Legal Lean Sigma Institute LLC

Why is change such a tough thing to manage in firms (well, for people in general)? We delve into that question in this episode of #LegalManagementTalk. Catherine Alman MacDonagh, JD, the Founder of Legal Lean Sigma Institute LLC and member of #ALAPDAC, discusses steps for managing change, the importance of creating small change “wins,” how to avoid change burnout and more. Plus, we leave on a positive note about how to feel hopeful about changes. Tune in now: https://ow.ly/mSZv50Ru10b. #ALABuzz #ChangeManagement #LawFirms

It's the best time of year! AKA, the Legal Sales and Service Award Nominations are OPEN! 🎉 (What, you thought because the Oscars are done, Award season was over? The best got saved for last, obviously! 🏅 ) Please fill out the nomination survey at the link below to nominate a rock star individual, team or firm for their hard work over the past year Nominations are due April 19, so don't delay! Winners will be announced at the Legal Sales and Service Awards reception during our annual RainDance conference on June 6th in Boston. See you there! https://lnkd.in/gfAZu4q2

🖇 Change Management and the IP Business Structure: Getting Ready to Get Started🖇 By Catherine Alman MacDonagh, JD, CEO and Founder, Legal Lean Sigma Institute and co-chair of the Committee for IP Business Structure at I3PM International Institute for Intellectual Property Management along side Sabine Rehaber Many professionals know the value of selecting and sticking to a change management or improvement model for evaluating and designing the business structure. Teams and stakeholders can more easily “follow the bouncing ball” and leaders can prepare people and activities before, during, and after each phase However, the planning for change management aspects of the business structure often gets short shrift. Building and managing the business structure seems to be more a series of implementation(rather than thought) activities. Our experience has shown that you can get ready to get started with two things, whether building from scratch, evaluating what to improve, or working on the next iteration of the structure. 📌 First, pick a change management model (ADKAR, Kotter’s, Kubler-Ross, Lewin’s or McKinsey’s 7S) 📌 Then, undertake an assessment program Typically we begin by meeting with leaders and primary stakeholders to discuss expectations, ensure clarity and alignment on what will happen before, during, and after the assessment, and then develop a project plan. At all times, it is vital to appropriately communicate the reason for the assessment, ask for cooperation, and ensure safety of all kinds. Asking the five critical questions is, well, critical! Why Change? What to Change? How to Lead Change? Who is to Change? How to Sustain Change? Understand your drivers and use a TOWS (Threats, Opportunities, Weaknesses, Strengths) One of the tools we use is our P+ Scorecard, where we begin preparing people for change and create a shared understanding of the current state and our biases across the organization. This helps build an effective, sustainable structure. Developing high level process maps such as block diagrams and using tools to prioritize (Impact Ease/Bold Moves Matrices) facilitate the ability to select and recommend the right direction – and often, begin to illuminate the path(s) to take for maximum likelihood of success.   There are various models, frameworks, and tools available; regardless of what will be most effective for your culture or situation, it is always a good idea to use tried and true approaches and not skip steps – including planning for change. I3PM members are invited to use promo code I3PM to save 10% on any program offered by the Legal Lean Sigma Institute, including Change Management or Behavioral Economics certificates and the Yellow Belt Certification in Process Improvement and Project Management. Visit www.LegalLeanSigma.com for more information.

Mental Accounting What is it? Mental accounting is our tendency to mentally sort our funds into separate “accounts,” which affects the way we think about our spending. Mental accounting leads us to see money as less fungible than it is and can cause us to make irrational decisions in the way we spend. What does fungible mean? Money allocated for one item (a vacation) is equivalent and exchangeable for another item (paying bills.) Interested in learning more about Behavioral Economic Principles such as Mental Accounting, and how they apply to Business and Legal Operations? Overcome your own Mental Accounting Bias and spend your remaining budget this year on our next session which is being offered in February 2024. Check out our upcoming Certificate Program: https://lnkd.in/etwDSaCz #BehavioralEconomics #ProcessImprovement #ChangeManagement #Mentalaccounting #GoodThinking #LegalOps Jessica McBride, MBA, PMP, LSS Green Belt, Certified CM Catherine Alman MacDonagh, JD Legal Lean Sigma Institute LLC