Walker Clark
Worldview Archives
Beware consensus.
Do you and your partners pride yourselves on the fact that "as partners we never proceed unless we have consensus?"
Or that "we have voting rules but never need to use them, because we prefer to come to a consensus?"
So, what does this commitment to consensus actually say about your partners' decision making process, your professional and business culture, and the ability of your firm to adapt to, and respond rapidly and efficiently to, a changing business environment?
Surprisingly, very little and not what you might expect.
Chaos, Control, and Change in Law Firms
By training and experience, most lawyers tend to be risk-adverse. This can sometimes make change difficult, especially when the changes are a little threatening to those in power, or when they challenge long-held paradigms about how things should be done.
This is one of ten most frequently read posts in the Worldview Archives, with more than 14,000 views since it was first published in 2013.
Getting Your Partners to Do the Right Thing
This would be a great law firm if I could get my partners to do the right thing."
This is a frequent comment in many law firms, even ones that are otherwise well-managed and successful. It is easy to become frustrated when our colleagues do not perform in ways that are consistent with commitments that they have made.
