THIS IS WHAT GREATNESS LOOKS LIKE

Here are general directions on what your great law firm can run with and before you scream 'this is impossible!' first consider them a guide to help you form your own rules and NOT commandments you need to obey.
There are after all many byways to get to the market.
Oh. And please actually think them through and not just go ' we do this and this and this already and we know this and that'.

Here goes...

1. We will serve our clients to the level that the next 7 out of 10 clients will be gotten through referrals from existing clients. This forces you to measure your work and to look and treat your current clients with the deliberate intention and detail necessary for them to be your sincerest cheerleaders.

2. In everything we do we put the clients' interest first, the firm comes second and the individual comes last. We fire anyone who doesn't get on the same page with this programme. There is a lot of talk and a lot of hot air over how much you love your clients and at the end of the day if you do not feel uncomfortable, under pressure or lose a few clients you are probably not doing enough.

3. We fire anyone who puts his personal agenda over that of the firm.

4. Managers will be assessed on the performance of their groups and practice areas and NOT on individual performance. So if you do well and your group does badly you will still get paid what your badly performing team gets paid.

5. Everyone is required to learn new skills and the firm must help you do so.

6. 30% of the firm's time and resources will be used on things that will yield results in the next 10 years. With a pipeline of products, services and talent, businesses know in what shape they will face the days ahead and this 30% is your pipeline. Again, it must feel uncomfortable. You must be unable to go to Europe for the summer or get that new Saab or worry about the rent. Where do you think the resources to invest will come from?

7. Nepotism, dictatorships, abusing employees, playing favourites and ducking responsibilities will be severely punished.

8. For each of these behaviours everyone at the firm knows what the consequences are for infractions and these infractions are punished when they occur.

Want some more?

Each month every one presents a new challenge or opportunity she has actively pursued.

The firm maintains levels of investment in people and ideas and projects when business is going badly or well. The R and D budget is the last thing to go in downturns.

Managers who cannot create energy, enthusiasm, commitment and a feeling of specialness in the firms people are let go.

The firm measures itself by the level of effort and challenge it had to exert and not by what other law firms get by with. And when they clash, the firm picks the higher standard.

The firm looks at the general law firm standards and implements three specific activities that shows it has put itself higher than the regular standard.

As stated earlier, just think deeply about all of this.