1. I PRACTICE MRNACEMENT
Culture is a keY differentiator
for most firms, and it is
especially imPortant for a familY
law practice wanting to attract
new clients.
or today's law firm, culture matters
and should not be seen as a "buzz
word" used onlY bY the Gen X and Y
crowd. ln 2012, Inc. magazine reported
that 18% of college graduates consid'
ered the culture of an organization to
be the number-one factor in making an
employment decision. Unfortunately,
many lawyers and law firms don't
believe that these statistics apply to
them, but in today's competitive family'
law practice, establishing and retaining
the right culture for your firrn can be
a key differentiator when it comes to
attracting clients.
What do Your clients think about
your firm's culture when they visit for
their initial divoree consultation? Are
they compelled to tell their friends
about the exPerience? Can theY tell
from just one visit which values are
important to your firm? lf you are not
sure, then it could be time to assess or
establish the type of culture that will
encourage your clients to make referrals
and share their positive experiences"
Culture is atmospheric. Culture is
Table of Conterrts I Professional Listings
msr[KEs
ililT Cm mLLvoUR FlRt'S ruLTURE
By Tea Hoff mann. Strategy Consultant
r r1a feeling. We all know a good culture
when we experience it. When I enter
my doctor's office, for examBle, the
receptionist smiles and says hello to me
by name. When I sit down, theY have
magazines that are current and relevant
to their patients (most of who are over
50), and when I am called back to see
the doctor, the nurse (who also calls me
by name) asks about mY children and
my work before she asks me to raise
my sleeve to take my blood pressure.
I know that customer service is impor-
tant to this office.
Culture is a shared set of values
that is communicated and demon-
strated throughout the organization'
The leader sets the standard of what is
important and what actions will and will
not be tolerated. A leader makes few
excaptions, if any, and exemplifies the
purpose of the firm.
Culture flows downward. lf an orga-
nization's leader does not adhere to
the core values and stated Burpose of
the firm, then the other lawYers and
staff won't buy into it and the culture
will become a joke. I have heard horror
stories from staff who bought into the
firm culture outlined in their initial
intervieq only to find a fuw months in
that the talk was just, well, talk.
5o, which mistakes can kill Your
firm's culture?
1. Lack of Stated PurPose or Values
At my current firm, client value
is one of our four stated standards.
Actions that reinforce this value include:
completing in-person client interviews
and actively responding to the feedback;
completing after-action interviews and
online surveys to determine in real-time
what worked well and what we could be
doing better, as well as staff training on
client service; and constant reminders
of why our clients are important.
Our client commitment is PromF
nently displayed in our lobby; it is also
on our coffee cuPs and is the basis of
a new website our firm is launching'
These simple steps effectively keep our
client commitrnent toP-of-mi nd.
Family law practitioners may choose
www.fumilylawyermagazine'com/article-category/practice-management | 38

2. to provide customer service training to
lawyers and staff; prominently display
the firm's client commitment in the
lobby and in allclient materials; provide
clients with a resource, outside of their
primary attorney, to call and ask ques-
tions; establish a standard response
time policy; or complete a simple after-
the-case interview to determine what
went well, and what could have been
done better or differentlY.
2. Lack ol LeadershiP
teadershiP at all levels must sub-
scribe to and embody the firm's stated
values. Otherwise, Your attempted
culture revival is destined for failure.
Obtaining staff buy-in at a small family-
law firm is much easier than doing so at
a larger firm, but it still requires effort
from those in leadership positions'
Every leader has certain core values, but
establishing or re-establishing a unique
firm culture should involve a group
discussion on current perceived core
values as well as the aspired values' The
gap hetween where you are in relation
to your purpose versus where you want
to be must also be discussed involving
small, targeted actions that move your
firm closer to exhibiting your unique
culture.
3. lnelliciencies
Some studies estimate that ineffi-
ciencies cost organizations 2G'30?6 of
their revenue. Despite this, many firms
are running so fast that theY never
slow down enough to be efficient, or
they don't want to spend the money to
create efficiencies. But you can't affiord
to ignore this topig as inefficiency is an
underlying sounce of frustration - and
frustration is toxic to your firmt culture.
lf your computer is outdated and
takes minutes to load, if your copiers
are constantly jammed and your files
are disorganized, and if Your work-
space does not allow You to do Your
job well, there is a problem that must
be addressed. The cost of such ineffi-
ciencies, in addition to the frustration
they cause, include lower-quality work,
wasted time, damaged morale, and
a higher staff turnover rate.
Table of Contents I Professional Listings
So, to the leaders reading this, I would
ask: what are Your firm's core values
and purpose? Do You most stronglY
value client attraction, client retention,
productivity, profttability, community
service, or something else? How are
you comrnunicating those values to
your team? How are You embodYing
and demonstrating these values? Can
your team describe the firm's purpose,
and are you open to suggestions from
all team members on how that purpose
can be accomplished? Are you willing
to spend the time, money, and energY
necessary to turn your firm into a place
that clients will want to go and will refur
to others? A firm where lawyers enjoy
working, and where staff members
choose to stey because they fuel like
part of a team?
Whether You're activelY working to
shape it or not, your firm has a culture"
Itt up to you to choose how to define
your firmt culture and avoid making
the toxic mistakes that can kill culture
completely. fl
Teo Hoffmonn is the Chief
Strotegy Offrcer for Parker
Poe Adoms & Bernstein in
Charlotte, NC. She received
her JD from Cumberlond
School of Low. ln her cur'
rent role, she Provides
guidonce in the formation, development,
ond implementotion af revenue generat-
ing strategies and policies. Ms.Hoffmann
is o frequent public speoker ocross
the lJnited Stotes on o wide voriety
of business development-related topics.
wwwparkerPoe.com
Belated Article
Simple Directions tor Bettsr Time
Management and Client RaPPort
By Canie Hagan
The key t0 eftectiw client meetings
is gentle control, clanty 0f process,
and general transparenoy about what
comes nexl
www.fam alYlawyermagazine.com/
articles/simPle-directions
OurFamilyWizard.com
fo fqf,f,t ,.b(Lrorl'LE
www.familylawyermagazine.com/article-category/practice-management | 39