When faced with a crisis, such as the coronavirus pandemic, many law firm owners do one of three things: 1) They retreat and turn inward; 2) They freeze like a deer caught in headlights; or 3) They take a deep breath, step back, evaluate the situation and then TAKE action. While turning inward or staying frozen in place are natural responses to a crisis, strong Leadership means taking action even in difficult times.
Recently I read an interesting article from Business Scaling expert Verne Harnish, describing the Five Practical C’s for Leadership During a Crisis. These principles provide powerful insights for how law firm owners should approach the current crisis.
1) Communicate Daily
During a difficult time, the leader of an organization or a law firm needs to over-communicate. The typical communication isn’t enough to meet the emotional and operational needs that arise in times of heightened stress or crisis. Your employees need your strong voice of calm, steady leadership now more than ever. Maximize the opportunity to rally your troops with encouragement and direction daily. These communications can be quite brief- just a few sentences. A short 90 second to 2- minute video message each day can make a powerful impact on your employees. Software like BombBomb.com can help you in sending out daily emails.
The goal is to assure your employees that you are at the helm of the firm ship and you are focused and dedicated to moving things forward. If problems need to be addressed, you don’t need to sugar coat things or avoid the issues. Stick to the facts- there’s no need for rants or theories- Present what is happening and balance any negatives with several positives. Your employees will appreciate an honest appraisal but also need positive affirmation where applicable. When you need to address negative matters, do so in the first portion of the communication. As influencer Robert Cialdini notes, this kind of up front and direct communication makes you appear more believable and trustworthy to your staff.
Keep in mind that this daily communication is a message designed for the firm at-large. If you have specific criticism of individuals, NEVER share it in a general or firm wide message. Remember the golden rule of Management: Praise in Public but Criticize in Private!
2) Client/Community Support:
While the natural tendency in a time of crisis is to turn inward, true leaders look outward. This is a time to think about how you can give value and support to your clients and your community. In fact, research shows that one way to combat depression and sadness is helping others. So, gather your employees together on a video or audio conference and brainstorm the ways in which you can reach out to your clients and those in need in your area. Then, take action. The key is giving, giving, giving, with no expectation of return. Once this pandemic is over, your clients and community will re-member the ways in which your firm reached out and showed genuine care and concern.
3) Catch Up and Clean Up:
Take advantage of the slower pace COVID-19 has forced upon all of us; Leverage the time to catch up and clean up. This is a great opportunity to tackle matters that have been lingering on your personal and firm to-do lists. If you have a project you have been putting off, this is the time to take action. If you have firm policies or procedures that need to be written out or updated, now is the time to do it. While you can’t control the pandemic, you can make the most of the time you are in it and use that time to your firm’s advantage.
4) Cash, Cash, Cash!
Since COVID-19 struck the United States in full force, I have been trying to reach out to each of our PILMMA members and have heard firsthand the challenges many of you are facing in terms of cash flow. Some of you are in dire crunches now, and many anticipate financial issues in the next 12-18 months. NOW is the time to review all your monthly recurring expenses and eliminate redundancies. Go line by line through your expenses and consider temporarily halting expenses that are not helping you produce or generate income.
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Pursue a Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan through the SBA. If you follow the required guidelines, the loan ends up being a grant, that will not need to be paid back. While details and availability are fluid, PILMMA is trying to share the most up to date information on the PPP loans as part of the PILMMA Coronavirus Survival Kit for Lawyers, on PILMMA’s home page.
5) Stay Calm and Considerate
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While fear is contagious, so too, is strong and steady calm. As your firm’s Leader you must stay calm, even amidst the uncertainty we are all facing. So, take a moment and breathe. The deal is: You will set the tone for your law firm employees and staff. If you project a sense of fear, so will they. If you can lead with clarity and a steady hand, your employees are more likely to remain calm and focused as well. Your job is to rally your troops and to keep them steady, calm and focused. So right now, take two deep breaths and give thanks for being able to Take Action, and remain operational and focused during this challenging time. ◆
