Lawyers and Productivity: Year-End Thoughts

A few months ago I did a post about workplace productivity, based on two different infographics I found on the web relating to social media use and productivity. That post generated some interesting discussion, so I thought I would bring up the topic again. But this time we're not just talking about how the internet and social media affect productivity.

As 2012 comes to a close, you may be looking back at what you think went right in your practice this year and what you might want to change for 2013. You may be trying to figure out how you can get more done in less time, or you may have decided that it's time to learn to prioritize better. Either way, perhaps this infographic from Bolt Insurance will provide some food for thought.

Via: BOLT Insurance

Here are some things I found interesting:

• Close to half of survey respondents indicated that meetings were time-wasters - how can you make your meetings more productive in 2013?
• A high number of workers waste time on office politics; what can you do to reduce that in the coming year? Is more communication needed to squelch the gossip and stop the rumor mill before it starts?
• Many of the lawyers I speak to assume that shopping on the internet (a complaint usually directed at the women in the office) is a huge productivity killer -- but it looks like men are at fault, too - only instead of shopping, they're engaged in sports-related internet activities
• Employees reported that they wasted time at work as a result of boredom, job dissatisfaction, lack of challenge and no incentive to work harder, not necessarily because they think they're underpaid. So what can you do to challenge the lawyers and staff in your office and keep them engaged? How can you motivate them?
• If US workers are among the most productive in the world, how much "downtime" should employees have during the day? How much "wasted" time is good for them - and for your practice?

What do you think is the biggest time-waster in your firm? What can you do to boost productivity in your firm for the coming year? Or should your focus be on something other than productivity?

Comments

[Loretta Ruppert - LexisNexis Firm Management]

Allison, thanks for sharing the infographic -- it was very informative. I found it interesting that some of the leading reasons why employees waste time at work is because they are not challenged enough, are unsatisfied with the job and are bored. Some drivers here could be ineffective managers who do not properly delegate or empower their employees with a true sense of ownership in their daily routines. Rewarding top performers and recognizing smart, hard working teammates can often curtail a lack of productivity.