People Are Warehousing Their Energy in the Workplace
When people think of ownership, they often think of the blunt reality of a house or a large company. But in the world of law, this concept is much more nuanced. There are law firms that have become more like family businesses, with the same people serving in leadership roles for decades. Others have seen tremendous growth, but have evolved along with the industry to remain relevant. Regardless of the perspective taken, the ingredients of successful ownership are the same in either case. When people buy a house, they are mostly buying themselves time. By hiring an employee to take over the day-to-day operations of the firm, you are effectively paying them to “warehouse their energy” in the office.
Highly institutionalized work culture
In many countries, the concept of “work-life balance” is a nine-digit cliché. However, in today’s world, this is a serious issue for many people. Those who want to balance their work and home life often find it difficult to do so. The solution? Workplaces that are open late, places with early hours, or places with flexible work hours. As long as people can make time for their families, they will be content. This is a great way to create a culturally-appropriate work environment for all staff members. It’s also a good way to ensure that employees are happy, which can only make for a more effective lawyer.
Flexible workplace to become the norm
It used to be that people worked in an office or a home office. Today, more and more people choose to work from a remote location, either at a desk or a table. There are advantages to both forms of work life, and there are advantages to both forms of office life. For example, people who prefer working from a desk often find it easier to focus because they are less likely to become distracted by a loud client or a messy desk. On the other hand, people who prefer working from a table often report being less productive because they are more likely to interrupt other people’s work. The choice of location is only one factor that an employer uses to decide whether to hire or promote a job candidate. Other things such as the salary offered, the number of opportunities to advance, and the flexibility of the work schedule also play a role.
Decentralized authority to outpace centralization
The rise of digital transformation has led to tremendous growth in many industries, but the software remains a core asset for many law firms. As more and more work is done digitally, having control over your software is a must. However, having complete control can be very expensive or difficult to maintain over time. The solution? Outsource or outsourceable. Outsourcing has become incredibly cost-effective over the years, and the best law firms in the world can still afford to outsource key operations like copying and printing. In the future, technology will allow firms to outsource their entire operation without sacrificing any of their core values or ideals.
Virtual lawyers to outpace paper-based ones
When people think of virtual lawyers, they usually imagine software that allows people to hyper-drive through documents instead of reading them. However, virtual lawyers are becoming a reality in other areas, too. Some firms are now bringing in dedicated software developers who specialize in creating online legal services. These systems allow people to easily navigate through complex legal matters, and they are often very affordable. As more and more people have access to legal services on the go, these will become more important as well.
Conclusion
The future of law firm management is very much focused on the trends above. Some of the greatest threats to the status quo lie in these areas. The future of law firm management is also very much connected to the future of technology, but it is up to each firm to decide how to position itself to benefit from the new technology. We can expect some dramatic changes in the coming years that will dramatically expand the career path for lawyers, and in doing so, will shape the future of law firm management for years to come.