LPM Tip

Important intraoffice information to share? Don’t manage your practice by e-mail.

The e-mail chain goes as follows:

Young associate to partner: "I finished answering the interrogatories."

Partner to associate: "That's great."

The associate is happy the partner is pleased. While the partner is not actually pleased because the answers to interrogatories were due the day before.

E-mails are time consuming. Studies show that the average employee spends well over 10 minutes each time they take a break reviewing a set of e-mails. Further, e-mails can be, and are usually, misinterpreted by the recipient. If you deem it important enough that you were going to send an intraoffice e-mail, it's probably important enough to say in person. It's also a good way to get more face time with your colleague.

So next time you have composed an e-mail to a colleague, take a good 30 seconds before hitting the "send" button, and consider walking down the hall and saying it in person.

For more helpful tips, join the MBA's Law Practice Management Section. Call MBA Member Services at (617) 338-0530 to join.

To learn more about the Law Practice Management Section, contact co-chairs, Alan Klevan or Rodney Dowell.

Published December 18, 2008