The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the Holidays – Keeping Your Law Office Productive During This Time of Year

Ahh the holidays…  a time when people open their hearts to others. A time when we share our homes with family and friends. A time when we think about how we can be of service to our communities. A time when office productivity slows to a virtual halt. While some businesses may be able to afford a relaxed workload during the months of November and December, your law practice probably is not one of them. You still have clients to represent and matters to handle. So, decreased focus and productivity is simply not an option – not even during this most wonderful time of the year.

To help with this management dilemma, I scoured the internet for some advice on maintaining productivity during the holidays. Here are some of the best tips I found:

• Plan ahead. Use the previous holiday seasons to plan for the coming months. If business dwindled a bit, consider using the time to implement some staff training or to introduce a new billing software, like TimeSolv. Try to handle vacation requests as early as possible, to avoid lapses in your staffing needs. If necessary, schedule temporary assistance ahead of time, so you do not unexpectedly find yourself without an assistant.
• Make your expectations known. There is nothing wrong with celebrating the holidays, but remember that you are running a business and work is necessary to keep it up and running. Lay out your expectations early, so staff members understand that they are still expected to perform in a professional and productive manner throughout the holiday season.
• Set celebration guidelines. Communicate with your employees about what is and is not acceptable for office celebration. If you do not want Christmas music ringing through the hallways of your firm, let that be known. If the annual holiday party is being replaced with an office potluck, make sure your staff members know that before they go purchase a fancy new outfit.
• Give in to some celebration. According to an article in Inc., turning into the office Scrooge can be just as counterproductive as going overboard with the holiday enthusiasm. When employees are encouraged to have some fun, they tend to be more productive and creative in the completion of their work. So, let ia little holiday spirit inside.

Law office productivity doesn’t have to tank during the holiday seasons. Just make your expectations clear and allow for a little bit of festive celebration. Who knows? Your staff  may respond with more productivity than you’ve seen throughout the entire rest of the year!

About Erika Winston:

Erika Winston is a freelance writer with a passion for law. Through her business, The Legal Writing Studio, she helps legal professionals deliver effective written messages. Erika is a regular contributor to TimeSolv and a variety of other publications.