Delegating

Do you delegate?

I try to and aim to increase the amount I delegate as it makes sense.

As a follow up to yesterday’s post, I’ve found that the most effective way to delegate is to create an introductory memo for the associate.

Think: How would I want a partner or senior associate to delegate this to me?

I started this with summer associates; a sort of “welcome to this file” email.

I include:

👉🏻 A thank you for agreeing to help;

👉🏻 The matter number;

👉🏻 The deadline;

👉🏻 The key, contextual documents (as well as sample documents depending on the desired work product);

👉🏻 A quick snapshot of the facts (referencing to the key documents above);

👉🏻 A clear statement of the legal question, including the desired outcome, time it might take, and format of the answer;

👉🏻 What jurisdiction to start with and the hierarchy of preferred sources if the first jurisdiction isn’t helpful;

👉🏻 How and when to best reach me, as well as who else might be a helpful resource; and

👉🏻 A call for questions and confirming the timing of our introductory meeting.

Why do I do this?

💪🏻 To save time. Yes, this takes time up front, but, without a doubt, it saves time down the road.

💪🏻 To set an agenda for the first meeting. I don’t ask the associate to read everything before the meeting (if they have time, great), but I’ve set the framework that will guide that initial meeting.

💪🏻 To empower the associate. I want to build a relationship in which they know what to expect and they know what is expected of them; a relationship that creates trust and respect and that gives them confidence to return with questions and concerns.

💪🏻 To create buy in, helping the associate understand how the assignment fits in to the big picture and increasing ownership over the assignment.

💪🏻 To increase the likelihood that the associate will work with me again.

When I have time to make this work (when I make and take the time to do it), it is the best part of my job.

That’s probably because I’m a teacher first, and this allows me to put that hat back on.

Managing is not complicated.

We often hold back from delegating (a form of managing) because we view it as complicated, as too difficult to be worth our time, as too time consuming.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

#lawyerwellbeing #bestadvice #productivity #law #culture