LAW OFFICE CULTURE

Writing about law firm/office culture from the workforce perspective is a challenge as most articles about law firms on any subject address attorneys only. For this edition I have collected and read several articles that address office culture in general. Filtering down to law firm culture simply made the workforce disappear.

And that ???is the reason LOUSILegal exists - because YOU, THE LEGAL ASSISTANCE WORKFORCE, EXIST. And you are my favorite part of the legal industry.

Does your firm or law office exhibit consistent collaboration and great morale while maintaining a high level of productivity???If so, a positive office culture has developed - maybe intentionally or maybe organically - and you are highly favored.? Count it as a BIG blessing.

Have you ever taken a general office complaint to management and you see no action?? Or maybe management has come to you to ask what would make you "happier" in your role, but you see no follow-up action or change as a result of the conversation?

Not always, but many times firm management and HR roles are occupied by the same people who are or were practicing attorneys or assistance staff. The title and a raise are exchanged for additional administrative duties.

What is Office Culture And Who Is Responsible For It?

First let's break down what office culture is.

Office culture is simply our collective mindsets and behaviors and how these affect the commitment to shared purposes and values.

What are the purposes and values you share with every member of your office or firm?? Would the person three doors down from you give the same answer to that question as you just did?

Last week's article was about taming the chaos in the law office. Clarity and Communication was one of the headings. If you and/or your co-workers, including attorneys, are not clear about the purposes and values of the firm, then the chaos starts right there. How can you have a mindset and behavior about something you do not know exists?

What are the purposes and values you share with your team members?? Do you need a quick meeting or email to clarify?

The answer, you see, is that everyone is responsible for the culture that develops with your firm or office.? Every one, including workforce staff, contributes to office culture, whether good or bad. Ideally, office culture will be vital to the firm or office. Realistically, it is not.

The Role of Leadership

The leadership in your firm, what is considered by most to be the top-tier partners, defines the core elements of the firm, which include its mission and vision and values. Leadership also will make the decisions regarding business strategy, location of the firm, etc. Because of status, leadership sets the overall tone and the partners are THE role models in terms of behaviors required for success. (Many attorneys in leadership do not know this.)

• Firm partners establish a shared set of firm values
• Firm partners set firm-wide expectations for behavior
• Firm partners hold management accountable

The Role of Human Resources

If you have an HR department, it would take on the design and measurement of initiatives and campaigns to get office culture on the road and drive it according to the strategies and values established by the firm partners.

• HR designs employee experiences that align with the firm's values and strategies
• HR interviews, recruits, and hires with firm values in mind

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The Role of Management

It is management's responsibility to establish consistency and connection. Per Gallup, "the role of the manager is a dominant factor in the employee experience."? We've all seen the meme declaring "People leave their manager, not their company."

• Management should understand firm values and strategies to keep values in play firm-wide and consistently
• Management should keep employees connected to the broad strategy and culture of the firm
• Management should build consistency in all areas of employee experience

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The Role of Employees

Employees, as the largest group in the firm, can provide valuable feedback about the state of the culture and and offer input for new culture-building ideas.

• Employees should engage with and contribute to a positive office culture
• Employees should be clear about the firm's values and commit to sharing them
• Employees should see and understand the realities behind office culture

If your law office or firm does not have an HR department or manager who works to design, build, and maintain a positive office culture, you could be working in an isolated silo group or in chaos.

Understanding that attorneys are not taught business or management in law school, and what little training we know staff are provided combined with the way many partners establish office management and punctuated with the content of industry articles and programs, it is not difficult to see why law firm/office culture is what it is and why practicing partners do not have any time to invest its development.

Again, if your office or firm has a positive culture, you are truly blessed, and you have what most of us are looking for.

I would urge you to consider the culture of the office in which you are working and try to understand why the culture is what it is. Then consider if there is a way you can contribute to positively affect the culture.

Should you be contemplating a move because of office culture, make office culture a priority and ask questions about it during your interview process.

To get a sense of the firm's values, ask:

What makes you proud to work here?

What roles do company values play in hiring and performance reviews?

What is one thing you would change about this company if you could?

To get an understanding of conflict and politics, ask:

How is conflict resolved here?

How would you describe "office politics" here?

To learn about the work environment, ask:

What are some of the ways the firm celebrates success?

What kind of flexibility do people have?

Every firm or office will have different values and work environments. Firms will differ in consistency and clarity. Remember, the definition of office culture is the mindsets and behaviors of the collective and how those mindsets and behaviors affect the commitment to shared purposes and values.

If you love assisting in the legal industry but just can't get any job satisfaction, it's not your fault. We are, for the most part, an invisible workforce doing our best in imperfect situations. You can make a move and you can be successful.

• Continue to assess and develop your skills and knowledge. These are yours.? They are transferable and portable. They go with you.
• Seek community and be seen elsewhere, if you are not recognized and included at your office. There are online communities and professional organizations you can join who relate and will support you and celebrate your wins.
• Consider freelance assistance. Virtual assistance and freelance paralegal are growing businesses. Do your research, if this interests you.

There are great roles and positions out there, and landing one for the skilled candidate largely hinges on personality fit - can you get behind the values established, if any, support the accepted behaviors, and share a commitment to the purpose of the firm?

In the end it's your call.

Till next time,

-dt

LOUSILegal's newsletter, The LEVER, is published here on LinkedIn on Saturdays. It's meant to serve the local legal support folks by offering ideas, concepts, and actionable processes to leverage their roles in the industry. Subscribe if you'd like to see more articles supporting the support!

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