How To Craft A Winning Innovation Strategy
Where do we start?
Yes, of course we have to start somewhere. Lawyers may lead the pack in more areas than one, but we trail behind the sleuths and tax collectors when it comes to Tech. But another thing with lawyers, our brains work like magic, so no need to fret. Haa, yea they don’t call us learned friends for nothing. This weekly publication will help you stay up to speed with Technology as you represent clients and manage your Law practice.
Your Innovation Strategy
A Tech and Innovation strategy is a roadmap. It is the foundation which helps your firm put in place the correct culture and action points towards the use of legal technology tools. An innovation strategy is the keystone to how far and how efficient your adaptation to technology will go. It enables your firm to set the step by step action points towards a tech-enabled Law Practice.
How to craft a successful Innovation Strategy
1. Time based: Identify your Technology gaps internally and externally. Internally in the sense of the tools you may need to put in place for internal process efficiency, or outward looking, where you consider how to improve your products and outputs to the clients. Schedule the timeframes for what needs to be done and by when.
2. Culture enabled: You have heard this quote, that ‘Culture eats Strategy for breakfast.’ The success or failure of your innovation strategy depends largely on the culture you have created for your firm. Do you encourage innovation and creativity? Are your employees assured of support for viable tech based ideas? The tone and execution of decisions in the Law Firm must encourage the use of Technology.
3. Tech is a tool, not the end-all: Consider your thought process towards adopting technology. You must view Technology as merely a tool that the people in your Firm will interact with, play with and solve problems with. It is a tool for humans, and not competition for humans. The way you embody technology in your Law Firm must be first and foremost enabling and efficient for the staff who will be using it. Even though technology has the capacity to change and Improve systems, it must not be viewed as the enemy in the firm, unless you are setting yourself up for failure.
“Computers are going to take over certain legal tasks—the practice of law will focus more on advice.”
Ricardo Anzaldua, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, MetLife
Important Tech Tools For Law Firms
Globally, these have taken the legal space by a storm, helping lawyers mange law firms better:
- Cloud storage
- Group Instant messaging
- Confidential Video Conferencing
- Remote working solutions
- Time tracking and billing solutions
- Document Management solution
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