The year 2020 changed everything. It’s no surprise that when the pandemic swept across the world, everything changed, from when and how we interact with others, to how we conduct business.
Checklists form the groundwork for an excellent, well-run practice that is error free and purposeful. Setting up systems using checklists for every procedure you and your staff do is pivotal to growth, if done consistently and intentionally.
Of course, the initial reaction to expect might be that you don’t need or can’t rely on checklists to practice law because everything you do is unique. But if you put your mind to it, you’ll be able to come up with many areas in your practice where the use of checklists will make your work easier, smoother and foolproof.
While the content of your work might be unique, you will find your steps are those you repeat over and over again, and anything that you do repeatedly is ideal for checklist use.
In order to survive in 2021, savvy law firm leaders, from office managers to managing partners, need to adapt law firm operations in critical areas such as:
In The Checklist Manifesto, Atul Gawande very persuasively illustrates that the use of checklists by doctors and pilots saves lives. If doctors and airline pilots can use checklists in the midst of emergencies to save lives, surely lawyers can use checklists to protect their clients’ livelihoods, too.
We have no excuse.
REFERENCES
https://www.lawsociety.bc.ca/support-and-resources-for-lawyers/practice-checklists/.
The Checklist Manifesto – Atul Gawande