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By Tom Ranalli
Law Technology News
December 20, 2006

In a world where even the most senior of partners can now be found typing away on a laptop, an observer could mistakenly believe that personal computing is as straightforward as using the average toaster. Unfortunately for attorneys, computer software is mostly designed or implemented by computer people for computer people and not for legal professionals.

What exacerbates the problem: IT's steadfast adherence to flawed beliefs we'll call "The Five Grand Assumptions." In order to transform your technology department from good to great, eliminate these five blind spots and open up the door to a better relationship with your users.

ASSUMPTION #1: IT KNOWS BEST (ABOUT EVERYTHING)

How many times have you considered installing a new product in your firm without soliciting input from a representative cross-section of users?

Early buy-in from the very people who will have to use the product ensures you'll have advocates when it comes time to "selling" it to everyone else.

A different twist: Because a product seems easy to use for a technologist, it must follow that it's simple for any nontechnical person to grasp. Interview any frustrated lawyer and you'll hear that IT doesn't even try to know how attorneys work, which is why they end up with products that are of little use.

ASSUMPTION #2: THE BUSINESS EXISTS TO SUPPORT IT

Many IT departments live for the hottest products on the market. Acquiring technology just for technology's sake isn't just a potential waste of time; it can be a sure sign to partners that their hard-earned dollars are being frittered away.

Another example: the citation of phantom policies by IT for their convenience, often spun from thin air. When pressed, it's discovered that these directives are merely fabrication, leading to the loss of much-needed credibility and questioning IT's purpose in the firm.

ASSUMPTION #3: SUPPLY A USER-HOSTILE INTERFACE

Ask any attorney what she would change about her technology and you'll hear that "a more intuitive interface" would be near the top of the list.

Understanding how users interact with the programs they are given must be a prerequisite for all technology that you install.

Complex user interfaces are only part of the problem. Why do software designers write error messages that are so obscure you need the Rosetta stone to decipher them? While you can't change software you didn't write, IT can help by providing a glossary that translates techie to commonly understood phrases.

ASSUMPTION #4: GIVE SERVICE WITH A SNARL

The best way to add insult to injury is to give attorneys difficult-to-understand software, then make them feel inadequate when they ask for assistance.

A popular method: Overwhelm attorneys with so much jargon they would rather live with the problem than hear another word.

If a computer problem requires a visit by a technician, attorneys shouldn't have to feel they need to rearrange their schedule in order to accommodate the IT staffer. Working around an attorney's workload is appreciated and shows that the tech department really understands their role as a service organization.

ASSUMPTION #5: TRAINING NEEDS NO PLAN OR PURPOSE

Training fails the user because it so often concentrates on the mechanics of the product rather than on what it can do to make the user's life easier. Attorneys rightly complain that training doesn't help them because it doesn't teach what they immediately need to know to be productive with it.

Another consideration: Training content is as dry as a bone and packed cheek to jaw with supplemental information attorneys rarely need to know, no matter how long they use the product.

A few pieces of really useful, well-presented material in a short time period is far superior to cramming whole user manuals down your students' throats.

SURVIVE AND THRIVE

The key to overcoming the Five Assumptions comes down to mastering one skill: empathy.

Be sensitive to your users' time constraints. Look, listen and learn. Observe your users, talk to them, understand their work habits and preferences. Strive to be consistent in all that you do and train your staff to be that way, too.

Take an active interest in the business of law, not just the technology portion. Technology is just a tool, a means to a larger end. You can play a major role in your users being better, faster and smarter than your competitors. Remember that the very people you service are your best instructors on their practice.

In summary: If you want your IT department to be considered members of good standing within your firm, begin by eliminating these Five Grand Assumptions. Otherwise, you'll give the anti-technology flank fodder for reconsidering who provides their computer services.