“Innovation can be a whisper, not a scream,” says Anne Stemlar, Managing Director of Knowledge Management and Research at Goodwin, in this new video from the Thomson Reuters Institute.
It is not uncommon for innovation to be thought of as a time-consuming process where entire workflows are redesigned or technology systems completely redone. But Stemlar’s words remind us that innovation can take place on a much smaller scale.
Maureen Naughton, Goodwin’s Chief Innovation Officer, agrees. “Evaluate a technology, evaluate a strategy, a process, or what a person’s doing, and see if that is the most effective use of their time,” Naughton explains. “And does what they’re doing matter? And if it matters, are they doing it in the most efficient way? And then just move from there.”
That’s not to suggest that innovation is an easy process, however. Lawyers can be notoriously resistant to new ways of working. “But if the change is positioned as innovative and exciting and genuinely feels born from our culture, then making a change and adopting that change means there’s more success available when that happens,” explains Tony Martinez, a Director in Goodwin’s Program Management Office.
Throughout the discussion, the panel provides insights on how law firms can build a culture that values innovation as a way of improving not only the firm’s workflow, but more importantly, the client’s experience and the value the law firm offers the client.
