The Agile Attorney Podcast cover image

The Agile Attorney Podcast

036. What To Do When I’m the Bottleneck with Melissa Shanahan and Ben Hudson

Sep 26, 2024
Join Ben Hudson, a Calgary lawyer specializing in various legal fields, and Melissa Shanahan, host of the Law Firm Owner podcast, as they tackle the complexities of legal workflow. They discuss how to shift from resource efficiency to flow efficiency, revealing that sometimes doing less can actually create more capacity. Ben shares insights on data-driven hiring and improving client perceptions. The duo also dives into the transformative power of the Kanban methodology and practical strategies to overcome common bottlenecks in legal practices.
58:17

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Shifting focus from resource efficiency to flow efficiency can often lead to more significant improvements in a law practice's workflow.
  • Utilizing Kanban boards enhances visibility into workflow by identifying bottlenecks, allowing teams to make targeted adjustments for improved efficiency.

Deep dives

The Complexity of Capacity Building

Adding capacity to a law practice, such as hiring new team members or implementing AI, does not always lead to improved workflow efficiency. This approach can be counterintuitive, as many practitioners expect that increased resources will directly result in better outputs, like reduced chaos or increased profits. However, many lawyers face frustration when they invest time and money into expanding their capacities but do not see the anticipated benefits, leading to work bottlenecks. This paradox highlights the need for effective integration of new resources into existing workflows to ensure that they alleviate rather than exacerbate existing challenges.

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