Remember, your first operations manual doesn’t have to be wildly in depth. It simply needs to outline your critical business processes. As your firm grows and evolves, you’ll start to see your manual do the same.
Let’s get started. Think about the top two to three processes that could be done, in part, by someone else on the team. Document those processes. Clarify how the other team member should approach and complete the work. Now you can start delegating. Once you have those first processes down, simply repeat the process. Remember, we’re striving to get started, not for perfection.
How to Keep Your Law Firm Procedures Manual Up to Date
If you’re frustrated with keeping all of your processes in your head—think about what your employees feel. They can’t read your mind. You need to get your manual in writing and, more importantly, update it when things change. Even if you feel ?you’ve explained it verbally, go one step further by documenting it and referring ?to it regularly.
Make your manual a priority, updating it frequently. This helps avoid messes such as complicated processes, work falling through the cracks, and increased frustration amongst your team. We recommend reviewing your procedures at least monthly to ensure everything is correct. In fact, stop reading this, and put 30 minutes on your calendar right now. After all, updates to your procedures happen as you automate and grow.
Also, get your team involved! This shouldn’t be a siloed project. At Lawyerist, everyone on the team has an hour on their calendar twice a month to update our systems. You could use monthly meetings to discuss your processes and how you can improve. Discuss what’s working and what isn’t. Your manual should then reflect any changes you decide to make.