Maximum Lawyer Enhancing Efficiency: Kanban Boards for Legal Workflow Management with John Grant
Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE
Are you a law firm owner who needs a tool to visualize the work of your team? In this podcast episode, Jim and Tyson interview John Grant about implementing the Kanban methodology in legal practices.
John provides some insight on what the Kanban methodology is and why it is such a great thing to add to law firms. Kanban boards are used in the project management space and can be used as a tool to outline work. It is often used in scrum meetings among teams to break down goals. For example, if a team is working on a project to streamline the intake process, a Kanban board can be used to visualize how that process can go using columns and cards. They are meant to allow users to see workflows and identify areas where there is a roadblock. It can be customized to the likeness of any team!
John shares some of the templates he has created that can help law firms succeed. One is a litigation workflow, which can be used to help outline a case. There is a column for intake and research, one for strategy, one for mediation/negotiation and then one for the trial process. This lays out the whole case in front of you which when visualized can help see the whole picture. The transactional template is similar but might not include a trial phase.
John provides a few examples of different types of Kanban boards. One of them is BusinessMap, which is great for large firms due to the amount of users that can utilize it at once. KanbanZone is another tool that is great for lawyers as there are functionalities that work well for the type of work lawyers do. Choose a Kanban board that works for your firm to maximize its great benefits!
Listen in to learn more from John Grant!
Jim's Hack: Read the book “10 X is Better than 2 X”, by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy. There is a concept in the book about how we ease ourselves out of the day to day practice of the firm by using free days.
John’s Tip: Make policies explicit. It is not just about what the policy is and what I want you to do, but getting to the why behind the policy.
Tyson's Tip: Use sticky notes to start putting stuff on the walls as a starting ground.
2:59 The Kanban methodology and its application in law firms
7:36 The benefits of using visual Kanban boards to manage tasks
12:51 Recommendations for tools like BusinessMap and Kanban Zone
15:46 Best practices for setting up a Kanban board for litigation
Connect with John:
Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here.