Thinking About Employees’ Lives and Ambitions Outside of Work Can Improve Law Firm Culture

It wasn’t long ago that I was an employee instead of a law firm owner. In fact, it was the numerous experiences throughout my life as a law firm associate that put a firecracker under me to start my own firm specializing in divorce and family law and estate planning.?

As an owner, I wanted a chance to create a law firm with a culture that was different from those of the firms where I had worked throughout my legal career, a legal career that started after law school and continued until I left the workplace to become a stay-at-home mom. My legal career picked up as my marriage started to unravel.?

I re-entered the workplace, again, as an employee. I continued as one well after my divorce, too, until I made the decision to hang the virtual shingle I did and create an environment I wanted to work in and give that same opportunity to those who craved life-work balance the way I did. My firm has been growing steadily ever since.

But I don’t credit myself singularly for the success I have enjoyed. To do that would be unfair. And unrealistic. What I do credit myself with is seeing how essential it is for firm growth to build a strong team, one where I, as a firm owner, work alongside the people who are very much responsible for keeping our office running and our clients happy. And by happy, I mean clients who are receiving not only the service they hired us for but a chance at a new life as a result of it.?

As you can see, building a strong team benefits everyone. So what is the best way to build one? For starters, treating everyone on that team as equals. And that, dear Reader, is where the nuance lies. It is not enough to say everyone on the team is equal. As an owner, you have to show it and, at the same time, create an environment, a culture, that supports it.?

That begins with setting two very important, overarching goals:?

• Recognize and acknowledge employees’ personal and professional challenges, their goals inside and outside of the workplace, and their values, whether it be their principles, morals, or ethical standards. In other words, learn who they are.
• Create a tight-knit, supportive work environment to embrace all of the above, where employees feel comfortable to be who they are, and as a result, allow who they are to work for them — and for you.?

How to reach these goals:

It is one thing to set goals and then another to take clear steps toward reaching them. Which means, opportunely, you should have a roadmap. Particularly if your current culture is in need of a drastic makeover, or you are walking into an existing situation you need to change, you are going to have your work cut out for you.?

My recommendation is to start implementing changes slowly. Expect that there may be suspicion or skepticism among your employees, possibly even pushback. But stick with it. The difference you will see will most definitely be worth your time and effort.?

I have experienced all of it, including setbacks, which I have rebounded from. With that, here are my tips for how to create a team-focused firm culture or institute change in your existing one.?

1. Maintain an open dialogue with employees.

The key to any successful relationship, personal or professional, is communication. This applies to the relationship you share with your team. Communication is a two-way street, so I suggest asking the following three questions and then using the answers to position your team members in the roles that best suit them. This way, they can run with their strengths.?

• What do you want to learn?
• Where do you see yourself in… six months, a year, three years, five years, 10 years?
• Are you enjoying your current role, or do you see yourself in a different one here?

In keeping with the idea of open dialogue, embrace radical candor by creating a culture that reflects how much you care for your people individually while also allowing and encouraging everyone to challenge each other directly. Don’t attack but, instead, put one another to the test by exchanging various points of view, even if it means telling your boss you disagree with their approach.?

2. Encourage personal growth and development.

Invest in your team as you would your portfolio. In essence, it is the same thing. Your organization is your livelihood and your team members’, and everyone wants to see a return on their investment.?

How to develop your team? Education, training, and personal growth, naturally. And why I provide my team members with continued access to training that can benefit them inside and outside of our firm. I also share books I love and find beneficial. I recently started a firmwide book club as well. I cannot say enough about the importance of inspiring personal development, including (and especially) ways to foster and maintain a positive attitude.

It is one of the reasons why I am such a huge fan of Eve Rodsky, for example. Her bestselling book, “Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live),” has inspired me to become a Fair Play facilitator, so I can help bring Rodsky’s step-by-step action plan for achieving gender equality at home to the homes of everyone I meet. This applies to team members and clients alike. Colleagues of mine outside my doors. When people are happy and successful at home, it radiates out into the rest of their life, including the office. What firm owner wouldn’t love or support that?

The same goes for creativity. Everyone needs a place to let their creativity fly. Rodsky understands that, too. Her latest book, “Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too-Busy World,” is positioned squarely on my nightstand. I couldn’t agree more with her philosophy.

I have always encouraged my team to spend their free time on pursuits they love and provide a lot of opportunities for them to do that with two firm-wide closures during the year and flex time, a monthly wellness benefit, and other perks. Personal growth, after all, takes time and is a lifelong endeavor.???

3. Demonstrate your capacity for empathy.

Employees have a life outside of the office. Covid-19 has certainly put a spotlight on that, which is a silver lining of this awful pandemic.?

Of course, people got sick before, lost loved ones, and needed a moment to catch their breath and focus on their mental health. But the ongoing pandemic made these life occurrences and passages more frequent and more obvious. The stress we are experiencing is a collective one, and why it is more critical than ever to understand that everyone is affected in their own way, myself included.

I want my team members to know I am here with them, living, working, and breathing. One day it might be them who needs a personal day. The next day, me. The idea is for us to support each other. And continue doing so long after the pandemic ends.?

The pandemic is a wake-up call for employers and employees everywhere. We cannot continue racing to a finish line we will never reach. Smaller steps and closer finish lines lead to a broader horizon. ?

4. Trust your employees.

No one likes or appreciates a micromanager. If you have hired someone to join your team, then presumably, you should trust that they will be able to work within the framework you have provided them and excel. If you cannot, it is time to revisit your choice.?

Team members want to know their leader(s) and colleagues have confidence in their abilities. In their work ethic. In their ability to collaborate. In their willingness to give and receive constructive feedback, then use what they have gleaned from the experience.?

So give your team members the latitude they deserve. Chances are not only won’t they disappoint you, but they will also impress you beyond your wildest expectations. ?

5. Encourage bonding between employees.

Strong bonds between strong employees lead to even stronger teams. I want my team to have personal elements to their relationships with other team members and me.?

I want to hear about your son’s track meet or your daughter’s piano recital and encourage my team to share these special events with others in our firm. Even though we are and have always been a fully remote law firm, I want to see that cake you baked or that silly photo of you with your pet. We do this frequently over a firmwide Slack channel.

This is our humanity and is what causes us to connect in a deeper way. We may come from various walks of life and lead different lifestyles, but each of us is connected. It is up to us to discover the ways we are.??

6. Support work-life balance (or, as I like to say, life-work balance).

If you have been following me, then you know I cannot emphasize enough how I think the term work-life balance is misleading. Life-work balance feels much more apropos because how and how much one person works is a personal choice. It is a choice based on how one lives and envisions living.?

I want my team members to integrate work into their life, not feel they have to change their life to fit their work. That is no fun. It is also not conducive to creativity and productivity. Everyone loses — the team member who is perpetually unhappy, other team members, the team member’s family, me.?

My goal is for all of us to be well-rounded, creative, and energetic. Nothing spells having a career you love rather than a job more than this recipe.

7. Use inclusive language (employee vs. team member).?

Us vs. Them. Me vs. You. These are cases I never, ever want to take. Not in this office — our office.?

We recently closed a family law case, a complicated one. Without the hard work, diligence, and perseverance of the paralegal on that case, it would not have concluded as successfully as it did. How it finished was the direct product of teamwork, everyone’s contribution, not only the lawyer who worked on it.?

The lawyer caste system that pervades so many law firms? I cast that out long ago. At Elise Buie Family Law Group, we help families. And, just as important, we are one.?

If you're interested in learning more about Elise Buie Family Law Group and the possibility of joining our team, please check out our current job openings.

Elise Buie, Esq. is a Seattle-based family and divorce lawyer and founder of the Elise Buie Family Law Group. A champion for maintaining civility throughout the divorce process, Elise advocates for her clients and the best interests of their children, helping them move forward with dignity and from a position of strength.