That’s how they start their days in Silicon Valley. There aren’t alarm clocks blazing at 6 a.m., or parents rushing to get the kids to the local bus stop, because buses don’t take kids to school. Mom or Dad does that. People stroll in around 9:30 a.m. after drop-off. It’s work/life balance at its best! When work is something you look forward to, and fun and creativity exists in your office culture, the alarm clocks seem a little softer, and maybe even “friendlier!”
That culture was apparent – not only fully supported, but cultivated by the companies –on our field trip to visit Google, Adobe and Dropbox.
They’ve also got ping pong tables, fully stocked kitchens, video gaming rooms, foosball tables, soundproof rooms complete with guitars and drums, and even bars (both coffee and spirits). Yet everyone is hunkered down and focused 100% on reaching goal, part of a creative team working toward that one common and clearly defined objective. And, by the way, it’s probably written out on the wall, so the entire team can see right where everyone stands on their delegated task.
This is all far from the traditional law firms we see – you know, grey suits, rooms so quiet you can hear a pin drop, with the proverbial receptionist offering coffee or water with a conference room behind her. Did I mention the conference rooms at Adobe are all painted with whiteboard paint so you can just write on the walls – one of which even had a garage door that opened up on one side. The conference room name was “Journey,” and there were Journey albums plastered on the walls. Who wouldn’t be inspired working in a room like that?
We can’t all be Google – but we can take a little piece of what they do and bring it into our everyday world.
Bring in creativity and outside-the-box thinking! Allow some freedom of creativity among teams.
There is nothing hampering thoughts or brainstorming or a work-life balance in these Silicon Valley giants. It’s in their blood, in their culture, on their walls. And this is why it’s important to get out of the office to foster brainstorming and creativity with your teams. Give yourself the work-life balance, because without it you’re limiting a future that could otherwise be limitless.
Looking at it that way – do you truly make a difference? Are you investing in the world you’re in when you do? Or are you investing in the world you want?
Disrupt yourself; go to war with your brainstorming and team support. Get outside your office and work on your marketing plan, your money plan, your strategic planning. Explore new and innovative ways to bring out the power of creating change in your firm with your team.
Reshape your practice and our industry. Completely break away from those big law firm impressions. Own the small firm and make it work for you! Cultivate a small family feel for your office that offers warm baked cookies and a warm smiling face that your clients connect with. By asking how their family is, and inquiring about their legacy goals, and making them feel acknowledged and heard, you give yourself an advantage over those big, cold firms that so often intimidate people.
You can create a firm that has a culture for you and your team that offers creativity, effective brainstorming and a work/life balance that “WOWs” them and your prospects – not to mention their families.
At Lawyers with Purpose, we have the systems and process to give your practice effective brainstorming sessions – just attend a retreat with your team and you’ll get what we mean. Thursday at the retreat is always a “work with your team” day facilitated by Dave, Molly and Victoria. Teams huddle in the best spot for them – with or without coffee house music in the main conference room, poolside, couches, etc. It’s all at your fingertips on the member’s site, and when you take the tools and put them into play – well, that’s where the magic happens. It’s your chance to use the tools, create a path and plan – pen to paper – of implementation and execution in a creative space, with your team.
If you want to know how Lawyers With Purpose can support you with growing your practice AND have a work/life balance, contact Molly Hall at mhall@lawyerswithpurpose.com for a complementary 30 minute law firm diagnostic.
Roslyn Drotar, Online Marketing Strategist, Lawyers With Purpose
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