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Today’s best law firms understand the benefits of having a fluid and adaptable legal culture. Attorneys are intelligent and motivated individuals, and law firms must ensure that they maintain a suitable environment for lawyers from different generations, diverse backgrounds, and various perspectives, beliefs and values.
To attract the most talented legal professionals, a firm needs to foster a positive work environment. This includes maintaining respect for company core values and an environment that encourages growth. Often, this means promoting a healthy work-life balance for all employees. The return on improving corporate culture is clear: greater productivity, better employee retention, increased creative investment and happier clients.
Corporate cultures run a gamut, and there is no single right way to build a positive environment but there are several types of corporate culture. Maybe your firm encourages wellness by stocking the kitchen with healthy snacks or providing unlimited free (and high quality!) coffee, tea, kombucha, sparkling water or other beverages. Perhaps your company fosters socialization between coworkers by putting a communal puzzle in the break room or hosting a weekly happy hour. Maybe your firm encourages involvement in pro bono cases or claims that benefit your local community. Or perhaps your firm needs a more in-depth solution, like improved communication and transparency policies that provide a safe and welcoming environment for constructive feedback on practices and management.
The most important first step to building a better corporate culture is to acknowledge that change needs to occur. Your acknowledgment and willingness to identify problems will be inspiring, and that alone is a great start to build team morale. From there, being open to making the necessary changes to accomplish a better work environment becomes key. Here on some tips on helping transition your corporate culture from good to great:
A positive corporate culture fosters success for both your bottom line and your employees’ well-being. But how can a partner or principal improve the culture of their firm? Here are a few suggestions on how to get started:
Revolutionizing the norm at your firm will take time. Remember that positive change starts at the top, so if the leaders at your firm are clear and supportive of your firm’s new goals, then it will be easier to make changes that improve culture, retain your highly skilled legal professionals and reduce burnout.