KNOW, the Magazine for Paralegals Spring 2014 | Page 14

analyzing the lack of management skills training
in the legal profession, we realized that Millie
had given us a steady stream of quotes that perfectly describe a wide range of law firm management pains. Through Millie’s wit and wisdom, we
will introduce you to three common management challenges and offer a few no frills no fluff
strategies to mitigate these pains.
1. Lack of Management Skills in Young
Attorneys
The Challenge:
“It’s not in my best interests to train young
lawyers. Every time some arrogant kid tells me
to do something, I have a choice. I can take the
time to train her to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ or
I can use that time to go the extra mile for the
managing partner. Guess who wins.”
Millie perfectly illuminates the management folly of not taking the time to start young
lawyers off on the right foot. Lawyers need to
manage their support staff and without the
necessary management skills needed to create
a positive attorney-paralegal relationship, both
parties suffer from miscommunications, stress,
and unnecessary frustrations.
The conventional wisdom is that it takes three
or four years of practice after law school before
young attorneys are profitable. It takes the same
amount of time to develop a good foundation of
management skills. Unfortunately, very few firms
make this investment in training and thereby
inadvertently support poor management,
miscommunication and contentious territorystaking.
The Strategy:
Wouldn’t it be great if new attorneys had taken
a course in “Managing Your Secretary 101” and
could co-create powerful partnerships with staff
from the start?
In the meantime, and while not a substitute
for formal management training, these two strategies can help attorneys and paralegals manage
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their relationship more effectively.

* At the start of a new attorney-paralegal relationship, have
each party share their most important pet peeve. For example
Millie hates when others don’t say “please” and “thank you.”
While it may seem like a minor issue, the lack of these commo
courtesies pushes Millie into passive-aggressive behavior. An a
torney pet peeve may be when paralegals hover in the doorw
to ask questions while the attorney is on the phone. By uncove
ing these hot buttons early on, both parties can avoid triggeri
each others’ shadow behaviors.

* Set up formalized regularly scheduled times for consistent
check-ins on what works and doesn’t. It is often effective to as
what someone wants “more of” and “less of” to avoid triggerin
personality differences and hurt feelings. Continuous feedbac
is the key to any great business relationship.
2. Not Firing Dead Weight Staff Members
The Challenge:

“I can handle the arrogance and social awkwardness of
lawyers just fine. It’s the cluelessness of staff that puts me over
the edge. I once worked with a secretary with tons of seniority