Attorneys typically want to grow their firm.
More staff, cases, revenue, and freedom.
But somewhere along the way, many firms run into an unexpected problem.
The attorney becomes the bottleneck.
Every decision requires their approval.
Client issues still get escalated to them.
Too many emails to look through.
And staff waits for an answer before moving forward.
At first, it doesn't seem like a problem.
In fact, it can feel responsible.
After all, nobody cares about the firm as much as the owner.
Nobody knows the clients as well or understands the practice better.
But growth has a way of exposing hidden weaknesses.
The systems that worked with two people often break with five.
The systems that worked with five often break with ten.
And eventually, the very thing that helped build the firm starts slowing it down.
The attorney becomes the limiting factor.
Not because they're doing anything wrong.
They’re just still doing too much.
Too many decisions have to pass through them.
It's easy to think growth is a marketing problem.
More leads, referrals, reach.
But at a certain point, growth becomes an operational problem.
If the firm can’t continue moving when you’re not available, then it’s likely the latter.
As we move into the second half of the year, it may be worth asking if your firm is easier to run with more people…
Or has it simply created more people who depend on you?
The answer often reveals where the next stage of growth will come from.
-The Legal Brief
P.S. What's one task you know you should delegate but still haven't? Just hit reply… and let this kickstart you into letting go of tasks.