August 07, 2024

 Erica White

legal ops general counsel Consulting law department

Every day, we all manage projects, and many of us are de facto project managers within our families, managing schedules for work, school, and after-school activities. For those working in law departments, the list typically includes project managing litigation, contracts, outside counsel, legal tech implementations, process improvements, and more.

Success as a project manager within a law department does not occur by accident. It requires understanding the critical importance of strategic, thoughtful project management and devoting time to carefully plan and actively manage projects. Over the course of managing hundreds of projects, I have identified five strategies for law department project managers – from paralegals to lawyers, legal ops professionals, and general counsel – to achieve optimal results.

1. Align on a Project’s Goals and Iterate on the End Product’s Format

No one likes surprises, especially avoidable ones, like discovering that the final product you delivered has disappointed or displeased stakeholders because what you produced does not align with what they envisioned they would receive.

To avoid this, work with stakeholders to iterate on a final version. Resist the tendency to share only a final, ‘best’ version. Instead, touch base with stakeholders along the way, asking for their feedback on drafts. You may feel vulnerable, but it is easier (and far more pleasant!) to tolerate that feeling than what you will experience if your final product falls short of the mark. Moreover, this approach helps ensure the final product has the content and format the stakeholders want. Just as important, it helps with the foundational need for change management by providing stakeholders with opportunities to contribute throughout the project.

2. Confirm the Needed and Available Resources

Proper resource management is a critical component of successful project management. This starts with determining a project’s required budget and the budget and internal resources available. If you use your organisation’s project management office (PMO), confirm the processes needed to request PMO support and their estimated availability to begin the project. Depending upon the availability of internal resources, utilisation of external resources such as flex resources or a legal services provider (LSP) may be advisable to support or even manage the project.

Resource management also requires actively tracking the actual budget against the estimated budget. Be vigilant to emerging variances to catch and mitigate any alarming trends and identify any need for additional budget or adjustments to project scope or timeline (or both). The sooner you address potential problems, the more likely you will avoid huge ones.

3. Never Underestimate the Value of Communication

Communicate early and often. Make sure stakeholders know ‘what’s in it for them.’ Imagine if you were on the other end of the project – how often would you like to receive updates? What assumptions might you make if you haven’t received an update recently? What would cause you to lose enthusiasm for the project? Even if there are no updates, let the stakeholders know that there are no updates and what they can expect next.

Project communication should occur via multiple channels (such as email, conference calls, intranet pages, online forums, and messaging channels) at regular intervals (e.g., daily updates, weekly status summaries, monthly email reports, etc.). And communication should not be unidirectional. Daily ‘scrum meetings’ and periodic working sessions give team members and stakeholders important opportunities to connect, report on progress, identify bottlenecks, address issues, and provide updates.

4. Maintain the Project Plan as a ‘Living’ Document

Once you have created the project plan and provided stakeholders with the necessary level of access, make sure to update it regularly. This includes updating tasks, roles and responsibilities, task start and end dates, and status. To maintain a set cadence of updates, you may find it helpful to put recurring reminders on your calendar to remind yourself to revise the project plan.

5. Proactively Manage Risks and Issues Throughout the Entire Project

It is not enough to ‘check the box’ by creating a risk register and issue log and then never look at them again. Most projects are subject to unforeseen risks, and it is critical to review and update these documents regularly as surfacing both potential and actual issues early is the first step in mitigating risks and solving problems. Openly discuss these risks and issues with stakeholders during weekly status calls and work together to identify solutions. You should also continuously track risks, issues, impact, persons responsible for addressing each, relevant dates and information, and final resolution.

Conclusion

Project management need not be complicated, but it requires a focused, comprehensive, consistent approach throughout the project lifecycle. The five strategies detailed above will help you institute an approach that fosters success in managing your law department projects – and in other realms, too!