What’s the first thing you do when you receive a legal request….start looking for solutions? As tempting as it is to jump into problem solving mode, it’s not the most effective or efficient way of working. Instead, ask yourself: 1. Do I have all of the information that I need to deliver an output that meets the business’s needs? 2. What are the steps that I need to take and, if I need other resources, will they be available when I need them? Do I have any questions that haven’t been answered, and what do I need to keep an eye on to stop it derailing the work that I’m about to do? 3. Is everyone involved aware of what’s required and when? If they are, now I can start solving the problem. 4. Is everything happening as I thought it would? If not, why and do I need to take any corrective action? 5. All done, problem solved. But before I move on to the next request, am I sure the output actually met the business’ needs? Is the business happy? Is there anything that I would do differently or do more of next time? Did I produce anything that I or others will want to use again? It's just common sense AKA Legal Project Management. All legal requests have a start, a middle and an end so weaving some simple #LPM into your way of working will provide you with structure and discipline that will make you more productive and impactful. It isn’t rocket science, nor will it overload you with additional management (if you do it right = keep it simple). It works, no matter how complex the issue is. If you want to know more, a great place to start is the LPM module in the Connected Legal Certificate (I will post a link in the comments). And after you have watched that insightful content, take a moment to check out the other modules in the LawVu Academy because LPM is just one of the many actions that you can take to make your legal function more connected to its work, to the organisation and to the outcomes it delivers in 2024. #inhousecounsel #generalcounsel #legalops #connectedlegal
General Counsel at Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust
10moThanks for sharing Shaun. Jason Cooper - might be time to formalise our own approach.