From the outside, a thriving legal business is built on solid foundations of a fantastic team, strong leadership, and plenty of hard work and determination.
They’re all essentials, but what we know from working within our clients’ businesses is that there’s another important ingredient for success that’s often overlooked – processes.
In this four-part blog series, we’ll explore three processes in your business that we believe should be documented to help you succeed in growing an outstanding law firm.
But first, we’ll explore why you should make processes a priority in your business.
What are the benefits of process diagrams for legal businesses?
Process diagrams are a visual workflow for your team to follow, that covers (almost) all eventualities during a given process.
Diagrams are a perfect way to document your Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and can empower your team to know what they’re doing, when they’re supposed to do it, and who to ask for help when needed.
Having your processes documented means expectations are clear, and regularly-repeated tasks are carried out efficiently and in exactly the same way every time. Not only does this place your team in a position to succeed, it allows leaders in the business to do what they do best, and contributes to excellent customer service for your clients too. It’s a win-win all round!
We’ve seen first-hand how written procedures contribute to the growth of a successful law firm, and it’s one of our top tips for expanding your team.
Of course, you don’t have to use a diagram to map out your processes; table format is another useful and easy-to-read (and therefore easy-to-implement) method of mapping out your processes.
What’s important is that you document the method you’d like your team to use for certain tasks in a way that is easy to follow and leaves no room for misinterpretation.
What tools can I use to map out process diagrams?
Before thinking about any software, the best way to get started is the old-fashioned way – pen and paper!
Whether I’m mapping out processes in my business or getting started for a client, I always start with a blank piece of paper and draw circles, lines, and arrows in all directions with little care for presentation. At each point, we’ll ask ‘what if xyz happens?’ and ‘what would prevent this from running smoothly?’.
This first draft should be put together by the management team with the input of those in the business who are responsible for the particular task, such as the finance team where invoicing is concerned, as they’ll be looking after the process day-to-day and can talk you through common issues and questions.
Once this first draft is complete, we put this together in a tidy fashion using software, with our favourites being:
- Lucid Chart and Plectica for visual diagrams.
- Word and Google Docs work well for Standard Operating Procedures in table format.
- Scribe for capturing screenshots of a process. (see detailed description below)
- Loom for recording your screen whilst doing a process.
Scribe is a tool I use time and time again when working inside Clio and about to start a process for creating an invoice or client funds request. You simply hit record and Scribe will take screen grabs as you click through each step. Once complete, you can copy and paste the Scribe link into your SOP or download as a PDF and add into your processes folder for everyone to access.
Our team are experts at putting together essential processes that map out a process and keep you delivering the service you want to your clients, every time, with little team time wasted on repeated tasks.
To find out more about how we can keep your business moving, get in touch now.
And don’t forget to look out for the next blog in our processes series, coming to you soon!
