Optimal operation of a legal department /firm requires a shift from the notion that some fundamentals of business are barely or not applicable to it.

The legal department/firm must own the financial management as much as the organization as a whole. Understanding the revenue streams and expenditure as planned and reported on an actual basis is critical as we operate our units. This will assist the legal department to be a proactive participant of the business, concerned about the bottom line of the organization’s performance rather than being one track minded in insisting on things. For example, what percentage of the revenues is expended by your operational requirements and is it critical for those interventions be implemented immediately within the present year budget? Are there any alternatives to spending in achieving the task?

As risk managers, practitioners are called upon to develop and utilize a robust framework within which risks are identified, profiled and managed. It is therefore imperative that there is a framework that is enabled with timely red flagging and compliance alignment mechanisms as it supports the organization. For example, upon collection of data on compliance levels in the organization, do you have a feedback and adherence function that justifies the existence of the tool in the business?

In terms of organizing and sharing knowledge within the legal department/firm, I submit that this should be a deliberate function. For this to be achieved, there must be a shared procedure and practice among the team members. A typical example may be the active sharing and organizing of case management strategies and legal opinions through targeted and consistent sharing. This encourages transparency and access in terms of the position of the department/firm on particular matters or issues. Further, this increases efficiencies in that practically any member of the department or firm can pick up a matter when the assigned officer is not available, with little or no inconvenience to the organization. Creating a data base of knowledge with features on how it can be accessed by other actors in the organization while avoiding the risk of misapplication or interpretation, would be a useful tool.

Leveraging data to make informed decisions is something that legal departments/firms should find easy, especially that we are big on proof! The same principles should apply to our operations to help us track key performance indicators. For example, if the task is for the department/ firm to hold a conference, the data should be, for example, content, participation reports and a satisfaction index. You cannot just claim that the conference was held and expect to score high in the performance review.

I remain hopeful that my sharing during the three-part series will ignite interest and responses from colleagues! The secret to embarking on a journey is to start…

Thank you.