Working Smarter

Vital skills training for all lawyers. The course is divided into three key topic areas with a focus on working smarter (not harder). The course has been updated to reflect evolving hybrid working practices.

• Working smarter with clients

  Improving client engagement/retention through improved commercial awareness

• Working smarter with time

  Improving productivity and reducing stress through improved personal organisation

• Working smarter with money

  Improving profitability and lock-up through improved understanding of law firm finances and billing

Content

Working smarter with clients

• Client care and the perception/reality gap
• How does remote working impact on CRM?
• Introduction to the case study – initial instructions
• Defining commercial awareness
• Tuning in to your client – prepare a briefing note
• Understanding the client’s commercial objectives
• Reading case study company accounts – overview
• Reading case study company accounts – KPIs and what they can tell you
• Follow-up to initial meeting
• How do you retain clients and win more work?

Working smarter with time

• Dealing with email from partner – multiple tasks
• What else do you need to consider?
• Deadlines, capacity, budget, resources, access to help
• What gets in the way?
• The problems of hybrid working explored
• Planning and prioritisation
• The 4 ‘d’s – focus on delegation and develop a checklist
• Top tips for regaining control

Working smarter with money

• Law firm KPIs – a reminder
• Review of the firm’s finances – interpretation of financial data
• Profit and cash – what’s the difference?
• Factors affecting billing
• How can you help to reduce lock-up and improve cashflow?
• This transaction – 4 billing scenarios

Wrap-up

• Key messages revisited
• How has hybrid working impacted you?
• What am I going to change? (Option for postcard/email follow-ups)
• Explore benefits of LPM (for clients, for saving time and for making more money)
• Work smarter – not harder

Outcomes

Working smarter with clients

• Understand the importance of delivering consistently excellent service
• Consider how hybrid working affects the client’s experience 
• Developed financial and commercial skills (client, sector, macroeconomic)
• Focus on clients’ commercial objectives
• Read and interpret clients’ accounts
• Consider and communicate the ‘value statement’
• Exceed client expectations

Working smarter with time

• Review personal behaviour patterns and address problems
• Analyse the issues with hybrid working
• Consider time budget and deadlines early
• Use existing resources effectively – knowledge management system, PDLs, LMS, relevant precedents, legal tech resources
• Make better use of your diary
• Make better use of email
• Improve delegation – and produce a delegation checklist
• Improve focus on knowledge capture
• Explore (in overview) the benefits of LPM

Working smarter with money

• Understand how law firms make money
• Ask yourself ‘will we get paid for this work?’ every time
• Address problems with time recording
• Communicate clearly with your clients about fees
• Prioritise billing and collection
• Monitor your individual performance

Format

Working Smarter uses case study exercises to explore three key areas in your delivery of legal services

The course is delivered live online (not as a webinar) and uses quizzes, polls and breakout rooms to ensure the training is interactive and engaging.

90-minute modules individually, half -day or full-day via Zoom

Working Smarter uses case study exercises to explore three key areas in your delivery of legal services

Before taking this course you may be interested in our Finance Refresher course

Delegates

Ideally suited to junior lawyers who need to meet raised levels of expectation on qualification and more experienced fee earners who recognise the importance of personal development.

The course topics are directly relevant to the Solicitor statement of competence Part D – to be able to ‘Manage themselves and their own work’.

https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/resources/cpd/competence-statement/