Train in Vain: Managing Virtual Employees Require Workflows

Lawyers have always been better at managing their employees in-person.  Law firms prefer butts in seats . . . of course, now those butts are in seats at their own homes, a lot of times.  There’s no more just managing by walking around.  There’s no more just looking over shoulders.  Even as offices begin to reopen, they will do so in a way that contemplates the value of remote work, too. 



The good news is that there is a better way to manage case progress; and, it’s suitable for pandemic and post-pandemic life.  At this point, most of the major productivity and case management tools include workflow features.  Workflows are simply aggregations of tasks, strung together.  What workflow tools allow you to do is to create groups of tasks at the same time, rather than task-by-task.  So, not only does workflow management make it easier to create sets of tasks, it also makes it easier for employees to manage those tasks, and for supervisors to review progress.  Want to know how a case is moving forward?  Just check the attached workflow.  No fuss, no muss. 

 

In addition to making it easier to manage remote employees, workflows provide additional value for law firms.  For one thing, workflows make operations more consistent.  If you cover the same 5-10 tasks in the same time frame for a particular case type, the customer experience and internal work product will be roughly the same every time.  If your cases can progress at the same rate, over and over again, it’s also easier to predict revenue.  Using workflows reduces the chances that task or deadline will be missed, thereby reducing malpractice risk. 

 

If you haven’t joined the workflow revolution, there’s no time like the present. 

 

. . . 

 

If you want to build a more efficient practice, based on systems, we can help. 

Through a unique partnership between the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar and Jared Correia’s Red Cave Law Firm Consulting, Maine attorneys have access to experienced law practice management consultants at a special discounted rate. 

To get started, visit Red Cave’s landing page for Maine attorneys, and start running your law practice like a business.

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