Without a solid approach to the tasks on your plate, itâs easy to get overwhelmed and lost in the midst of pressing deadlines and competing priorities. But remember, you left law firm life for better work-life balance in-house, so how can you find that zen? Dive into these five tips for legal teams to streamline your work, optimize productivity, and maintain sanity.
When youâre swamped with legal tasks, even getting started can be daunting. Thatâs why distinguishing between âurgentâ and âI-just-think-itâs-urgentâ is pivotal. Consult with your business stakeholders to understand both the urgency and importance of their request. Urgency refers to how soon the legal request needs to be completed, while importance gauges how critical the legal request is to the business. Give priority to tasks that are both urgent and important first. By systematically prioritizing legal requests based on their urgency and importance, you can better manage your workload.Â
For example, a marketing compliance review for a campaign launching next week should take precedence over a minor product question. By correctly prioritizing, youâll tackle the most pressing issues first, ensuring smoother operations.
White jotting to-dos with pen and paper might work in the short run, but it becomes unwieldy fast as requests come in from different communication channels. Consider legal task management software to automatically keep track of whatâs on your plate and where things stand.
Towards the end of the quarter, Legal often sees a flood of sales questions and contract requests. With legal task management software, itâs easier to track which legal requests are in review, where approvals and signatures stand, and which are successfully completed.Â
If youâre still manually routing reviews and approvals, itâs time for a technological glow-up. Automation tools can save precious time by ensuring the right tasks reach the right people automatically, so youâre not spending precious time manually pinging people to loop them in. Remember, you didnât spend a small fortune on law school tuition because you love doing administrative work.
Instead of endless back-and-forth emails to gather and follow up on approvals and signatures, use a workflow automation tool that routes requests to the right people in a sequence. The tool should give you the latest status updates in one glance. Use that time saved to check off other to-dos on your list. This way, youâre not just passing the baton but making sure itâs a seamless relay race.
Remember, communication isnât just about speaking; itâs about understanding. Regular team discussions with your team about priorities and work alignments can provide clarity, reduce overlapping efforts, and foster a cohesive work environment.
Discussing best practices within teams can provide insights into how to do things more efficiently. For example, set a monthly meeting to discuss sales contracting potential pitfalls or how to work with different cross-functional teams. By pooling together everyoneâs wisdom, you can uncover new approaches, proactively address common challenges, and cultivate a collaborative environment where everyone learns from each otherâs experiences. Plus, getting these trainings approved for CLE credit might even be possible.
While believing we have superhero-like capabilities is tempting, setting actually attainable deadlines is crucial for mental health and success at work. It ensures quality work, reduces stress, and maintains a positive team atmosphere.
For example, donât promise a review in a day if a product request requires thorough legal research and review. Instead, evaluate the taskâs depth and provide a realistic timeline. This way, youâre setting everyone up for success, not burning the midnight oil to achieve the impossible.
Juggling legal tasks shouldnât resemble the latest legal drama on Netflix. With better prioritization, the right software, clear communication, and sensible deadlines, in-house legal teams can manage their workload without burning out.
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