This Time With Feeling: Empathetic Leadership is Essential for Law Firms Now

We are living through unprecedented times, for sure.  There are multi-fronted crises overtaking the American landscape, including those related to reopening of cultural institutions and business, like law firms.  Of course, the issue of reopening, and the speed with which it occurs, have become deeply personal questions.  Just because your law firm office can be open, you need to decide whether it should be, to what extent it will be, and what you will require of your employees in that context. 

 

Even as law firms reopen, the question of when and how to bring employees back is specific to the individual law firm, which needs to deal with space considerations, as well as the psychological health of its lawyers and staff.  One thing that law firm managers should do is to gauge the willingness of staff and employees to come back, and when.  Some businesses, including law firms, are not expecting to open offices back up until the end of the year, despite state rules enabling them to do so earlier.  Many other law firms have discovered that their employees are just as productive (sometimes more so) at home, which should only increase as camps, daycares and schools begin to reopen.  So, it’s not only the correct, practical business decision to make, but also the right decision to make in terms of employee well-being, to assess and implement new office protocols with your employees in mind.  It’s the best thing to do for the health of your business, and of your employees and staff. 

 

For more on leading with empathy, and why it’s important, review this article, to start with: https://www.fastcompany.com/90272895/5-reasons-empathy-is-the-most-important-leadership-skill. 

 

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If you’d like to discuss reopening best practices, we are here to help. 


Through a unique partnership between the bar association and Jared Correia's Red Cave Law Firm Consulting, National Creditors' Bar Association members now have access to experienced law practice management consultants at a special discount rate. To get started, visit Red Cave's NCBA landing page, and start running your law practice like a business.

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