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TECHNOLOGY

A primer on document management systems

June 29, 2022 by

Are you wondering how to modernize your office’s system of managing documents?  A document management system, or DMS, refers to the tools and processes your organization uses to store and manage documents. A modern DMS will often provide robust search capabilities, metadata tagging, access controls, and increased security processes to protect files. NetDocument, a cloud content management platform where legal professionals do work, offers this primer document management systems: In the past, document management meant a combination of filing cabinets, boxes, shelves, folders, binders, scanners, thousands upon thousands of printed pages, and designated square footage in the office to hold it all. Document management has evolved to align with today’s digital workplace by storing electronic  files and documents either in an on-premises or cloud-based DMS. These tools bring with them… . . . read more

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YOUR CAREER

How job hunting changed: You have leverage you never had before

June 29, 2022 by

By Lynne Curry Question: I left a senior position in a large practice when the pandemic and four children at home forced me out of the workforce. At first, my now ex-husband and I thought I’d take a month off, get the kids settled and return to on-site work. But COVID-19 dragged on, and I couldn’t see leaving the kids at home to fend for themselves while I returned to 10-hour workdays. Then, my personal life turned upside down. Now, I need to return to work. I dread it. I want a job, but no longer want to be a superwoman who can handle a high-profile, high-stress career and still parent. I need “normal.” Forty, maybe 45 hours a week is all I’m willing to give, maybe more if an… . . . read more

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TRAINING

14 tips for improving your training content

June 27, 2022 by

You have to make someone responsible for keeping content current. Use titles and not names in your documentation, so you don’t have to update when people leave your firm. Find a quiet time of the year to do an annual review of training content. Be careful with holding onto out-of-date training content. People will find it! Content needs to be accessible from anywhere. You can have fabulous content, but it’s useless if no one is using it. Advertise! If you have an enterprise search tool, why haven’t you indexed your learning content there? People search in different ways. Some look for a search box. Some never see it and look for a menu. It can seem overwhelming, but just pick a pain point and start developing your content! Consider a… . . . read more

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MANAGING THE OFFICE

4 day workweek: Is it in your future?

June 26, 2022 by

By Lynne Curry If you’re an employee, you’re immediately interested. If you’re an employer, you’re doubtful—yet you keep hearing about this new strategy that might make a significant difference in your company’s ability to survive and thrive. It’s the four-day workweek, though not the compressed 4/10’s workweek that oil patch and similar companies used. Employers adopting this four-day workweek ask each employee to work 8.5 hours four days a week, providing them full salaries for 34 rather than 40 hours weekly. Forty U.S. and Canadian employers are trying out this strategy in a pilot program run by 4 Day Week Global.1 Another 32 U.S. employers have adopted it.2 The concept asks employees to maintain 100% productivity for 100% of their pay while working only 80% of the time. It requires employees… . . . read more

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MANAGING STAFF

Recession: Get ready for new employer-employee reality

June 24, 2022 by

By Lynne Curry The talent war seemed like it would last forever. Employers desperate to fill vacancies but unable to find solid job candidates; applicants receiving multiple job offers; employees expecting more from their employers and using their newfound leverage. Both employees and employers gained as a result. Employers developed compelling value propositions to attract new employees and gained clarity concerning their mission and what they needed and expected from employees. Employers took a fresh look at their pay, benefits packages, and training options. After they recovered from sticker shock, they reaped benefits in the form of engaged, high-performing employees. Employees landed jobs with employers that provided them tangible and intangible benefits in the form of competitive wages, enhanced benefits packages, work/life balancing flexibility and career-enhancing professional development. But things didn’t work… . . . read more

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YOUR CAREER

Use all four stages of effective communication

June 17, 2022 by

By Doug Thorpe Managers face a constant struggle to improve communication within their work teams. Besides being able to accurately articulate any technical aspects about the work (every industry has its key phrases, terms, and buzz words), business leaders have to be ever-mindful of some very basic principles of effective communication. We usually think about communication as a two part/two person transaction. You speak, I speak, we hear and we act. This is the way most adults perceive the process of communication. When we need to talk to our teams, we usually just think about crafting a message as though it is being addressed to one person. I submit to you that there are really four stages of communication. Being an effective communicator requires a laser focus to ensure the parts… . . . read more

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YOUR CAREER

7 dining rules every manager should follow

June 14, 2022 by

By Cheryl Toth You know this guy. He’s the loudest talker at the table. He waves his fork around when he tells a story or joke. Or occasionally punctuates the air with it to indicate he has shared something very important. Don’t be this guy. Whether you are having lunch with your team, dinner with the partners, or you’re attending the annual gala, good table manners demonstrate decorum. They are an opportunity to show yourself as presentable, professional and polite; the kind of person who gets invited to the next lunch, dinner, or gala. Here are 7 essential table rules every manager should know. Place your napkin in your lap when you sit down. This is manners 101. If you’ve made it this far in life without knowing that, well,… . . . read more

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HIRING

Should you rehire a boomerang employee?

June 10, 2022 by

By Lynne Curry “I’ve learned my lesson and I’d like to come back.” One by one “boomerang” employees are returning to employers throughout the nation. Each employee has a story. Said one, “I’d always wanted to start my own business. Now that I tried it; I’ve learned it’s not for me.” Said another, “I wasn’t looking for a job. An employer sought me out, offered me a signing bonus and made other promises. But once I started there, none of those promises panned out.” If you’re an employer, should you rehire an employee who wants to return? Here are the reasons you should; the reasons you shouldn’t, and the precautions you need to take. If you’re an employer with hard-to-fill vacancies and want to inspire former employees to return, here’s… . . . read more

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PRODUCTIVITY

Artificial intelligence can boost billable hours

June 7, 2022 by

Artificial Intelligence (AI) represents one of the latest advances in legal technology. Rather than replacing attorneys and support staff, AI can help lawyers and other legal professionals do more to serve their clients with greater efficiency and less expense. Teaching computers to learn One significant advantage of employing AI is the ability of machines to learn tasks that previously required the time and effort of lawyers, according to a blog by SMI Aware, a social media evidence collection and preservation service. Likewise, AI enhances the ability of lawyers to extract pertinent case information by directly typing a query in a search field—or directing the machine to perform a given task. Of course, before computers can perform these tasks, they must be “taught” to do so by humans. Connecting various concepts, such as… . . . read more

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CYBERSECURITY

How to stay vigilant without hiring a surprise attack ninja

June 6, 2022 by

Remember the Pink Panther movies? Peter Sellers’ character, Inspector Clouseau, hired “Cato” to randomly attack him. He thought unexpected ninja attacks would keep him every vigilant. While the over the top comedy is ridiculous, it does remind me of how to approach cybersecurity. You do not need to hire someone with a kendo stick to beat your staff into compliance, but frequent “reminders” do promote vigilance. This comparison comes from Mike Sacopulos, founder and CEO of the Medical Risk Institute. He said most professional practices provide cybersecurity training when an employee is first hired, and annually after that. While certainly this method will check the box for “security training” it is highly ineffective for maintaining good cybersecurity habits. Cybersecurity training is not a “once you learn it, you know how… . . . read more

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