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October 13, 2004
JD's vs. MBA's & The Eagle vs. The Team
"As with most significant changes in a law firm, change is driven by clients." So says the estimable Doug Caddell, CIO of Foley & Lardner. The specific change he has in mind—and which he forecasts with confidence will come about—is partners' adoption of CRM.
What is the state of CRM in the US? "In the starting blocks," although the starter's pistol has unquestionably gone off. The reasons are cultural and not technological, but the forces of change are mounting. Clients demand teamwork from their management, from their employees, and soon they shall demand it from their law firms: Teamwork there shall be.
But let's step back a moment: We (meaning I and regular readers) all assume lawyers prefer to operate as lone eagles and business people prefer to operate in teams. Why do we think this? Where does this come from?
As someone with a JD and 98% of an MBA, I have an idea: From the experience of law school vs. the experience of business school. Law school is competitive from (before the) start to (after the) finish. You compete to get into a "name" law school, to interview with an AmLaw 50 firm, to get an offer, to make partner, to be a big rainmaker, to get on the managing committee, etc. At business school, while the academic competition is no less real, the experience and the course structure demand teamwork: Not a single significant project in my experience at business school was an individual event; all put me in teams.
So lawyers will be dragged, miserable and clawing to retain their lone-eagle identity, into teams? Is there no more humane, not to mention effective and good-for-business, alternative? Simply taking a page from the business-school experience would go a long way.
Not that managing partners want or need MBA's: But what's wrong with a two-week retreat for a "mini-executive-MBA?" A win for the law firm, a win for the client, and a win for your friendly local business school dean.
Posted by Bruce at October 13, 2004 4:03 PM | TrackBackPosted to Cultural Considerations | IT | Knowledge Management | Leadership | Strategy Printer-friendly version
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