It is safe to assume that every attorney, no matter the size of the firm, aspires to become successful. However, the key to achieving this lies a lot in how efficient you and your practice can be.  Efficiency is simply the time it takes to complete a given task. Many assume they have it but come short. The truth still remains that this skill can be learned.

Many law firms and legal departments continually look for new ways to increase their efficiency and drive productivity. Nevertheless, less than 30% of law firms have an employee tasked to drive innovation technology, and the same is likely true of corporate legal departments. Those firms and companies that do have dedicated technology specialists tend to be larger or even the largest of market participants.

Here are three tips that may sound simple but the ABCs are the building blocks of which life depends on.

1.Track all your time, not just billable hours: In order to see where you or practice fall short, you need to understand where you are squandering valuable hours (if not days), try tracking how you spend your time. It is a simple exercise that will show you exactly where you are wasting time.

2. Prioritize Daily: In the Western culture [which many try to follow] not every phone call is answered. The art of prioritizing is major. Once the phone starts ringing and mails start infiltrating your schedule, it’s not hard to lose sight of what you set out to accomplish that day.

The key to a successful day starts from the day before. Before you go to bed, take a few minutes to jot down your top priorities for the next day, [get your clothes and shoes ready for the next day]. This will certainly help you subconsciously keep these tasks front and centre.

3. Compare notes and watch for new trends: Ever heard the statement that two (2) heads are better than one? If you have a trusted colleague, it can be enlightening to compare your days. (This is especially helpful if you have tracked all your time as recommended above). There are portions of the workday that can feel like sunk costs.

However, you might only see them that way because you don’t see an alternative. Gaining a sense of how someone in a similar position allocates their time can be very eye-opening.

 

That’s it. Go try out these tips. You will have cause to be appreciative if you follow them.

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

 

https://legal.thomsonreuters.com/en/insights/articles/6-steps-law-firm-efficiency

 

Five Ways for Law Firms to Become More Efficient

 

3 Tips to Grow Your Small Law Firm

 

5 Ways to Make Your Small Law Firm More Efficient

 

12 Steps to a Profitable Law Practice