You find some great new technology that is going to save time, save money, and generally make your legal practice more successful across the board. You enthusiastically roll out new legal billing and accounting software and are disappointed when you get nothing but complaints, defiance and a call to return to the old way of doing things. Simply stammering, “But…but…it’s better” isn’t going to solve the problem but there are ways you can convince the naysayers to give the new system a chance.
Lead From The Top – The first people you have to get on board are the top level staff. If a senior attorney is badmouthing the lawyer billing software then the junior attorneys are going to fall in behind. That doesn’t mean you try to suppress their opinions but if you win over the top people in the firm, it will be easier to convince others.
Listen To Concerns – Don’t dismiss the cynics even if their objections are unreasonable. Their concerns may seem trivial to you but they are important to them. For example a common fear with cloud software is the insecurity of putting sensitive information on the internet. Show them time billing software reviews from credible publications that demonstrate how encryption and other data protection techniques keep the data even safer online than it is in your office.
Make It Personal – An attorney doesn’t really care if the new time and billing software is going to make the bookkeeper’s reconciliations faster any more than the bookkeeper cares that the attorney’s timekeeping will be easier and more accurate. Relate the technology to each particular job and show how that person’s professional life will be improved.
Remember The People – We love technology here at Easysoft Legal Software and genuinely believe that the right software tools are a key component to a successful legal practice. However our software is only as good as the people using it. Your staff is the real strength in your practice. Never push a technology solution so hard that you forget about the people.
No matter how much law practice management software will improve your firm’s performance in the long run, transition to a new system is always difficult. Approach the change in a positive and constructive manner. Value your staff’s opinions. Accept the learning curve. Do all that and you can facilitate the change.
Contact Easysoft Legal Software to find out more about how our software tools simplify and automate your legal practice.
