December 29, 2006
A Problem Solving Policy for the Law Firm
It is the pursuit of opportunities, not fixing problems, that separates excellent enterprises from the “also ran”. An important rule for the managing partner to live by is, “Not all problems need to be solved, and of those that do, not all need to be solved by me”.
Problem-solving is often incorrectly viewed as Management’s job. Opportunities, not problem-solving, should be top priority. But, what about those problems that do need to be solved—and solved by you?
It is important to understand what most people identify as a problem is the gap between the way things actually are and the way they should be. Most problem solving simply closes the gap. This only returns the things to normal expectations. That kind of problem solving adds no new value. It simply puts things back the way they should be. It treats the symptoms but not the “cause”.
If management is going to concentrate on opportunities, it must avoid problems. That means when you do have to tackle a problem, you should do so with a no-return policy. Look for the conditions that permitted the problem to occur and take steps to prevent reoccurrence.
With that in mind, excellent managers take problem definition seriously. They ask five “Whys?”
Who and why?
What and why?
When and why?
Where and why?
How and why?
If your system crashes as a result of an electrical outage, the program gap is closed, the symptom solved, by restoring from backup. It takes adding a temporary power pack that will allow an orderly shut down, or even better a backup generator, to solve the problem with a no-return policy.
Terminating an associate who provided misleading information on his or her résumé treats a symptom. Improved interviewing, pre-employment testing, and verification of resume information is needed to tackle the problem with a no-return policy
Writing off an uncollectible account gets the issue behind you, but it takes improved client intake procedures, tighter no payment/no work policies and improved collection procedures to void similar problems in the future.
Recovering funds due to embezzlement only puts money back in the bank where it should have been to start with. It takes improved internal controls and better management review of financial statements to protect the firm in the future.
You get the idea. If management is going to concentrate on opportunities, it must avoid problems. It must select carefully those problems to be solved, and once selected, the problem should be dealt with in such a way that they will not have to be dealt with again. Cure the cause; don’t postpone the cure by spending time treating symptoms. Adopt a No-Return Policy when it comes to problem solving.
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Filed under Management by Tom Collins