities are simply being repeated year after year. Renegotiate advertising and marketing agreements with media outlets. Refresh the firm website – is it optimized for mobile devices? Review the State Bar regulations on advertising to be sure the firm is compliant. We wish you the warmest holiday season and a prosperous New Year. The professionals at Collier Legal Search can help you make 2018 the best year ever!

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Leading Your Firm After a Disaster: Hurricane Harvey

Does your firm have a disaster and recovery plan? Here are some items to consider including in your plan. In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, many business owners have reopened their doors and are attempting to resume normal business operations. However, considering the tremendous impact that the event had in our region, it is probably safe to assume that there may well be a new normal for some time to come. Supporting your staff during and after a catastrophe requires lots of compassion and understanding. Also, be mindful that stress levels will be high during the recovery period. As a business owner, manager or team leader, there are several steps you can take to help your employees manage their new challenges and make the transition back to work as smooth as possible: 1) Assess Basic Needs – By now, management should have made contact with every member of the staff and taken stock of their situations, as well as what they may be dealing with regarding their homes or their loved ones. Some of your employees may have come through the storm rattled, but unscathed. Others may have lost everything. Find out who may need shelter, food, clothing, transportation, pet care, child care, a rental truck, storage space or any of the many goods and services they need to begin normalizing their lives. Provide them with contact information for aid groups or any support that the firm or coworkers can offer. The sooner they can address their basic needs, the easier it will be for them to try to return to their normal lives. 2) Provide Ongoing Communication – Voicemail, email, company intranet or social media are all useful means to keep employees apprised of any company updates throughout the response and recovery phases. Remind your team that their jobs are important and secure. Provide regular and clear communication with updates on the business’ restoration progress. 3) Make workplace adjustments – Once the office is safe to return to, management may need to adjust some office rules and procedures. Dress codes, rules about children in the office, and restrictions on using telephones and the Internet for personal business may all need to be temporarily adjusted in the post-disaster period. It may be difficult for staff to get to and from work on time with new traffic patterns and gridlock on the freeways. Flexible hours or allowing your employees to work remotely may alleviate some stress around these issues. Employees may also need unexpected time off to address their home and family situations. Compassion and patience about these business interruptions will be remembered and appreciated by team members. 4) Maintain physical health – Exhaustion and stress can lower resistance to disease, decrease alertness, and cause impaired judgment. After an initial crisis period, observe employees for signs of physical, mental or emotional exhaustion. The same employees who work all day diligently may be returning home to many more hours of work to repair or reconstruct their homes. 5) Encourage mental wellness – It is important to encourage discussion as survivors of disasters often need to talk about what they have experienced. Consider providing an information break area where employees can gather for lunch or breaks with their co-workers. If your firm offers an EAP program, provide your employees with an update of what it covers and how to schedule appointments. Collier Legal Search is here for you and can help answer any staffing questions you have during this recovery process. We support you and continue to keep you and your families in mind during this difficult time.