As you embark upon your change program, we invite you to reflect on the key success factors discussed in our previous CX webinar programs and other content available on our CenterX resource hub here.

There are many key principles of a change program that will apply regardless of the project, but we’ve captured a few standout points below across three different scenarios. Click on the scenario below to visit that section of our top tips. 

Scenario 1: Launching a law firm panel program

Scenario 2: Implementing new technology 

Scenario 3: Optimizing workloads 

Scenario 1: Launching a law firm panel program

Many law departments have realized efficiencies by reviewing their external service providers and reducing the number of firms used across different geographies or areas of expertise. A convergence program like this typically involves multiple stakeholders, both within your team and organization, as well as externally. Ensuring these stakeholders understand and believe in your vision is essential for success. Here are five essential considerations to ensure your program's success.

1. Clearly articulate your case for change. It is essential to have a clear understanding of the problem you are trying to solve and to define what success looks like. Is that to strengthen relationships with fewer firms? Become more efficient with your engagement of external counsel? If you are not able to clearly articulate why this law firm panel program will achieve your objectives – and solve the problem - you may lose support from key stakeholders along the way.
2. Secure leadership support and sponsorship. You will want to be sure that your leadership is fully supportive of the program and your approach and will provide the necessary ‘tone from the top’ to ensure buy-in from stakeholders. The General Counsel (GC) or Chief Legal Officer (CLO) will need to lend their voice, presence, authority and sponsorship across key communications and updates both before, during and after launch – and even help to challenge those change resisters. As an executive sponsor, the GC or CLO will be responsible for decisions made on the panel and, as project leader, you’ll need to keep them informed and consulted.
3. Identify champions for change. Beyond your leadership, it’s helpful to identify who else across the legal team can be identified as an ‘ambassador’ for change – individuals who will lend their support, manage possible resisters and keep the vision for the project top of mind. Make it easy for these champions to access information about the project by equipping them with key talking points, FAQs, and progress updates. Consider sending updates regularly to this select group of supporters (e.g. every Friday at 3 pm you will share a project update note).
4. Don’t underestimate the power of existing relationships. Your in-house colleagues may likely have preferred firms based on their existing relationships. They will be confident with that expertise, and they may not be inclined to change providers so easily. You’ll want to engage with your internal legal team often and early to understand: a) feedback on the law firms they currently use; b) their views on who might be invited to participate in the program and; c) any potential resistance points.
5. Transparent communication to build trust. One of the most common mistakes made when launching a panel program is underestimating how much time the process will take. In the absence of communication, your stakeholders might believe the project is not going as planned and, in the worst-case situation, start to resist the change. Being transparent and open about the project, even when things are not going as smoothly as planned, demonstrates humility and may evoke empathy which can lead to building credibility and trust. If you’ve hit a bit of a bump in the road, be honest about it and highlight how you plan to course-correct. 

Scenario 2: Implementing new technology 

Whether you are just getting started on your technology journey or you are at the advanced stages of your roadmap, you’ll want to have a clear change plan in place for your project to ensure successful acceptance and adoption across your legal function. Dive into these top 5 considerations. 

1. Be clear on the problem you are trying to solve. It can be tempting to sit in on a demo for a new tool that explores a multitude of different functionalities and reflect on how this one tool may solve so many problems across your function. Finding the solution before being clear on the problem that needs to be solved doesn’t typically end as well as we would like. Practically speaking, that means we may end up with a tool that doesn’t completely do what we need it to do or we may underestimate the level of behavior change required by our teams (e.g. the level of data entry needed for many systems to function).
2. Prioritize this project among others. There’s no question of the value that technology can bring to optimizing the delivery of legal services, but it can be helpful to understand whether it warrants the complexity and investment of time/money that may be required. Are there other solutions that may be more suitable? For example, perhaps there is existing technology already accessible across your organization that can be tweaked to fit your needs.
3. Map stakeholders to understand impact. Through the process of understanding your stakeholders for this project, you’ll likely identify a group of individuals who will be most impacted by the change. This group will also need more training and support after you go live. Leverage this important opportunity to engage with these stakeholders, at the outset, to help you identify any barriers to change that can be addressed.
4. Manage expectations early on. As you are reflecting on your communication plan for this program, consider how you will use this as an opportunity to clarify expectations with impacted stakeholders. For example, service levels may be impacted during transition times and it will be important to highlight this early and upfront while reinforcing the need for change and remaining clear on the ultimate goal.
5. Consider a proof-of-concept. This is particularly relevant if you are looking to build in-house, or partner on a build, for your technology solution. Sometimes a proof-of-concept iteration can help you to test, evaluate, and workout complications before you expand the scope. Through the process of testing with impacted stakeholders, they will be able to see how their input has been incorporated. It will also allow you to more readily secure their buy-in.  

Scenario 3: Optimizing workloads

As in-house teams continue to battle the ‘more for less’ dynamic, with increased workloads and limited resources, identifying how work can be optimized across the team has become a priority. In some teams, that may mean reallocating work within the department, exploring automation or even leveraging other third-parties. Making sure the work is being done at the right level, by the right resource, is a worthwhile exercise for all teams. Explore these tops tips before you embark on this change program. 

1. Be clear on the reason for change. As you investigate how the work is currently being done by the team, you may likely run into a few resisters along the way who may not see the reason to do things differently. Change can be hard! You will want to be very clear about why this type of review and reallocation is essential to being able to address the current/future needs of the organization. Using data can be exceptionally helpful where you have access to it – particularly if you can point out the amount of time being spent by senior resources on types of work that may not be high risk or of a strategic advantage to the company. As you do this review, you can identify everything that your team does and allocate an approximate percentage of their time that this takes. From there, you can understand strategically what you need to be spending time on to support the business.
2. Be wary of resisters to change in other functions. Through the process of your review, you may identify work that may be better suited to another function within the organization and not something that should be ‘owned’ by legal. It is important not to underestimate the engagement required with these stakeholders as they take on these new responsibilities. As a GC or CLO, this is where your strong relationships with other business unit leaders will come into play. As program leader, you will want to check in with these groups regularly to make sure that they have the training, information, clarity and direction around the work that needs to be done and why. Consider regular check-ins or training programs, if needed.
3. Manage internal client expectations along the way. Your internal clients may be used to connecting with the legal team in a certain way, or with a specific member of your team, and so they are an important stakeholder with whom to engage. If you are asking your internal clients to change the way they access your guidance and support, then you will need to be clear again with your case for change. It can be helpful to use the language of the business and cross-reference this program to your organizational goals or priorities. For example, “We are reallocating senior resources to focus on strategic priorities for the company/your business unit.” or “This project is in line with our organizational efforts to create efficiencies and cost-savings.”
4. A crisp communications plan is essential. As this type of review and assessment will look into the details of your team’s day-to-day workloads, it becomes a bit more personal than perhaps other projects you’ll lead. People may start to feel that their roles may change or even that their jobs are at risk. This is why it is essential that you are open and transparent with all communications and ensure a regular cadence of updates. Be sure to communicate what is changing, or likely to change, as well as what is not changing. There is a phrase often used that applies well here: “Email is for confirmation, not communication.” You will want to engage 1:1 as much as possible with impacted stakeholders.
5. Sustain change with training and support. It will be essential to think about this in the context of both those individuals who will be doing the work differently and those internal clients who may be accessing legal services differently. Providing clarity around these new processes is essential, whether that means developing FAQs, holding lunch and learn sessions, clarifying processes on your internal portals, or developing a newsletter with a “who’s who in the legal team” – it is all part of your communications plan. Try not to make special allowances for individuals as that can begin to unwind behaviors. Identifying champions for this program who can be equipped to share success stories can also be a great motivator for sustaining change.