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Raise your hand if you’re someone who thinks they need all of the steps figured out before you start.

 

🙋🏻‍♀️Hi, it’s me.

 

I like to know how a process is going to flow so that nothing falls through the cracks. I think about what inputs to capture and when, the outputs, the handoffs, the connection points, on and on…

 

Except trying to do this before you’ve experienced the thing you’re trying to solve can prevent you from starting, slow progress, and my least favorite – it sets you up to do rework down the road. No one wants to spend precious time redoing something they’ve already done, if they can avoid it.

 

We often hear from people that they want to have a system for [x] in place before they can start doing [y]. [X] generally requires an investment in both dollars and time. Some time later, we hear from them that it doesn’t do the thing that they thought it would, or that it doesn’t integrate well with another system they use, and so on. In most cases, it turns out that if they had started by doing [y], learning lessons from that experience, and then building or searching for the right system, they’d have saved themselves time, money, and frustration.

 

I know that can be easier said than done – so here are few things you can do to begin, and mitigate risk and waste as you go.

 

• Start small. Don’t try to solve for everything or everyone all at once. Break things down into manageable sizes, break them down again, and then just start. You’ll learn what you need as you go. Doing this allows you to be nimble as you learn what’s working and what’s not, and make adjustments quickly.

• Use what you have. Don’t have a CRM yet? Load your clients into Outlook as contacts. Don’t have a matter or project management system in place yet? Use Tasks and Notes in Outlook, or open a Word doc to capture to do’s and compile information as you think of it. When you’ve had a some turns at the wheel and identified how you want the process to flow, you’ll be able to better assess your options when shopping for the right system to fit your needs.

• Consider (and prioritize) your client’s experience. If you’re working on your client intake process, think through, for example, the information you’re gathering from your clients, why, and when you need it. If you don’t need it to have a consult, wait until later to ask them for it. In each interaction, focus on making it easy for them to do business with you.

 

Don’t buy a Ferrari when it might be that a bicycle is the perfect solution for what you need. The goal is progress with iterative improvements. Start by walking, speed things up a bit, and keep adjusting as you go until you’ve landed on a solution that supports you, your firm, and your clients well without excess waste or cost.

 

To your progress, friends!

Sarah