1 “If I don’t do it myself, it will not be done right”
This is the first thought that comes to our minds when delegating isn’t part of our everyday routine yet. It’s common and understandable, yet it’s far from being beneficial for you or your firm. Believing that you’re the only person that can perform a task effectively will not only make you waste resources but, if you think about it, it can also be a little naive. For example, how many good law firms are out there? How many competent, efficient, committed, and even perfectionist legal practitioners have you met throughout your entire career? How many people are as passionate as you about law, that will want to perform their job properly? You can be absolutely certain that there are people out there that can, and will, be the right fit for your practice, the key is knowing how to choose the right person.
Finding someone you can trust isn’t just about having a good performance during the interviewing process, but it is also about how you work with that person from the beginning. You can find the best legal assistant in the area, but if the communication between you and them is poor, there will always be dissatisfaction from both parties; or worse, papers will get lost or deadlines will be missed. It is fundamental to make good use of the trial periods. They’re meant for that. It’s also a good idea to delegate tasks that have some room to be creative, but that won’t affect your practice. That way you can see if this person will go the extra mile for you. For example, have them draft a new schedule or a new organizing system for you to see how things can be improved. Thus, you can see how much of a problem solver they are, and if it doesn’t convince you, you don’t have to go with it.
Another good tip is to be as specific as you can during the first few weeks. Sometimes we’re so used to doing something that we speak in a way in which we tend to skip important details of the work because for us it’s very familiar. Also, don’t be afraid to tell them what you don’t want, or if they did something wrong. Make sure to be explicit enough about how you want things to be done and when, this will save you a lot of time and will make things much easier for both of you in the future.
2 “If someone else does it, it won’t be ready on time”
This is the second most common fear when delegating. If you feel this way, you have a valid point. In the legal profession, deadlines are crucial. Missing a deadline often means jeopardizing a client’s case because of such a simple mistake like being late. Communication is key between you and your team to avoid these mistakes.
Sometimes people who are working for us are afraid to let us down, and that leads them to put too much on their plate or to be afraid to tell us they’re taking longer than expected on some matter. Be in constant communication with your team, and let them know you want full details whether they’re good or bad. Another good tip is to always be prepared. For example, if you need something ready by Monday, tell them it absolutely needs to be ready a week before. That way, in case something unexpected happens, you’ll have time to find a solution. You can even have a brainstorming session with your team only for problem-solving. Mention the most common scenarios in which you’ll need a quick solution and what to do to prevent those issues from happening, or in the worst-case scenario, how to fix the problem. Great ideas for systems can come from these types of sessions, which can build the character and the way that your whole firm works.
3 “Delegating takes longer than if I did the work myself”
This is a common thought in small firms, where there are normally just one or two lawyers. You usually know each of your clients by name and you’re aware of all details of the case. Very simple and easy, right? So when it’s time to delegate, you want the paralegal or legal assistant to be aware of every detail. You want them to know and understand the background of each client and each case. Sometimes, it takes longer to explain the whole story than actually doing the work by yourself. So, if everything is working fine, then, why delegate? The only problem we see with this situation is that as long as you spend the same amount of time with each of these cases, you won’t have time to get more.
Delegating can be frustrating at first because it can feel like the exact opposite of what it’s intended for: to make things faster and simpler. In the long run though, if you want to grow, it’s humanly impossible to do everything ourselves, so taking a few hours to train your new teammate can be extremely beneficial. As an alternative, some outsourcing agencies do the training for you, so you don’t have to spend too long explaining what needs to be done. If you decide to hire one, just make sure they offer this kind of training as an advantage.
4 “Things will be out of control if I delegate”
The fear of not being in control is natural. You’re not the person who is personally building the case every day anymore, and it can be frightening. At the end of the day, the attorney is the one who will be signing and appearing in front of a judge or mediator. It’s your face and your reputation that is on display.
So what to do to make sure the job is being done right? Besides being very specific and keeping frequent communication, a third thing you can do at the beginning to ensure everything flows the way it’s supposed to is to regularly review and revise the documents submitted, with explanations, if necessary. Yes, we know how exhausting that sounds. The good news is that the more you do it at the beginning, the less you’ll have to do it in the long run. Once your legal assistant or paralegal gets used to what needs to be double or triple-checked, you won’t have to take this step anymore. This is also one part of the process that you could skip if you hire an agency. They do it for you. Whether you decide to hire an agency or train your team by yourself, this is one of the steps that you’ll thank yourself later for doing. It takes time to build a certain rhythm, but it is highly worth the hassle.
5 “If things go wrong, I’ll be the one to blame”
As we mentioned earlier, the attorney is the one who puts herself out there, and it can be a very vulnerable position to be in. To be fair, this is a risk that all entrepreneurs and business people have to go through. However, while it isn’t fair, it’s worth the risk if we want to increase business. But don’t get us wrong, it’s not about risking your reputation as an attorney just because things can happen. It’s about being able to grow, yet always taking into consideration any possible outcomes. That way, the potential risk is at the lowest possible. Let’s say you call a firm because you want to get informed about a specific case and when you call, the receptionist treats you poorly. You’re now more likely to consider other options and that company just lost a client. While it’s not the owner’s fault, there are probably processes that could be improved. Things like being more cautious in the selection process to make sure the employees are the right fit, having a background check to know more about their work experience and their previous performance, reevaluating the training system, checking in with employees often, having frequent evaluations to make sure the team is performing at their best, having incentives, etc. All of these are measures that the owner could take while continuing to grow their business. Delegating isn’t the issue, it’s how we do it.
Conclusion
When we delegate the right way we get the best of both worlds. We not only expand our business capacity, but we also have more time to do what is best for us in both our professional and personal lives. Delegating the right way can give us the freedom we want, while still doing those tasks that we actually enjoy. If delegating is something that still makes you feel a little nervous, you can begin where you retain some sort of control. For example, you can begin by delegating only administrative tasks or having a system that allows you to be prepared. You can use systems like the ones we have mentioned above: problem-solving brainstorming sessions and setting deadlines way ahead. Just like anything scary, once we do it, we wonder how we lived without it before. Don’t be afraid to delegate.
Authored by Stafi:
Stafi is a virtual assistant company that specializes in providing virtual legal assistants and paralegals to lawyers and law firms of all sizes. We understand the value of time, as we believe it is the most valuable currency we own. Feel free to contact us for your delegating needs at www.getstafi.com