When you run your own law firm, you’re not just the “lead attorney” or “chief partner”—you’re also the owner of the business, the one who sets the tone and direction of the firm. Naturally, you have your own ideas and agenda for what needs to be done, and at some point, you’re going to build a team of people around you to help accomplish those goals. But to achieve the greatest success, you don’t need just any people. You need the right people doing the right things.
Let’s unpack that statement.
People are more than just manpower. Different people have different strengths and weaknesses. Some are excellent organizers and administrators; some are great with numbers; some are especially good with other people; some are amazing problem solvers; some are creative geniuses. If you only hire staff for the purpose of doing the stuff you don’t have time to do yourself, and if you hire them with the expectation that they’re going to be an extension of what you would do, you’re going to have an office that is “just okay” at best, and inefficient and strife-ridden at worst. (You’ll probably also have a lot of turnover because people won’t be content at their jobs.)
On the other hand, instead of hiring simply based on what you need to be done…if you hire people for their unique qualities and strengths, and if you place them in positions that encourage them to use those strengths—now you’ve got a powerhouse in the making. Instead of filling your office with mere hirelings, you are now building a team. You’ve got the right people doing the right things, and your productivity starts to soar. Make sense?
Advantages of Hiring Based on Strengths
What we’re really talking about here is a team-building mindset. You’re hiring people according to what they can offer, not necessarily what you think you need. How, exactly, does this mindset help your law firm in the long run? Let’s explore some of the advantages:
- A happier office culture. An abundance of studies show that happy employees are more productive.
- You’re building for the long-term, not the short-term. Team members that function where they are strongest tend to stay put because they’re invested in your vision. Happy employees don’t quit, so you won’t be re-hiring and training replacements nearly as often.
- Your firm will grow in (pleasantly) surprising ways. When you find the right people for your team, they tend to move you in directions that you didn’t expect and couldn’t have anticipated. They’ll bring you fresh ideas as well as new challenges and opportunities to succeed.
It takes a bit of courage to approach team-building in this way, and it may mean you have to do your own typing for a while longer until the “right” person comes along. But by putting the right people into the right positions to do the right things, you’ll be setting your law firm up for long-term, exponential success. For more information on effective team-building and other growth strategies, give us a call at 888-207-2869.
