{"id":779423,"date":"2019-12-16T09:00:38","date_gmt":"2019-12-16T08:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/?post_type=articles&p=779423"},"modified":"2020-11-17T09:36:11","modified_gmt":"2020-11-17T08:36:11","slug":"from-expert-lawyer-to-innovative-lawyer","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/articles\/from-expert-lawyer-to-innovative-lawyer\/","title":{"rendered":"From Expert Lawyer to Innovative Lawyer"},"featured_media":779917,"template":"","meta":{"_has_post_settings":[]},"schools":[33,34,35],"areas":[24],"subjects":[422,423],"class_list":["post-779423","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","schools-human-sciences-and-technology","schools-law","schools-university","areas-strategy","subjects-innovation-and-technology","subjects-law"],"custom-fields":{"wpcf-article-summary-enable":["1"],"wpcf-article-summary":["Innovation in the world of legal services has so far been less than disruptive. From the perspective of clients\u2019 current needs, progress has been so feeble as to be nearly imperceptible. Although their business model remains viable, law firms are in need of a transformation. For lawyers keen to seize this opportunity, the big challenge is to develop a new mindset. They must adopt behaviors typical of leaders, seek out support through collaboration, and hone a client-oriented, innovation-focused skillset. The 3-4-5 Method of Innovation can help law firms to develop more innovative projects."],"wpcf-article-leadin":["Advances in legal service provision have been almost imperceptible. Although their business model remains viable, law firms need to emphasize collaboration and innovation if they wish to create value. Fortunately, there is a specific method that can help them do precisely that."],"wpcf-article-body":["Law<\/a> firms once viewed themselves as service providers, but about 20 years ago they began presenting themselves as experts with access to information that was unavailable to their clients. With the advent of the Internet age, things have once again changed substantially. Nowadays, buyers of legal services expect a bit more.\r\n\r\nThe current transformation, driven by innovation<\/a> and collaboration, will translate into the creation of valuable services. However, law<\/a> firms face a challenge: they must acquire a new skillset and adopt a mindset more akin to that of innovators who approach problem-solving from a different angle.\r\n\r\nLike any category of professionals, lawyers<\/a> share a series of characteristic traits. Like leaders, lawyers are focused on problem-solving and have a strategic<\/a> vision. The difference is that lawyers are combative, critical, and rules-oriented. Their default stance is adversarial. In contrast, leaders are creative, empathetic, collaboration-oriented, and willing to take risks.\r\n\r\nLegal<\/a> professionals must integrate the mindset of leaders and innovators<\/a> into their way of providing services. They must be observant, develop relationships, and build networks, while constantly questioning everything in their search for solutions. Asking the right questions is the key to offering clients the right solution.\r\n
Legal professionals must integrate the mindset of leaders and innovators into their way of providing services. They must be observant, develop relationships, and build networks.<\/blockquote>\r\nWhat skills are needed?<\/strong>\r\n\r\nLegal<\/a> service providers should have three layers of skills. The first layer consists of specific capacities related to three factors: the organization that the lawyers<\/a> work for or to which they provide their services; the services themselves; and technological factors. This layer includes skills related to project management, technology<\/a>, leadership, feedback, sector-specific knowledge, knowledge of the clients\u2019 businesses, marketing<\/a>, social media, communication, public speaking, and mentoring.\r\n\r\nThe second layer includes so-called \u201ccollaborative\u201d skills as well as skills related to finding creative solutions. These include empathy, a growth<\/a> mindset, inclusiveness, relationship-building, audacity, multidisciplinarity, diversity, etc. When it comes to team-building, diversity is sometimes misunderstood. It is worthwhile to have people of different cultures, races, and religious beliefs not because of these differences per se, but because of the problem-solving approaches that emerge in diverse groups.\r\n\r\nThe third layer, consisting of client- and service-focused skills, is where we find true innovation<\/a>. These skills\u2014the true source of leadership\u2014are what set some legal<\/a> professionals apart from the rest.\r\n\r\nTraditionally, lawyers<\/a> have focused on developing first-layer skills. Little effort has gone into the second layer, and the third layer has been all but neglected.\r\n\r\nFortunately, there is a methodology that can help law<\/a> firms integrate innovation<\/a> into their teams and structures, which in turn fosters the incorporation of second- and third-layer skills\u2014all of which translates into better service for clients.\r\n
The key is to understand the project\u2019s purpose and rationale and reach a series of agreements on the basis of this essential information.<\/blockquote>\r\nThe 3-4-5 Method of Innovation<\/strong>\r\n\r\nThe 3-4-5 Method of Innovation<\/a> that I created can be divided into three phases (a more detailed description can be found in my book, Legal Upheaval: A Guide to Creativity, Collaboration, and Innovation in Law<\/a><\/em>).\r\n\r\nPhase 1 is a brief yet fundamental process of disinhibition that helps team members to get to know each other and generate a climate of trust, the absence of which can undermine teamwork.\r\n\r\nPhase 2 is when collaboration really gets underway. Team members are selected, subgroups are created, and roles are precisely defined. With a clear understanding of their functions, team members perform better in their respective roles and contribute more ideas.\r\n\r\nFinally, in Phase 3, participants analyze and measure their successes and failures, leaving the door open to future progress.\r\n\r\nThe 3-4-5 Method of Innovation<\/a> also involves five steps. Step 1 is to explore and investigate the challenge, background, and big picture. This requires a broad investigation involving other people who can provide information about whether the challenge in question has previously been addressed and whether any solutions have already been developed.\r\n\r\nStep 2 is to find and refine the problem. Background information obtained in Step 1 can be used to whittle down the scope of the challenge. Major projects can be split into several smaller projects and assigned to different teams.\r\n\r\nStep 3 involves a task that is fundamental to any teamwork endeavor: defining, understanding, and empathizing with the target audience. Collaboration is impossible if the team members do not share the same vision of the challenge.\r\n\r\nStep 4 is to solve the problem. And finally, Step 5 is to plan, assess, and test by building a business case and pitching the idea.\r\n\r\nThe ultimate aim is to reach a P.A.C.T., which stands for purpose, agreements, creative cadence, and timing. The key is to understand the project\u2019s purpose and rationale and, on the basis of this essential information, reach a series of agreements on topics such as roles and communication styles, which are especially useful for multidisciplinary teams. With this commitment and creative cadence, participants can provide legal<\/a> services that are better aligned with the demands of today\u2019s clients.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u00a9 IE Insights."],"wpcf-article-extract-enable":["1"],"wpcf-article-extract":["By Michele DeStefano<\/strong>. Advances in legal service provision have been almost imperceptible. Although their business model remains viable, law firms need to emphasize collaboration and innovation if they wish to create value. Fortunately, there is a specific method that can help them do precisely that."]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/779423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/articles"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/779917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=779423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"schools","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/schools?post=779423"},{"taxonomy":"areas","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/areas?post=779423"},{"taxonomy":"subjects","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ie.edu\/insights\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subjects?post=779423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}