Big Idea: Why Law Firm Goals Conflict – Lawyerist

Are you able to realistically obtain all targets inside your present enterprise mannequin? 

Ask your self: 

What would it not really take to realize every purpose? (Be particular: hours per week, {dollars} invested, methods constructed, folks employed) 

Do I’ve these sources out there proper now? 

If I pursue this purpose, what am I NOT doing? 

If the solutions reveal inconceivable trade-offs, your targets battle. 

Why Legislation Agency House owners Set Conflicting Targets 

You’re sensible. You’re detail-oriented. You handed the bar examination. So why do you retain setting targets that work in opposition to one another? 

You’re excited about outcomes, not inputs. “Develop income” is an consequence. “Work much less” is an consequence. However you haven’t thought about the inputs required to provide these outcomes—and whether or not these inputs are appropriate. Income progress would possibly require extra enterprise improvement time, extra consumer supply time, or vital upfront funding in hiring and methods. Working much less requires delegation, methods, or saying no to alternatives. Once you map the inputs, you see the battle. 

You’re setting targets in isolation. You write down “enhance income” with out excited about your capability constraints. You write down “launch a brand new follow space” with out excited about the place the time will come from. Every purpose sounds cheap by itself. Collectively, they’re inconceivable. 

You haven’t outlined your constraints. Targets with out constraints are simply needs. What number of hours are you prepared to work? What’s your present capability? What’s your pricing mannequin? What are you able to really afford to spend? When you don’t know your constraints, you can’t inform whether or not your targets match inside them. 

You suppose you need to be capable of do all of it. Most attorneys are excessive achievers. You’re used to getting As. You graduated regulation faculty, handed the bar, constructed a follow from nothing. So if you set conflicting targets and can’t make all of them work, you assume you’re the issue. You’re not working arduous sufficient. You’re not sensible sufficient. You’re failing. 

However you’re not failing. Your targets are incompatible. That’s a design drawback, not a you drawback. 

The Actual Price of Conflicting Enterprise Targets 

When your targets work in opposition to one another, right here’s what really occurs: 

You are feeling always behind. You’re making progress on one purpose, which implies you’re not making progress on one other. So you all the time really feel like you’re failing at one thing. The guilt is fixed. 

You scatter your focus. You attempt to make incremental progress on every little thing, which implies you don’t make significant progress on something. You’re busy, however nothing’s actually shifting. 

You burn out. You’re working arduous, staying busy, checking containers—however the enterprise isn’t getting simpler and your life isn’t getting higher. Finally, one thing breaks. 

You blame your self. You assume different agency homeowners have figured this out. You assume you’re the issue. So you’re employed more durable, which makes the burnout worse. 

You waste money and time. You put money into techniques that don’t suit your mannequin. You rent earlier than you’re prepared. You launch advertising and marketing campaigns for follow areas you don’t have capability for. As a result of your targets aren’t aligned, your actions don’t compound—they cancel one another out. 

How Many Targets Ought to a Legislation Agency Have?

Two to 3 targets that work collectively will all the time outperform ten targets that battle. 

Right here’s why: 

Fewer targets imply clearer priorities. When you may have ten targets, every little thing feels pressing and nothing will get the main target it wants. With two to 3 targets, you understand precisely what issues most. 

Fewer targets enable for deeper execution. You’ll be able to really construct the methods, make the investments, and do the work required to realize significant progress—as a substitute of creating shallow progress on every little thing. 

Fewer targets create compounding results. When your targets align, progress on one helps progress on one other. When your targets battle, progress on one undermines progress on one other. 

Your goal isn’t to do much less. It’s to decide on targets that don’t cancel one another out. 

How you can Set Legislation Agency Targets That Truly Work Collectively

Right here’s the way to repair conflicting enterprise targets: 

1. Map the inputs, not simply the outcomes

For each purpose, ask: What is going to it really take to realize this? 

“Develop income by 30%” would possibly require: 15 extra purchasers, or elevating costs by 40%, or hiring an affiliate and delegating 50% of your caseload. 

“Work much less” would possibly require: saying no to twenty% of inquiries, delegating consumer communication, or constructing consumption methods. 

“Rent an affiliate” requires: $80K+ in wage and overhead, methods for delegation, administration time, and a caseload that may help their wage. 

Once you map the inputs—time, cash, focus, methods—you begin to see the place targets battle. 

2. Establish the trade-offs explicitly

Ask: If I pursue this purpose, what am I NOT doing? 

When you launch a brand new follow space, you’re not rising your present one. 

When you take Fridays off, you’re both delegating, lowering quantity, or elevating costs to preserve income with much less time. 

When you rent earlier than your pricing helps it, you’re accepting decrease revenue margins (or working extra to generate the income to cowl their wage). 

Commerce-offs aren’t dangerous. However pretending they don’t exist is how you find yourself with conflicting targets. 

3. Sequence your targets as a substitute of pursuing them concurrently

Some targets must occur earlier than others. 

You can’t delegate successfully till you may have methods. 

You can’t work much less till you’ve employed and educated somebody to take work off your plate. 

You can’t launch a brand new follow space till you’ve stabilized your present one. 

Ask: What must be true earlier than this purpose is feasible? 

Then construct a sequence: First this, then that. Not every little thing directly. 

4. Select your constraint

You can’t optimize for every little thing. What’s the one constraint you’re unwilling to compromise on? 

If it’s “I can’t work greater than 40 hours per week,” then income progress has to occur by pricing, positioning, or delegation—not quantity. 

If it’s “I can’t compromise on high quality,” then progress needs to be slower and extra managed. 

If it’s “I must hit $X in income this 12 months,” then work-life stability may need to attend till you’ve constructed the methods and group to help that income with out burning out. 

This isn’t about giving up on targets. It’s about being trustworthy about what you’re optimizing for proper now—so your different targets can align with that constraint as a substitute of preventing it. 

5. Take a look at for alignment earlier than you commit

Earlier than you finalize your targets for the 12 months, run this take a look at: 

? Do these targets require the identical sources (time, cash, focus)? If sure, they might battle. 

? Do these targets pull in reverse instructions? (Extra income vs. much less time, extra purchasers vs. higher expertise, progress vs. stability) 

? Can I realistically obtain all of those inside my present enterprise mannequin constraints? If no, one thing has to provide. 

In case your targets battle, you may have three choices: 

Sequence them. Do one first, then the opposite. 

Select one. Prioritize the purpose that issues most proper now. 

Change your mannequin. In order for you each targets, what has to change about what you are promoting mannequin to make them appropriate? (Often: pricing, positioning, methods, or group.) 

What Setting Aligned Targets Truly Appears to be like Like 

Right here’s what occurs if you set targets that really work collectively: 

You make actual progress. As a substitute of scattered incremental motion on ten issues, you make significant progress on the 2 or three issues that truly transfer what you are promoting ahead. 

You cease feeling responsible. You’re not failing at seven targets. You’re centered on the 2 that matter most proper now—and you understand precisely why you’re not pursuing the others but. 

Your actions compound. As a result of your targets align, the work you do on one purpose helps the others. Elevating your costs provides you capability to enhance consumer expertise. Constructing methods makes delegation doable. Every part reinforces every little thing else. 

You’ll be able to really see when you’re on monitor. When your targets don’t battle, you’ll be able to measure progress clearly. You’re not always adjusting for trade-offs you didn’t anticipate. 

Most Agency House owners Are Making an attempt to Clear up a Design Drawback with Effort

In case your targets maintain conflicting, the reply isn’t to work more durable or be extra disciplined. 

The reply is to revamp your targets so that they suit your precise enterprise mannequin constraints and work collectively as a substitute of in opposition to one another. 

That requires: 

Understanding what you are promoting mannequin (pricing, capability, positioning) 

Realizing your constraints (time, cash, methods, group) 

Being trustworthy about trade-offs 

Sequencing targets as a substitute of pursuing them  

Selecting what you’re optimizing for proper now 

Most agency homeowners skip this work. They set targets that sound good, then spend the 12 months feeling responsible that they can’t make all of them occur. 

You don’t have to do this.