Apr 2006
West Wing Series 7, Birmingham and demographics
One of my favourite series of all times is the West
Wing, which is coming to the end of it's final series
(7) and this series has been dealing with the
election of the successor to President Bartlett
(magnificently played by Martin Sheen). Well the
votes have been counted and there have been no
hanging chads etc - the new president will be Matthew
Santos - the first Hispanic president.
He achieved his narrow victory with a slim victory in Nevada, the final state to be settled. But his total of 272 electoral votes, two more than needed, included 63 from five states with growing Hispanic populations: Texas (34 electoral votes), Arizona (10) Colorado (9), New Mexico (5) and Nevada (5).
In the real world, all five of those states were among the "red states" that gave President Bush his 286-252 electoral vote victory in the 2004 election. But some Democratic strategists see all of them except Texas as potentially winnable as early as 2008 if their party can mobilise enough unregistered Hispanic voters.
To be sure, Mr. Bush showed in both of his presidential elections - and in his gubernatorial races in Texas before that - an ability to attract Hispanic voters. His fluent Spanish undoubtedly helped, along with his stance on immigration and other issues of interest to the large Mexican-American population in Texas.
Now a few days after reading this I attended a diversity conference at a local law firm and they repeated a demographic trend that I'd heard before in that by 2020, the ethnic minority will be the ethnic majority in either Birmingham or Leicester.
Now intriguingly enough looking at the Hispanic population by the same year 1 in 5 of Americans will be Hispanic or more pertinently $763 bn of disposable income to be tapped into.
I think that this is a great market for progressive law firms in Birmingham to consider tapping into by reviewing it's diversity policies to ensure that we encourage more people from ethnic minorities into our firms so that they can enhance our knowledge pool as well as provide insights as to how we in Birmingham can attract and retain our graduates as well as how to tap into this new and growing market with links not only in the region but also to other parts of the globe.
I believe that diversity is an important management issue to be grappled with to ensure the long term growth of the professional services firms in the Birmingham area. Digby Jones mentioned this at a recent talk in Birmingham at Aston University when he highlighted that Birmingham has been at it's best because it has welcomed people of diverse background to the city and has provided them with fertile ground on which to grow. Birmingham has done it before and I believe can do it again.
He achieved his narrow victory with a slim victory in Nevada, the final state to be settled. But his total of 272 electoral votes, two more than needed, included 63 from five states with growing Hispanic populations: Texas (34 electoral votes), Arizona (10) Colorado (9), New Mexico (5) and Nevada (5).
In the real world, all five of those states were among the "red states" that gave President Bush his 286-252 electoral vote victory in the 2004 election. But some Democratic strategists see all of them except Texas as potentially winnable as early as 2008 if their party can mobilise enough unregistered Hispanic voters.
To be sure, Mr. Bush showed in both of his presidential elections - and in his gubernatorial races in Texas before that - an ability to attract Hispanic voters. His fluent Spanish undoubtedly helped, along with his stance on immigration and other issues of interest to the large Mexican-American population in Texas.
Now a few days after reading this I attended a diversity conference at a local law firm and they repeated a demographic trend that I'd heard before in that by 2020, the ethnic minority will be the ethnic majority in either Birmingham or Leicester.
Now intriguingly enough looking at the Hispanic population by the same year 1 in 5 of Americans will be Hispanic or more pertinently $763 bn of disposable income to be tapped into.
I think that this is a great market for progressive law firms in Birmingham to consider tapping into by reviewing it's diversity policies to ensure that we encourage more people from ethnic minorities into our firms so that they can enhance our knowledge pool as well as provide insights as to how we in Birmingham can attract and retain our graduates as well as how to tap into this new and growing market with links not only in the region but also to other parts of the globe.
I believe that diversity is an important management issue to be grappled with to ensure the long term growth of the professional services firms in the Birmingham area. Digby Jones mentioned this at a recent talk in Birmingham at Aston University when he highlighted that Birmingham has been at it's best because it has welcomed people of diverse background to the city and has provided them with fertile ground on which to grow. Birmingham has done it before and I believe can do it again.
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The first stone of Clementi rolls down the hill
As previous blogs have alluded to, the law firms in
this country are being liberalised following the
production of the clementi report last year and the
publication of the white paper prior to government
sponsored legislation this year.
Well the first non-legal organisation has set out it's plans - it is the Co-operative Group which is going to take advantage by launching law services to cover easy retail law such as conveyancing, will writing, probate and accident management services. Initially it will work with a law firm panel system, but as soon as the legislation allows it will have lawyers in-house.
As I have previously mentioned outside competitors will look at work that is done by sole practitioners/small firms covering what Mr & Mrs Jones need on a retail basis. This is looking at legal work that can be systemised as they only plan to employ 150 people - the commoditisation of the law in the UK may have started today with future casualties likely to occur.
For the full article click here
Legal Week article
Watch this space for more.....
Well the first non-legal organisation has set out it's plans - it is the Co-operative Group which is going to take advantage by launching law services to cover easy retail law such as conveyancing, will writing, probate and accident management services. Initially it will work with a law firm panel system, but as soon as the legislation allows it will have lawyers in-house.
As I have previously mentioned outside competitors will look at work that is done by sole practitioners/small firms covering what Mr & Mrs Jones need on a retail basis. This is looking at legal work that can be systemised as they only plan to employ 150 people - the commoditisation of the law in the UK may have started today with future casualties likely to occur.
For the full article click here
Legal Week article
Watch this space for more.....
Return of the notebook
My friends would probably quantify me as a
technophile believing that the answer is out there in
IT land. Well in one respect they are right and one
application that is always open on my iBook is a
programme called Notebook - by a company called
Circus Ponies (Mac only I think) at
www.circusponies.com - which I use to capture
thoughts mostly from the internet.
I was rummaging around the other day and came across an old filofax which was good for capturing information on the hoof rather than me going for my Palm.
This got me thinking about another trend I've seen recently which is the return of the notebook - usually a Moleskine for people to jot thoughts about things down. Perhaps people like the slight effort that it takes to write something down - me I still use an ink pen in the office or when seeing a client because it slows me down a little and gives me some time to reflect. I also like the serendipity about flicking through an old notebook and coming across a long lost thought or idea that wasn't just right at that moment - but now might be worth the effort.
So why not take the plunge and buy a little notebook and jot a thought down now - you never really lose it and it does make you reflect a little which isn't a bad idea.
I always remember one comment - NASA spent millions developing a pen that wrote in zero gravity and upside down - the Russians used a pencil - occasionally simplicity triumphs over technology.
I was rummaging around the other day and came across an old filofax which was good for capturing information on the hoof rather than me going for my Palm.
This got me thinking about another trend I've seen recently which is the return of the notebook - usually a Moleskine for people to jot thoughts about things down. Perhaps people like the slight effort that it takes to write something down - me I still use an ink pen in the office or when seeing a client because it slows me down a little and gives me some time to reflect. I also like the serendipity about flicking through an old notebook and coming across a long lost thought or idea that wasn't just right at that moment - but now might be worth the effort.
So why not take the plunge and buy a little notebook and jot a thought down now - you never really lose it and it does make you reflect a little which isn't a bad idea.
I always remember one comment - NASA spent millions developing a pen that wrote in zero gravity and upside down - the Russians used a pencil - occasionally simplicity triumphs over technology.
Women are the pillars of the Earth
Apologies for the slight delay - as I've been having
a break over the Easter holidays.
I was reading an article in the New York Times recently regarding the problems that female lawyers had in being made up to partnership. Then I was talking to a new colleague Bruce MacEwen who has an active blog covering the economics of law firms. We were chatting last night and I highlighted to him an article in this weeks Economist regarding the rise and rise of womenomics and how law firms need to get a grasp on this.
In the developed economies, girls do better at school than boys, more women achieve university degrees than men and females are developing as the most powerful engine of economic growth. This growth has been aided because of the decline in manufacturing work and the rise of service work.
Traditionally, women have tended not to rise the career ladder or have gone into more vocational and less well paid jobs such as teaching or nursing. however, over the next few years there is likely to become a bulge - where more and more qualified women are pushing up at the 'glass ceiling' and ultimately the pressure will tell and they will take more of the top jobs in law firms. I've always found it a bit foolish when so much money is expended by law firms in developing their staff that they find it cost effective to let a potential high flyer leave or that by deciding to have a family is seen as a potential bar to partnership. I'm sure that law firms would deny this intensely but I have heard it said apocryphally enough to wonder.
In today's knowledge based economies women are very good at team building teams and communicating and mixed teams are research has shown better at problem solving and seeing external threats.
I think that law firms of the future need to continue to develop the rise and rise of the female partner if only to slightly take over the macho culture that does occur at some of our law firms and replace it with a more consensual model which research has shown does bear better and longer lasting fruit.
I was reading an article in the New York Times recently regarding the problems that female lawyers had in being made up to partnership. Then I was talking to a new colleague Bruce MacEwen who has an active blog covering the economics of law firms. We were chatting last night and I highlighted to him an article in this weeks Economist regarding the rise and rise of womenomics and how law firms need to get a grasp on this.
In the developed economies, girls do better at school than boys, more women achieve university degrees than men and females are developing as the most powerful engine of economic growth. This growth has been aided because of the decline in manufacturing work and the rise of service work.
Traditionally, women have tended not to rise the career ladder or have gone into more vocational and less well paid jobs such as teaching or nursing. however, over the next few years there is likely to become a bulge - where more and more qualified women are pushing up at the 'glass ceiling' and ultimately the pressure will tell and they will take more of the top jobs in law firms. I've always found it a bit foolish when so much money is expended by law firms in developing their staff that they find it cost effective to let a potential high flyer leave or that by deciding to have a family is seen as a potential bar to partnership. I'm sure that law firms would deny this intensely but I have heard it said apocryphally enough to wonder.
In today's knowledge based economies women are very good at team building teams and communicating and mixed teams are research has shown better at problem solving and seeing external threats.
I think that law firms of the future need to continue to develop the rise and rise of the female partner if only to slightly take over the macho culture that does occur at some of our law firms and replace it with a more consensual model which research has shown does bear better and longer lasting fruit.
Customers vs Vendors perceptions
A study by Bain & Company found that 80 percent
of companies surveyed believed that they delivered a
"superior experience" to their customers. But, when
customers were asked to indicate their perceptions of
the experiences they have in dealing with companies,
they rated only 8 percent of companies as truly
delivering a superior experience (James Allen,
Frederick F. Reichheld and Barney Hamilton, The Three
"Ds" of Customer Experience, Harvard Business School
Working Knowledge,
I've also been reading an article by Philip Kreindler from HBR on what B2B customers expect and I think that it will have some interesting reading for the law firms.
Customers place subject matter and solution provision at the top of the list of important qualities from a vendor of services. However for some strange reason, vendors of services underestimate it's value and rank it at no 3 in the ratings and think that Professionalism is the number 1 item. (It is the no 3 item on the list for customers.)
The interesting one for me is the no 2 issue which is understanding of the clients business and industry and whilst both parties recognise that it is the 2nd most important area, it ranks towards the bottom of what vendors recruit for.
Vendors of services shouldn't assume that they are fully aware of what the customer wants.
It may be worthwhile for legal firms to discuss with their clients what skills and expertise they expect and deliver and recruit people who more closely match those attributes. I've always been amazed how little law firms look towards their customers and really do get close to them.
Law firms want to get to trusted adviser status, but do seem loath to find out why clients leave or most importantly why they stay and doing everything that they can to ensure client retention especially in view of the hard work it takes to get a client.
To help I'm adding the list - the numbers in the brackets are its ranking with vendors.
What customers really expect
1. Subject matter and solution expertise. (3)
2. Understanding of the customers business and industry (2)
3. Professionalism (1)
4. Consultative skills and creativity (5)
5. Organisational & decision making skills (6)
6. Social & Communication skills (4I
I've also been reading an article by Philip Kreindler from HBR on what B2B customers expect and I think that it will have some interesting reading for the law firms.
Customers place subject matter and solution provision at the top of the list of important qualities from a vendor of services. However for some strange reason, vendors of services underestimate it's value and rank it at no 3 in the ratings and think that Professionalism is the number 1 item. (It is the no 3 item on the list for customers.)
The interesting one for me is the no 2 issue which is understanding of the clients business and industry and whilst both parties recognise that it is the 2nd most important area, it ranks towards the bottom of what vendors recruit for.
Vendors of services shouldn't assume that they are fully aware of what the customer wants.
It may be worthwhile for legal firms to discuss with their clients what skills and expertise they expect and deliver and recruit people who more closely match those attributes. I've always been amazed how little law firms look towards their customers and really do get close to them.
Law firms want to get to trusted adviser status, but do seem loath to find out why clients leave or most importantly why they stay and doing everything that they can to ensure client retention especially in view of the hard work it takes to get a client.
To help I'm adding the list - the numbers in the brackets are its ranking with vendors.
What customers really expect
1. Subject matter and solution expertise. (3)
2. Understanding of the customers business and industry (2)
3. Professionalism (1)
4. Consultative skills and creativity (5)
5. Organisational & decision making skills (6)
6. Social & Communication skills (4I
Knowledge vs Information
06/04/2006 19:26 Knowledge Management Knowledge
ManagementKnowledge Management Permalink
I
was at a business breakfast this morning and as is
usual at these gatherings was asked by a gentleman
what I did for a living. I mentioned that I acted as
a knowledge management consultant working with
professional service firms. He mentioned that he
wondered whether any firm would require my services
as surely all the knowledge was captured by either a
document database or via the search mechanism on
Windows.
I went on to explain that he was confusing information with knowledge and to prove the point I highlighted to him that I could via a Google search download the information to enable me to undertake a heart by pass operation and asked him if he would then be willing for me to anaesthetise him and perform the operation. Not unsurprisingly he declined my kind offer as he did doubt that my skills didn't lay in that direction.
This was the difference between information and knowledge as if I had been a doctor, then I would no doubt have spent time working with a consultant or in his case as a solicitor picking up the tacit knowledge that a mentor can pass on to an apprentice/trainee to enable me to have a higher success rate on his heart by-pass operation. This is a time consuming and a costly process - but as of yet no one has made it a quicker process because we are dealing with human beings in this area.
Interestingly enough Lawrence Prusak has recently commented on this in HBR's April issue and he concludes with the following which law firms amongst others need to grab hold off
"Until our governments schools and ...institutions embrace the idea that knowledge not information is the key to prosperity most of the worlds people will remain a world apart."
It has been because of this lack of understanding , that law firms have spent a great deal of money with IT providers to capture 'knowledge". This has been the major thrust of my thesis and it is nice to see that one of the greats of knowledge management is also quoted as highlighting this strategic error.
I went on to explain that he was confusing information with knowledge and to prove the point I highlighted to him that I could via a Google search download the information to enable me to undertake a heart by pass operation and asked him if he would then be willing for me to anaesthetise him and perform the operation. Not unsurprisingly he declined my kind offer as he did doubt that my skills didn't lay in that direction.
This was the difference between information and knowledge as if I had been a doctor, then I would no doubt have spent time working with a consultant or in his case as a solicitor picking up the tacit knowledge that a mentor can pass on to an apprentice/trainee to enable me to have a higher success rate on his heart by-pass operation. This is a time consuming and a costly process - but as of yet no one has made it a quicker process because we are dealing with human beings in this area.
Interestingly enough Lawrence Prusak has recently commented on this in HBR's April issue and he concludes with the following which law firms amongst others need to grab hold off
"Until our governments schools and ...institutions embrace the idea that knowledge not information is the key to prosperity most of the worlds people will remain a world apart."
It has been because of this lack of understanding , that law firms have spent a great deal of money with IT providers to capture 'knowledge". This has been the major thrust of my thesis and it is nice to see that one of the greats of knowledge management is also quoted as highlighting this strategic error.
Never say Never
One of my favourite bands are the Eagles and that all
time favourite album of a lot of my generation "Hotel
California" . Well like a lot of bands, they split up
and when asked if there would ever be a get together
- one band member said that "Hell would freeze over".
A couple of years ago - it did and they re-formed for
a world tour.
Well today marked a similar day when Apple announced "Boot Camp". for more details click on the link below:
Boot Camp
This will allow Mac users to run Windows XP on their Intel Mac computers. From the comments I've had from my other MMUG colleagues there seems to be a warm acceptance though, not many will carry Windows XP on their machines - still it may enable other users to see how both operate side by side and then join the cult of mac.
So what are the lessons of this for law firms - well never say never. In this constantly changing world that we live in - it maybe that we have to drop old cherished sacred cows like hourly billing and move towards a project fee as the norm rather than the exception. Occasionally we need to sup with the devil and suddenly make a switch that moves us closer to a blue ocean strategy and away from our competitors. What ever next - Apple bids for Microsoft - well never say never.
Well today marked a similar day when Apple announced "Boot Camp". for more details click on the link below:
Boot Camp
This will allow Mac users to run Windows XP on their Intel Mac computers. From the comments I've had from my other MMUG colleagues there seems to be a warm acceptance though, not many will carry Windows XP on their machines - still it may enable other users to see how both operate side by side and then join the cult of mac.
So what are the lessons of this for law firms - well never say never. In this constantly changing world that we live in - it maybe that we have to drop old cherished sacred cows like hourly billing and move towards a project fee as the norm rather than the exception. Occasionally we need to sup with the devil and suddenly make a switch that moves us closer to a blue ocean strategy and away from our competitors. What ever next - Apple bids for Microsoft - well never say never.
This one is for my Dad
This
is from the Adam Smith Institute's marvellous blog
and is dedicated to my dad who has his profound
suspicions as to police priorities in the Manchester
region.
A man awoke one evening to discover prowlers in his storage shed. He immediately called the police, giving his address, to report a possible burglary. The operator at the other end asked "Are they in your house?" He replied they were not, only in his storage shed in back of the house. The operator said there were no cars available at that time. The man thanked the operator, rang off and waited 30 seconds before calling again.
"I just called you about prowlers in my storage shed. Well, you don't have to worry, as I just shot them all dead!"
Within seconds there were 3 police cars, an ambulance and fire engine at the scene. After capturing the prowlers red-handed, the policeman asked the caller, "I thought you said you had shot them all?" The man answered, "And I thought you said there were no police available.
A man awoke one evening to discover prowlers in his storage shed. He immediately called the police, giving his address, to report a possible burglary. The operator at the other end asked "Are they in your house?" He replied they were not, only in his storage shed in back of the house. The operator said there were no cars available at that time. The man thanked the operator, rang off and waited 30 seconds before calling again.
"I just called you about prowlers in my storage shed. Well, you don't have to worry, as I just shot them all dead!"
Within seconds there were 3 police cars, an ambulance and fire engine at the scene. After capturing the prowlers red-handed, the policeman asked the caller, "I thought you said you had shot them all?" The man answered, "And I thought you said there were no police available.