May 5, 2005
I65 North
The planning process plays another important role. It is a tool for the firm’s leadership to unify the law firm. With the team on the same track, individual day-to-day decisions begin to move the organization forward in the same direction, i.e., toward the law firm’s agreed upon goals and objectives. I refer to this as “I65 North”.
I65 North conveys a lot to the team. It is a shorthand way to sum up all the things agreed upon as a team regarding the firm’s plan for the future. The simple statement, “Okay folks, let’s get back on I65 North” doesn’t require a lot of explanation. Its meaning is clear. I65 North clearly conveys the consensus of the firm’s owners and managers–“we are going north on I65”. As long as you obey the rules of the road and are not reckless so as to endanger others or move so slowly that you obstruct those behind, you can travel at your own speed but you cannot go South, East or West. I65 North conveys the concept of our common direction (goals, objectives, strategies and tactics) and the rules of the road (policies, procedures, ethics, standards, etc.) all in one short phrase.
I65 North is a reminder that the business of the law firm is a journey and that the leader’s job is to get all of the firm’s people traveling in the same direction.
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Filed under Management, Planning by Tom Collins