Go ahead play forward; the guards play guard. ~ Coach
Michael Jordan is the best basketball player of all time. More specifically, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time who happened to be a shooting guard. Can you imagine if Michael Jordan was asked to spend 3 quarters of each game as a center or point guard? Do you think there’s any chance he would have 6 championship rings if that was the setup?
Michael Jordan’s coach, Phil Jackson, did not have to make a difficult decision. He had the best shooting guard in the game, so he maxed out. He made sure that every possible minute MJ was on the court doing what he did best, playing shooting guard. Was it unfair to the other players? Come on, these are the pros. NBA basketball is a business and as such they maximize by making sure the best players are in their best positions.
So why don’t law firms work that way? Many firms can’t seem to fathom the idea of a lawyer spending a substantial amount of time doing more than just practicing. This is what a law firm would look like if everyone played their positions:
Rainmakers: Large companies survive and prosper based on the business generated by these rainmakers. These are true connectors with no fear of cold calling or cocktails. In a Coach-led company, these rainmakers have greater flexibility in attracting business.
Minders: These are the leaders who run the company. They design and redesign systems, make crucial hiring and firing decisions, and solve business problems as they arise. The company desperately needs good caretakers, and caretakers must spend significant amounts of uninterrupted time running the company.
Grinders: These attorneys know how to generate the billable hours. They are almost like machines in their ruthless efficiency. They make few mistakes, are outstanding writers, and enjoy their work. Grinders do what law firms sell, expert legal advice, they are good at grinding hours. They should keep doing exactly what they have been doing.
So what is the problem? Law firms need to let rainmakers be rainmakers, keepers be keepers, and grinders… well, you get the idea. At most large firms, attorneys who are heavy rainmakers and caregivers are expected to achieve the same billable hour requirements as grinders. How is that possible? How can you expect them to be brilliant at managing and making rain when they are expected to be in the office 60 hours a week grinding? That’s like expecting Michael Jordan to get as many assists as the point guard and as many rebounds as the center. That’s not good teamwork, and that’s not good business.
I had a great interview last week with Patrick Lamb of Valorem Law Group. They take a different approach: They have a saying they live by: “When the tide is in, all the boats go up together.” Since the partners split the profits equally, no one points a finger at who did what; They trust that if everyone does their part and focuses on their strengths, it will be best for them and their customers in the long run. .
What kind of results are they having? Not only are they attracting legal business from large corporations like FMC Technologies, Patrick says the last 18 months since starting Valorem have been a blast, the best time since he started practicing law. Do you have a lot of fun as a lawyer? Pass me the kool-aid they’re drinking back in Valorem, I’d like to try it.
MJ because he was successful, the coach put him in the position that gave the team the best chance of success. How about law firms start putting their most talented attorneys in a position to do the same?