Robert Camp blog – October 2020
Mind over matter
Having a positive mindset will help leaders navigate this challenging period.
As we head into at least another four weeks of lockdown, I’m sure many of us will feel our energy dip. We may have been enjoying a cautious return to our offices and the familiarity of old routines. It may feel like a step back to go into lockdown again.
When you are feeling your energy wane, it can be hard to be brave and make difficult decisions. It can be very tempting to hold onto the comfort of things that have worked in the past and hope they work now.
Unfortunately, the tools and tactics which worked for you before may not be the right ones now. Instead, it is the time to see challenges as opportunities. It is the time to be willing to take a risk and be brave.
Professional services firms tend to be more traditional and in the past that might have been okay, but now when the world – and our clients – are changing so much, we need to change too. And that change starts with leaders adopting the right mindset. Your people will be watching and will take their lead from you. Show them that there is a bright future ahead.
Here are some ways to look for opportunities in the current challenges:
- How has remote working helped your business? Has it benefitted some of your people who have caring responsibilities, allowing them a better work-life balance? Will it open up your business to allow more people with disabilities or caring responsibilities apply for vacancies?
- What benefits has flexible working brought to your business? Has it allowed you to improve your client service? Will it enable you to recruit from a larger talent pool based on expertise, not just geographical location? Will it encourage more of your maternity leavers to return to work after their maternity leave?
- What has embracing technology meant for your business? Has it opened up new ways to collaborate? Has it allowed more junior members of your team to enjoy sharing their knowledge and ideas with colleagues?
Turning today’s challenges into tomorrow’s opportunities can be difficult but having a positive mindset will definitely help.
I will shortly be expanding on these ideas in a couple of videos.
The opportunities of legal technology
I’ve had a busy few weeks since I wrote my last blog. A lot of my time has been focussed on legal technology – an area I’m excited and passionate about.
Technology has the potential to help us improve our client service, make work more rewarding and enjoyable for our people and allow us to run more efficient and effective businesses. However, the legal sector has a long way to go. We only have to look at the way fintech has been embraced by the financial services sector to see how far behind we are.
However, there is now a great momentum around legal tech. Over the last few weeks four different IT firms looking to break into the legal sector have been in touch looking for my perspective on what law firms and their clients need. These businesses are based in the UK, Denmark and USA and their ideas are exciting, including leadership development training, automation of precedents and automation of negotiation of documentation.
One of the technology firms I’ve spoken to aims to help law firms make smarter use of technology for remote working. Many firms will have supplied their people with laptops and think their remote working set up is done. However, there is so much more technology can offer. How much more cost effective would it have been to enable people to project their iPhone content onto a screen? Innovation isn’t always about spending lots of money on new kit, it can be about making better use of what you already have.
This month I’ve also taken part in some podcasts and videos, including a live video with contacts in New York discussing innovation. You can watch the video here https://lnkd.in/ebtSHvU
I was also interviewed by Annette Gann, the author of Feel Good. Do Good. Work for her podcast. We spoke about the employee engagement focus of my work as the managing partner of Stephens Scown, which also formed part of her book. You can listen to the podcast https://feelgooddogoodwork.co.uk/2020/10/23/podcast-with-robert-camp-owner-of-robert-camp-consulting/
Whatever decisions or challenges you are facing this month; I hope you find the courage to be brave and embrace the new opportunities ahead.
For more information about coaching, training, workshops and strategy sessions, please get in touch, by email robert@robertcamp.co.uk or call 07770 437038
