Opinion: Making rounds

E-mail has become an essential part of internal and external business communication, but it could seriously harm effective leadership in the modern law firm.

_{By Mark Beese, marketing director, Holland & Hart}

I love e-mail. E-mail has revolutionized communications in law firms. I’m amazed by how e-mail has opened doors to group collaboration. I’m addicted to how e-mail allows us to quickly gather information, distribute documents, solicit ideas and recognize accomplishments. It has radically changed how we communicate, manage and work. And it is perhaps the single most dangerous threat to law firm leaders today.

Recently, I’ve found myself engaging in lengthy e-mail exchanges with people just a few doors or floors away when a face-to-face conversation would have been easier and more effective. For many lawyers, particularly introverts, e-mail offers a way to interact without the nasty distractions of body language, voice inflection or personal interest. Our work identities can sometimes become a collection of e-mail expressions – like a folder in Outlook – rather than the complex beings that we are.

One law firm I know of has instituted a ‘get out of your office’ rule: at least once a day, instead of sending an e-mail, get out of your office and meet the other person to have the conversation. If you are in a different office, pick up the phone and call.

This low-tech tactic is nothing new. Nearly 25 years ago, Tom Peters in his book, In Search of Excellence¹, popularized ‘Management By Wandering Around’ or MBWA, a practice he witnessed at Hewlett Packard (HP). Executives at HP frequently left their offices to interact with people in different departments, field operations and factory workers.

Law firms would benefit from more wandering leaders. How many times has an issue ignited and spread via e-mail, like wildfire, when it might have been extinguished through face-to-face diplomacy?

Here are my rules for law firm wandering:

1. Schedule time for wandering so that it happens regularly, but make it spontaneous and unplanned for those you visit. Check your ego at the door;

2. Visit a variety of people, especially those with whom you don’t regularly come in contact;

3. Get to know people personally – what are their passions, interests and goals? What makes work meaningful to them? Show that you care about their personal and work lives;

4. Ask about the problems and challenges they are facing. Do others face these problems? What are their ideas and approaches to solve them? Listen;

5. Test your perception of reality. What are their views of the market? Industry? Firm? Competition?
Threats? Opportunities?

6. Ask for feedback. How is the firm doing? How am I doing? How can we improve? Invite them to influence you. Make them feel included in decision making;

7. Be open and responsive to questions. Wandering is a great way to quell rumors and set the record straight;

8. Communicate your vision, mission and values. In conversation, look for ways to discover a common purpose and develop a shared vision for the firm (practice group, office, department etc);

9. Catch people doing something right and recognize them in front of their peers;

10. Coach, when appropriate;

11. Speak from the heart and say thank you.

Wandering is strange behavior in law firms, but highly effective in building trust, inspiring a shared vision and coaching others to higher levels of performance. When ‘making rounds’ be aware that others are learning how to wander from you. Wander with energy, enthusiasm and gratitude. Let you conversations be professional, positive, constructive and forward-looking.

Constructive wandering is not about ‘checking-up’, quality control, snooping or catching people off-guard. Wandering is primarily about helping those you lead be better at what they do, have the confidence to try new things and feel that they are important to the firm.

Got to go now. Time to wander.

Reference:

1. Peters, T., In Search of Excellence, published by Profile Business, April 2004

Mark Beese is marketing director at Holland & Hart.
He can be contacted at mark@beese.org or via his blog at
www.leadershipforlawyers.typepad.com