It’s the week of January 9 so, technically, everyone was expounding platitudes about the new year last week. But I think a lot of people are like me: last week was a blur of “re-entry” after the holidays and this week the kids are back in school, people are happy to have their routines back, and work is actually going to proceed at a more productive pace. Yes? So, with that in mind, I thought I’d share some of my personal goals for 2017. My hope is to continuously improve my service to the law firm training industry and to advance the profession in ways that allow the law industry to work more efficiently.
In a nutshell, these are my top priorities:
- Continue to Offer the Best Damned Customer Service in the Industry
- Learn Constantly
- Geek Out on Tech
- Advocate for Lean Training
- Help More Firms Move to Windows 10 and Office 2016
- Spread the Gospel about Savvy’s Competitive Advantages
Read on as I elaborate each of them!
Continue to Offer the Best Damned Customer Service in the Law Firm Trainer Industry
There are a ton of companies out there offering law firm training services and technologies. Some are good! (But not as good as Savvy! See #5!) But I believe deep-down in my soul that it doesn’t matter how good your tech is or how good your training services are if your customer service stinks.
Many companies behave as though their products lead their customer relationships. For example, if they have a great learning management system, then the people who answer their phones can be sub-par.
Tech does not build relationships! PEOPLE build relationships. At Savvy, we work very hard to create personal, vibrant relationships with the firms that we serve. Inside each firm, there are human resources professionals, IT professionals, trainers, attorneys and staff who need help! We work with PEOPLE! Yes, we offer neat tech gizmos to answer their needs, but our primary goal is to first understand their needs and that can only happen through consistent, genuine, loyal relationships.
(And to be honest, this is sort of a selfish goal. Our positive, enjoyable relationships with clients make our jobs more fun.)
Learn Constantly
What kind of law firm trainer would I be if I didn’t love learning?! When you get right down to it, trainers are teachers, and teachers must be eager to constantly study their industry and hone their craft. As I said above, a lot of companies think they can create a nice piece of tech and push that out as their sole offering. But if that tech isn’t backed by people who love learning, who seek to advance the legal industry, who are passionate about staying ahead of “what’s next,” then what good is it?
The Savvy team is made up of people who are natural-born continuous learners.
Geek Out on Tech
Law technologies change constantly! And I LOVE it! I am signed up for nearly every magazine, blog, podcast and news outlet that reports on technology, particularly for the legal industry. It’s not because I “have to,” but because I dig it!
Also, because of my relationships with law firm IT professionals (see #1), I know that many of them are so darned busy just keeping up with the tech they have in-house that they can’t peek their heads above water to study industry trends and what’s coming down the pike. My hope is that I can serve my clients better if I can help them to anticipate issues they may face and tech that might solve their challenges.
Advocate for Lean Training
I traveled around the country last year promoting what I call “Lean Training” and I intend to continue this crusade in 2017! We all know that law firms are maxed out and every professional feels like they’re working at top speed, but with all this churning of work, your firm can still fall behind. How? Because if people work at “top speed” doing things the old ways, then your entire firm slows down.
For example, if people don’t know how to use the document management system properly, it doesn’t matter how fast they’re moving, someone will have to clean up after them later. If you have a good, consistent training system undergirding the rest of your firm’s continuous advancements, you will move more nimbly, achieve more efficiencies, and stay more secure.
I wrote an article recently about how to create a lean training program. Here are the basics:
- Create a culture that supports training: Work with HR and management to tie learning achievements to bonuses and salary increases; celebrate learning accomplishments on a regular basis; and foster a sharing environment in which those who love trying new technologies and tricks are encouraged to spread what they’ve learned to others
- Track it: In order to create the culture above, you need a learning management system (LMS) that will enable your trainer to track achievements, load new trainings, push curricula, and “level-up” the people who are ready.
- Blend it: Allow your trainer to offer the types of trainings that your employees like, including in-class, one-on-one, webinar, virtual and flipped. Learning is a continuous process and people need to be able to access the content they need at the moment they need it. (Again, this is where the LMS helps tremendously.)
Help More Firms Move to Windows 10 and Office 2016
I’m always surprised by the number of firms who aren’t advancing their basic operating systems, let alone providing their attorneys and clients with the advantages offered by the latest DMS or LMS systems.
And yet, I get it! Migrating to Windows 10 and Office 2016 can be overwhelming when your IT staff is already tapped and you don’t want to slow work down for a nanosecond!
Take heart all ye who have yet to level-up! There are ways to move your law firm into Windows 10 and Office 2016 with minimal drag. In fact, when you combine on-site training with the migration, you can prepare everyone before, during and after the event so that productivity continues… and then improves!
Spread the Gospel About Savvy’s Competitive Advantages
Of course I’m drinking the Savvy Kool-Aid! But I have worked with enough clients and have seen enough of my competitors’ products to know that the Savvy Kool-Aid is good stuff! When you combine our “extraordinary” customer service (a customer’s adjective, not mine!) with our responsive, robust, affordable tech and other products, you get a law firm training partner second-to-none.
Savvy Training & Consulting offers…
- SavvyAcademy Learning Management System: Awarded “Best Services Solution – 2015” by the Denver Biz Tech Expo, the SavvyAcademy Learning Management System provides all of the flexibility, customization and tracking features that law firm trainers need today – at an affordable cost.
- SavvySMART Learning Content Library: SavvySMART is the customizable, use-it-the-way-you-want-it, continuously updated, law firm-specific content that many trainers, HR professionals and law firm managers are seeking today.
- Security Training: As a leading legal-specific channel partner with KnowBe4, the world’s most popular integrated Security Awareness Training and Simulated Phishing platform, Savvy Training & Consulting can help you prevent the attacks that will undoubtedly come your way.
- DMS Training: Your firm has paid – and most likely continues to pay – for a document management system that has the potential to improve operations, security and efficiency across your organization. But does everybody know how to use it? Savvy can help you with: orientation, ongoing training, in-depth training, ongoing support and establishing protocols.
- Virtual Help Desk: Savvy Training & Consulting provides help desk services for law firms whose staff and attorneys need occasional help with Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint documents which may be corrupted or challenging.
- But Wait! There’s More! Check out the rest of our law firm training services!
I’m so excited for 2017! Please contact me with any thoughts or questions at 303-800-5408 or Doug@SavvyTraining.com.