Forward by Michael Mogill, Author of Game Changing Attorney and CEO, Crisp Video
THE CASE FOR CULTURE
Happy Lawyers
Really Do Make
More Money
And firms that reflect our
values tend to make us happier human beings.
The Case for Culture
Most lawyers don’t set out to be business owners. They become business owners when they open their own law firm, and from that point forward, their work tends to become disconnected and chaotic. They’re so busy with HR, bookkeeping, and marketing that they’re lucky to have twenty minutes a day to work on cases. Many lawyers are drowning, which contributes to the profession’s unsettling levels of alcoholism, drug addiction, and depression.
Eric Farber knows what it feels like to be, as he puts it, “running in scarcity.”
He did it for years before discovering the secret to turning things around: Putting Culture First. In The Case for Culture, Eric gives lawyers the wisdom and tools they need to transform themselves and their culture. By creating a community of people and rallying them around a shared mission, you’ll build a law practice that will take care of you, not the other way around. If you want to grow your practice and be happy, it starts with culture.
Putting Culture First is a Win-Win
For Both Businesses and Employees.
Most lawyers don’t set out to be business owners. They become business owners when When you think of law firms, business culture is likely the last thing you think of. Most companies, especially law firms, don’t prioritize culture and instead treat it as an afterthought. They claim to have a culture that values employees, respects everyone equally, and balances discipline with fun, but they don’t encourage those values—and employees see right through the deception. Eric Farber provides insight into how law firm owners can implement a culture that prioritizes employees first based on his own lessons.
Why Your Law Firm Needs
a Culture of Discipline to Win
Discipline creates consistency in your work and leads to consistently providing a good customer experience. Additionally, it leaves room for improvement in processes. Finally, if you want a culture of fun, you need a culture of discipline. One balances the other. Encouraging fun will take the edge off the stress that often comes with working in law while discipline enforces healthy boundaries. In other words, with both fun and discipline, you’ll have a more relaxed office environment while still being productive.
Why Leaving Personal Lives
at The Door is Unrealistic
As a business leader, you should want your employees to take a personal stake in your company—but in return, you also need to be prepared to embrace the whole person who comes to your office. Realistically, no business can hire only a tiny part of an individual capable of executing commands in isolation. It’s not possible for people to truly leave their personal lives at the door. Therefore, great culture welcomes the whole human.
Coaching, Not Managing, Results in Real Productivity Improvements
A great leader—a coach—cares for their employees by encouraging them to rise to their full potential and coaching them to create a better version of themselves. They help people master their work and progress to a higher level of fulfilled human needs. When you manage people, you corral them and try to keep them from trampling your things and making a mess; when you coach people, you help them grow. You build their skills—and, in turn, your company—while working alongside them. Of the two options, coaching will help your employees and business thrive exponentially better than managing ever will.