The legal profession is evolving… are you? Granted change is tough. But the longer you put it off, the farther behind you fall, and the harder it is to get started. So, make the choice… take the first step! Harvard Business Review offers a great place to start…Three Ways to Help Your Company Snap Out of It.*

Organizations, like people, can get set in their ways. Relying on established ways of working and solving problems not only stifles innovation but can lead to a lack of perspective and moments of delusion. Here are three ways to help your organization snap out of unhelpful patterns:

Challenge rationalizations. Every organization has shared explanations for doing things the way they do. Poke holes in those rationalizations and ask the question: why is this standard practice?

Expose faulty either/or thinking. False dichotomies can set up irrational choices about how to work. Don’t let A or B be the only options, propose C or D as a new way of working.

Focus on the long-term. Emphasis on the short term can trap you into current practice. Help your colleagues pull back, see the big picture, and understand not only short-term gains but long-term consequences.

Look at the way you and your firm develop business and challenge the status quo. Ask the tough questions. Come up with innovative ideas and ask… Why not?

*Adapted from Keeping Your Colleagues Honest by Mary C. Gentile.