Cliff Lean Six Sigma Professional
Hi,
I’m deploying Lean Sigma in a law firm and am developing an exec level sponsor training package. I’m thinking to include the following, but does anyone have any other suggestions?
- origins of lean & six sigma- DMAIC framework - use of data- VOC- basic problem solving techniques- the role of the sponsor- LSS application to a law firm- CI strategy- leadership behaviours
Victoria Operational Excellence Manager at E.ON
Hi, here is my proposal which obviously needs to be tailored made depending on how much time/how many sessions do you have:
1. Get Senior Leaders engagement about Lean Sigma - usually this is obtained through a game - learning by doing approach -something practical for them and also a bit competitive (e.g.: marshmallow challenge, etc)
2. Change story - first, why do we want/need to change; at executive level they need to design the journey from where they are until where they want to go - how success looks like? (e.g. what do you want to achieve as leadership team in the next 5 years?) The change story needs to be communicated at company level & translated for each level (what does it mean for me?)
3. Road to success: once they build together the future state, you need to make them aware about the current state (e.g.: where are we now on top 5 focus dimensions: HSE, customer, people, finance, operations- if those dimensions are not defined you need to help them to develop those from the strategy (vision, mission) and together to find ways to close the gap between where we are and where we want to be. Here you can add specific tools or methods depending on their gaps: performance management system, problem solving on top KPIs, influence model, process improvement workshops (with their teams) Gemba walks, Leader Standard Work.
From my experience training with Senior Leaders works only by attaching coaching sessions as well between training sessions in order for them to apply the methods in their business environment.
Hope it helps, good luck!
Milena RPA, Machine Learning, Automation
Hi Cliff and All,
very valuable insights from everyone. I can support all of what has been written so far.
My two cents - the main question - WHY are we doing it. What is the differentiator from the other industry players that the company can achieve with Lean (and not with other tools, initiatives etc.) ? This should be a clear message to engage the Seniors / Executives
Milena
Cliff
Marieta Lean Consultant Legal Sector
Hi Cliff,
I think that the main message to the executive level in a Law Company should focus on how to increase revenue and increase margins while responding to the market push for fixed rates for legal work.
The solution is:
The way to achieve the above is with implementing lean six sigma methodology within the company.
Quite often lawyers perceive their work as exceptional, but they need to understand that a legal process is a series of interlinked tasks to deliver a piece of legal work to the client.
In my opinion, the partners in a law company acknowledge the following message very well:
Using a process you can reduce the:
Using a process you can improve the following:
My comments on what you have prepared are :
-> origins of lean & six sigma
I think it is better to include what the other companies are who implemented Lean/ Process Improvement (e.g. Clifford Chance, Addleshaw Goddard, Freshfields, Allen & Overy, Osborne Clarke etc.). The reason being is quite often lawyers say that their work cannot be compared with other industries and what they do cannot be streamlined/ replicated.
Lawyers do not like numbers and percentages and if you show them the six sigma examples from Toyota, they will not understand the message and insist that they provide highly-experienced advice backed up with a lot of legislative reading, compared to any product industry or even a financial industry service.
-> DMAIC framework
Yes, that is perceived very well in the legal industry.
-> use of data
Yes, because you can raise a message that there is work being delivered inefficiently at a high cost. Using data you will be able to calculate the real cost of providing legal service and indicate the write-offs. Definitely you should be careful and check is the task codes and the work descriptions.
-> VOC
Some of the questions you can ask are: How can the law company demonstrate the robustness of the work practices when there are so many legal service providers? How can the law company demonstrate it can deliver high-quality legal service at a price accepted by the clients? How can the law company tailor its services to meet any client-specific requirements?
-> basic problem-solving techniques
Lean problem solving (the fishbone diagram and A3) is a great workshop for a legal team. It is useful for any legal team, who:
- want a clear, tested approach to effectively solve problems;
- can identify a problem that doesn't have a clear solution;
- can identify a persistent problem, which hasn't been solved by previous attempts;
- can identify a problem where a number of stakeholders are conflicted
- have experienced a project which has jumped straight to the solutions and they didn't stick in the law company for long.
-> the role of the sponsor
It is a very crucial message because quite often this will be a fee-earner and they are quite resistant to be involved in any work that is not billable hours.
-> LSS application to a law firm
As I stated in the beginning, examples from other Law companies who implemented Lean practices will be really powerful.
-> CI strategy
It is really important for the phase of Improving and regular checks on the improved process.
-> leadership behaviours
As I have stated above, law companies do not reward lawyers for efficiencies, but for billable hours. This basically means- they need to work slower and bill more. That message and culture should change.
In my opinion, you need to add something around the Digital Transformation in a Legal company:
Using Artificial Intelligence, Document automation, analytics and well-organised products will result in meeting client expectations and price changes.
Hope my opinion helps.
Marieta
Cliff
Bring your startup/business/company
to the next level.
Cliff