By Jennifer Greenland on April 28, 2011 | 1 Comments

Ways To Keep Your Law Firm Attorneys And Staff Healthy, Happy And Productive

What does managing happiness have to do with the success of your law firm? Everything! You have taken the time to build up a reputable name, spent hours finding the perfect location, hired qualified staff and invested a part of yourself into forming a successful law firm. Now, to keep it that way!

The best investment you will ever make will be the time and effort you place into guiding, nurturing and motivating yourself and your staff. Unhappy workers can cause unwanted stress and negativity in the workplace which can have a domino effect in the form of gossip, misunderstandings and unprofessional behaviors.

So how do we manage happiness and avoid the pitfalls of bad management and disgruntled employees?

Communication: Are you talking with your staff? Have you let them know about the recent changes in policies or when this year’s Christmas party is? Communicating can happen in many forms via meetings, small gatherings, newsletters, e-mail memos, or face-to-face. Keep communication open and with a purpose that is understood by everyone. Practice the art of listening and empathizing with your staff, especially if any concerns arise, as it will help build trusting relationships. Choose the best way to get your message across, whether by a short e-mail or a lengthy meeting, and always remain open for collaborative discussion or replies.
Work Environment: Does your staff have adequate lighting? Is there a relaxing place to eat lunch? These may sound like small factors, but if your staff is uncomfortable while they work, it is likely their production will be lower, and poor work conditions might affect their well-being. Brighten up dark interiors, supply quality furniture and provide an area where they can take a break, relax and refresh.

Team Activities: Look at any successful sports team and observe its strengths. Teammates play together, they work together at common goals, they learn together, they experience success and downfalls together, but the strongest point to make is that they spend time together — “United we stand, divided we fall.” Get your staff involved with each other on a regular basis through team meetings and activities. Allow your staff to learn from others in different departments, and provide them opportunities to teach each other and share skills. Provide a medium for your staff to play and have fun with each other, whether it’s a monthly bowling meet or a luncheon; just remember that fun is just as important as hard work!

Munley, Munley & Cartwright, a Pennsylvania personal injury law firm and national trucking litigation firm, has pizza parties for their paralegals whom they term as “priceless.” Past events have included retreats to the famous Pennsylvania Hershey’s Chocolate Amusement park or TGIF themed parties for an hour at 4:00 p.m. till 5:00 p.m. on Fridays. A themed event, Cinco de Mayo, is coming up on May 5 and will feature all things Mexican.

Manage by Example: Your grandmother was right when she said, “Treat others as you want to be treated.” The same applies to your employees and co-workers; treat them with respect and kindness. Always be a representative of all that you expect from yourself, co-workers and staff, and model those behaviors consistently. If you want your staff to appreciate you, appreciate them and show that by how you talk to and treat them. Especially in times of crisis or hardships, always remain a strong, caring leader so others can look up to you and rely on you for guidance.

Recognition: Do you tell your staff just how much you appreciate them? Do you reward them for a job well done? Noticing the little things your staff or co-workers do in their everyday job and showing them how important these are will go a long way. Having a feeling of accomplishment and knowing that one’s job is important in the “big picture,” is a reward in itself and will help propel others on to the next task with a sense of worth and importance. Always make time to say “thank you” and “I appreciate your hard work.”

“Employee motivation and appreciation”, says Ken Hardison, a Raleigh Personal Injury Attorney, and law firm marketing consultant “can transform your firm from an average everyday firm to a record breaking machine!” They create a unique monthly celebration to promote employee appreciation with events such as themed potlucks, celebrating birthdays, employee of the month, contest giveaways and charity donations on behalf of their staff, to mention a few! At Hardison & Cochran there is a strong belief that through these activities “you can build team unity, increase motivation and get employees to perform at SUPERSTAR levels!”

We, at Consultwebs.com, look for ways to encourage and reward our team members. We feel that delivering the best results for our our law firm marketing clients depends upon rewarding team members whose performance goes “above and beyond.” Whether that CW Superhero is a designer, programmer, social media “Ninja,” manager, or other professional, everyone on our team has the opportunity to participate in a quarterly incentive plan that recognizes extraordinary contributions. Additionally, managers at all levels actively look for ways to celebrate achievements and promote teamwork by events such as golf outings, hiking excursions, distributing gift certificates, or jokingly sending Red Bull. We also publicize team member accomplisments internally, externally and/or through Social Media channels.

Empower Your Staff: Do you allow your staff a certain level of responsibility and decision-making? In this PILMMA tip-of-the-week, Ken Hardison outlines the importance of recognizing your staff’s capabilities and allowing them to participate in the decision-making process by giving staff permissions and responsibilities. Help others around you to do their best, recognize potential and build self-esteem through sharing of responsibilities. It means so much to feel needed and useful!
Focus on the Positive: No matter what, find something positive about any situation, especially when delivering negative news. Keep focused on company goals and needs and encourage everyone to participate in problem solving and in generating ideas towards a solution. However, do not wait for something negative to arise in order to spread good cheer, and positive vibes; do this continually on a regular basis. Send a company e-mail describing the great client feedback you received, inform everyone about the birth of a team member’s baby or just pass a long your favorite motivational quotation.
Healthy Lifestyle: Do you work long hours? Is your bathroom scale crying when you step on it? Promote and practice a healthy way of life. By eating right, getting enough sleep and limiting your overtime work hours, you will find that you are more alert, productive and happy. Your staff will appreciate a bowl of fresh fruit in the lunch room or a team activity outdoors that will help generate team spirit and overall healthiness. Provide information seminars about managing stress, healthy eating and exercise or discounted memberships to the local gym.
For the better of the team: Is there one employee who is not working out? Do you need to relocate your offices? Change can be unpleasant to some and cause stress, so carefully evaluate your actions and stand behind your decisions with confidence. Let everyone know the positive motivations behind these decisions and allow for discussion and idea sharing. In time everyone will adjust and your staff will appreciate that you respected them with the truth.

Remember, the best thing you can do to help your staff and co-workers is to take good care of yourself. Practice self-awareness and notice how you feel. Since we are motivated by our feelings, it is important to recognize how we affect others. Do you know how to recognize the signs of “burn-out”? How do you manage your personal life while at work? Everything matters.

Managing happiness starts with the little things. While you cannot control everything that happens in life, you can manage how you deal with events by being proactive and responsive when necessary.

We wish you the best in this important area. If we can help in any way, please contact us at (800) 872-6590 or marketing@consultwebs.com.