Change up

Resistance is futile. If you’re a Star Trek fan, you’ll know this is what a race of cyborgs called the Borg say when they’re about to assimilate people into their ‘collective’. They say this because they’re ruthless in their quest to become more adaptive and powerful – and having more people on-side helps them do that, so they ensure people are powerless to resist the transformation.

Legal management leaders should be a bit more like the Borg when it comes to change management. People don’t like change, but it’s necessary for legal businesses that want to adapt and survive in a competitive market and it can’t happen if it’s not accepted or driven by those who keep the ship running. There may be some ethical or legal problems putting cyber devices in your employees, like the Borg do, but it’s important to be relentless in getting people on-side and driving the change. Find out more in this month’s feature on p32.

FORWARD PUSH

The only constant is change, they say – if they’re prone to a quick cliché as a management maxim. There’s certainly no denying that SME law firms are embracing it in all its forms – evidenced by the flow of press releases announcing transformations such as new business models, mergers or internal reorganisations to drive competitiveness. And that’s probably a good thing. Chengwei Liu, associate professor of strategy and behavioural science at Warwick Business School, says transformation is important for competitiveness and survival – though perhaps not all the time.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: GRACE-ANN PICKLES CLIMBS AFRICA’S LARGEST MOUNTAIN

I first decided that I wanted to climb Kilimanjaro – also known as the roof of Africa – in 2014. The Tanzanian mountain, which is also a dormant volcano, rises to 4,900m from its base and is the largest mountain in Africa – so I knew the climb was going to be no small feat. I have a close friend who suffers from quadriplegic cerebral palsy, a severe spinal condition which affects muscle control and movement, and I wanted to do something big to help raise funds and awareness for the condition.

STEADY AS SHE GROWS

For many SME firms, growth is the goal – but many don’t have the tools they need to scale and maintain their client service. Michael Burne, chief executive at new model firm Carbon Law Partners, says his firm’s agile working model is designed for easy growth but until recently it held back for fear of losing quality of service.

MODERN FAMILY

London-based Gary Jacobs & Co (GJ Law) is a specialist family law firm. Practice manager Paula Jacobs Amos says: “The majority of our instruction comes from guardians appointed on behalf of children, who ask us to assist in their public law care proceedings.