Mobile computing and cloud technology have had an incredible impact on human society. That includes the legal industry, where agile working is becoming more and more common. Agile methodology has been used in fields like mobile app development and CMS (Content Management System) design and development, but can it benefit your law firm? The answer is yes, but we’ll need to explore the topic to help you understand how.
What Is Agile All About?
First, understand that it really is all in the name. Agile work is just that – highly flexible, with a focus on self-governance, iterative testing, and ongoing communication. Agile teams can more easily respond to change requests and hurdles that they might encounter, and generally deliver higher-quality results in less time.
How Can Your Law Firm Benefit?
So, how can adopting an agile mindset within your law firm benefit you? There are quite a few ways.
- Free Your Team: One benefit here is that when you strip away the layers of micromanagement, you free your team members and office staff to do what they do best. Team members then become more motivated and happier, improving your office culture and even staff retention.
- Flexible Working: Agile law firms embrace advanced technology that provides the ability to be more flexible in terms of when, where, and how work is performed.
- Connecting: Agile teams connect better, and with the adoption of digital technology, such as cloud and mobile computing, you can connect with other law firms to benefit from synergies.
- Virtual: Adoption of an agile mindset and digital technology can allow you to begin working virtually, which is of significant benefit to solo attorneys, as well as small and medium firms. Even large, established law firms see benefits from virtualization.
- Improving Trust: Because agile methodology hinges on self-governance, you create a culture based on trust within your office. Not only is that of benefit to staff members, but also to your clients.
How Do You Go Agile?
So, how do you ensure that your firm can enjoy the benefits we discussed? The trick lies in committing to an agile mindset within your practice, while adopting the technology necessary to underpin practice success. Come up with new answers to questions like how your team members work, when they work, where they work from, and how they communicate.
Ultimately, agile working helps you build a more successful practice while ensuring better staff retention and even improved client outcomes.
