KNOW, the Magazine for Paralegals Spring 2014 | Page 16
* Conduct a performance audit of your staff using a high-low performance to high-low potential
axis (often called a 9-box system. Then proceed
to place your people based on your performance
audit. For example, if they are a top performer with
a high potential, they would place in the top right
corner of your graph. Low performers with medium
potential would fall in the bottom center of the
graph, etc.
This will give you a starting point from where
to evaluate each person's performance. From that
point you can suggest individual areas for development for people with potential and determine an
exit strategy for those falling in low performance
low potential positions.
3. Lack of Delegation and Time Management
The Challenge:
“I get that crises happen. I’m OK with going all
out in an emergency. But when I lose a weekend
because some attorney gave the client the ‘drop
deadline’ instead of adding a day or two for my
work, it makes me want to quit. When it happens
every single weekend, it makes me want to hurt
somebody.”
At first blush, this looks like an everyday problem
between lawyer and staff. Many things could be going on here. Perhaps Millie’s boss has lost control of
the client and is afraid to enforce deadlines. Maybe
Millie’s boss just doesn’t get the deadline concept.
Maybe Millie isn’t communicating this problem to
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her boss - there is, after all, a culture of martyrdom
in law firms whereby status is conferred upon those
who work the craziest hours. (Nothing quite says
"BONUS" like running into a name partner in the
office at 7:00 am on a Saturday morning.)
Whatever the root cause, the bottom line is that
lack of effective delegation and time management
frequently causes miscues and miscommunication,
which can create deeper issues if not addressed. To
create an effective delegation system, the attorney
and paralegal must agree on specific definitions.
For example, what is the difference between a
deadline, a drop deadline, and a check in date?
By clarifying these definitions, both parties will
be able to manage their time more effectively. Another important aspect to effective delegation and
time-management is setting aside time to prioritize tasks and projects. Without prioritizing, many
tasks tend to move into the immediate or urgent
category, which leaves little to no time for organizing, planning, and strategizing. As we saw in Millie's
quote, it can produce such a negative ripple effect
that you end up losing star staff members due to
ineffective delegation and time management.
The Solution:
These two strategies can move a dysfunctional
team from constant crisis mode to a well-oiled
machine:
* Identify two common challenges that appear