Did you see the recent news about the black hole? Scientists released the first-ever image of a black hole as seen by the Event Horizon Telescope. I watched this video of it and found myself mesmerized.

And then I thought, “Wait. Some of this sounds like a dysfunctional law firm!”

Bear with me here…

In a well-balanced law firm, we should experience a natural gravitational pull toward tools and people that will make us more efficient, more productive, able to deliver better work to our clients. These may include:

• Excellent paralegals
• A strong, well-trained word processing team
• Well-designed technologies
• Training that enables (and requires) people (including lawyers) to use the technologies and systems efficiently

A firm in proper orbital balance operates smoothly and efficiently because it has created an environment where technology, learning, efficiency and good work are nurtured and rewarded.

(Cue Darth Vader music…)

However, many firms have a black hole (or several) residing in their galaxy and people have to work hard to skirt their orbits or risk being sucked in. These black holes include:

• Word processors who refuse to learn the Office version used by the rest of the firm
• Senior attorneys who can’t take the time to learn the document management system
• Managers who ask, “How much does it cost?” before asking, “How will it make us better?”

These people and their bad processes create a gravitational pull that can suck the entire firm into oblivion. In fact, like a black hole, their mass (bad processes) will grow and grow and suck more good people and processes right over the event horizon and into darkness just by refusing to change, to improve, to learn, to invest in the things that will bring the firm back into balance.

Good News! You Can Fix Your Firm’s Black Holes

Unlike the multi-verse, where there’s nothing to be done about the scary reality of black holes, you can fix the black holes in your law firm! How? Well, the first step is to admit you have a problem. Then, fix it.

First, Identify the Efficiency-Sucks In Your Firm

Here is a list of questions to help you identify people, technologies and systems that are creating black holes in your firm:

• What or who is slowing you down?
• Who do people try to avoid when they are getting work done?
• Are there technologies that people aren’t using because they don’t know how?
• Is learning not embraced because it takes too much time?
• Do you have technologies that haven’t been updated in years?

Once you identify the black holes in your firm, you can fix them.

How to Fix Your Black Holes

I know this sounds self-serving, but the number-one way to blast a black hole out of your orbit is to require training on the technologies and systems that your firm has already invested in. But you know and I know that requiring training will only go so far if that training is boring, takes too long, isn’t readily available when-and-where your people need it, and is generally a hassle.

If you’re still hosting “lunch and learns” every month to cover all your firm’s training, you may actually be one of the black holes! Break your own dysfunctional gravitational pull and invest in training that delivers the answers your people need when and where they need it, such as:

• A learning management system (LMS) that enables you – the administrator – to customize the learning, interface and delivery paths like you’re the master of the universe
• Exceptional, continuously updated learning content with everything from rookie training to Jedi-master training
• Roaming floor support that flies in like Luke Skywalker to assist those in trouble

If you are dealing with black holes in your firm and you would like to discuss ways that Savvy Training & Consulting can blast them out of your universe, contact me today!