Quinn Ross isn’t just a challenger – he’s a change-maker. The former OBA president – and current managing partner of The Ross Firm – hasn’t been afraid to examine the old ways of doing things in order to reshape the workplace model into one that is modern and inclusive.
In this episode, Charlene chats with Quinn about ideas – like a four-day work week – that are shaping the way firms like his are envisioning the legal profession in order to rebuild workplaces that are sustainable and profitable, while remaining focused on the well-being of employees.
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Charlene Theodore:
Hello, and welcome to The Work That Works Podcast. I'm your host, Charlene Theodore. Before I begin, I want to acknowledge that I'm recording this episode from the Dish With One Spoon Territory. I'm grateful to the original owners for taking care of this land, and I recognize the treaties that govern it. Knowing that our listeners span the country and are tuning in from other areas with their own treaties and unseated territories, I encourage you to continue learning more about the indigenous history in your community. It is important history and a story that continues.
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Charlene Theodore:
We're going to start this episode off with a quote from our guest today. "Law is a sector where professionals who died a century ago could rise from the crypt and go back to work with relative ease." It's a really powerful statement. That's something today's guest once said, and today, we're going to talk about why that might be true and what can we do to change it? I'm OBA president, Charlene Theodore, and this is The Work That Works Podcast.
Charlene Theodore:
I am joined by Quinn Ross who, in addition to being the managing partner of the Ross firm and the past president of the OBA, is the legal Maverick behind that provocative quote off the top. Not merely a challenger, but a real changemaker, Quinn is someone who puts his money where his mouth is when it comes to tearing down the old. And Quinn isn't just a challenger, he's a real changemaker. He's someone who puts his money where his mouth is, and when it comes to being the first to tear down the old and usher in the new, especially when it comes to those established practices that are no longer serving our purposes as lawyers or the needs of our clients. He has been a leader in championing meaningful equality, diversity, and inclusion. He believes that all voices must be heard in all talent leverage. In his own firm point, Quinn has introduced innovative measures to ensure his employees and staff feel valued and rewarded. He's created a culture that would look very unfamiliar to lawyers from 100 years ago and, quite frankly, might even raise a few eyebrows today.
Charlene Theodore:
All right. Pleasure to chat with you, my friend. You are a past president of the OBA. You were president at a very important time in the profession. You're someone who's very involved in the profession, even outside of your work in your own firm. And you have what I think is a really expansive view of how lawyers operate across settings and practice areas and regions. Let's talk a little bit about your business and why I think it's such a great template. I really wanted to use this podcast as like, my younger nieces would say, the cheat code to getting this done and be able to provide the roadmap, the template, and some of the hallmarks for people who are doing it differently and apply them to whatever business model you have. And so, you make an open claim that one day everyone will be innovating, but you're doing it now. What are you doing? And why are you doing it now?
Quinn Ross:
So, the innovation that we started with with technological, but it's evolved into human. So that the first steps of the innovation were purely technological, and there was a learning curve to understand that when you apply new technology to old systems, all you do is get a shiny new piece of equipment doing the same thing your old systems did but in a prettier way. Usually not more effective, usually not any kind of real value found from it. And we learned that when you bring in new technology and new processes, you have to change the way you do things to take advantage of those new technologies and those processes, not try to recreate what you did before with a new gadget. It's simple, and most people who watch this podcast will be like, "Yeah, duh."
Quinn Ross:
But it took us some time. We had to go through a few... We brought in this great new tool, we tried to make it do what we did before only better, and it was a failure. And people wondered why we were spending all this time, energy, and money moving into this new tech when it wasn't really improving our lives very much. And then, we did embrace the opportunity to evolve with the technology and digging into what's called process iteration, which is not a new concept either, throughout our firm. In every practice and every administrative act that we do, we iterate, we drill down on that, we granular eyes it, we understand how to lean it, we know what resources are allocated to it, we know how much time, we know what we can turn robotic or with the assistance of tools, and we continually relook at that and reiterate it.
Quinn Ross:
And so, that's keeping the systems fresh and alive and people engaged. And then, we started looking at the fact that we were doing all this, and we were becoming way more successful and there was way more work. And we didn't have happier people. I mean, the bosses were happy. The owners were really happy because all of a sudden we went from one office to three to four offices. We've got a bunch of lawyers. But our turnover rate, it was improved, but not as much as we thought we would want.
Charlene Theodore:
Yeah. You weren't able to really move the dial as much as you wanted on that. I just want to interject here just for some context, because I know you personally, but for the people that are listening, because by the time people hear this podcast, they will have been almost maybe technologied out because of the topic of the moment, but when did you start this process? I think it's important for people to get that and understand how long you've been at this.
Quinn Ross:
We started going paperless in 2007. That was the first major step. It took four years.
Charlene Theodore:
Yeah. It took a pandemic for most of us, but thanks for getting a headstart.
Quinn Ross:
Yeah. No problem. And it is imperative to, I think, the future state. We've been at it for a long time, and I love it. So, that's where it got started, because I'm passionate about technology. I like playing with it. I like figuring out what it does and what it can do. So, we've done all of that. We've gone paperless. We're all fully remote. Everyone can work from wherever the heck they want. They can work when they want. But that latter part, I guess, is the segue into people. And so, we were having this experience where we were doing this, and then we were stuck here and we wanted to get the dial to go over. And we couldn't figure out how to get the dial to go over because we'd have important players leave, and we'd be able to replace those people with other competent people, but there's cost to that and retraining and bring them back into the system. And there's the pain that it causes the other people in the workplace who've grown accustomed and like working with that other person for eight, nine hours a day.
Quinn Ross:
During time at the OBA, and obviously before that but I got to do it in a bigger stage at the OBA, equality, diversity, and inclusion was really, really huge. And it was huge because it is, and it's because I was raised in that to believe that. And I was raised by an incredibly strong, incredibly brave, and incredibly smart mother who has taught me what it is to be a feminist and has shown me the slings and arrows that she's had to go up against, the armor she's had to wear, and the importance of doing everything we can to include 55% of the population in an equal way.
Quinn Ross:
And so, we started with that. We just started with saying, "We need to ensure that we've got gender equity, if not better, and we need to make sure that we're doing pay equity properly. And we need to actually be intentional about it. We don't need you to look at the guy beside and make sure we're paying the same as the guy beside. We need to actually look at the market and what's appropriate in the market, regardless of what the guy is making, what's appropriate for this individual to be earning from a pay equity perspective?" And that was step one. Step two was people kept asking us that they could take their vacations in one day, after a brief discussion with my colleagues. I said, "Why are they asking us? They need to just let us know." They're their vacations. This isn't like something I'm withholding and doling out. It's theirs. Take ownership of it because it's yours to own.
Quinn Ross:
So, those incremental things, and then becoming far more intentional with our communications and meetings with staff. When we had problems within either substandard problems or problems within teams, so interaction problems, we were ad hoc. You'd sit down with the person, you'd say what the problem was, and we need to get this fixed and blah, blah, blah. All very-
Charlene Theodore:
Reactive.
Quinn Ross:
It was definitely reactive, and it was also sort of corrective, as opposed to compassionate. And it sucks, and the result you get sucks because the person will do what you told them to do, but they will not have it in their soul aligned with what you've set them to, because they'll still be upset because you didn't address the underlying issue. So, we stopped being corrective and we started communicating to ascertain why the issue was going on, understand how the person was built, understand how we could support them to be in a position where that kind of thing wouldn't happen.
Quinn Ross:
Because people, and I make these statements... Maybe I'm maybe I'm a cup half full kind of person, but I think people generally try their best. Again, there are those who don't, but I think for the most part, people get up and they go out there and they put themselves out and they try their best. So, act as though they're trying their best, treat them as though they're trying their best, and then you'll all of a sudden understand that there must be something else going on. If this person is trying their best, and they're smart, they've got the tools, but they're falling short on this mark or they're having interaction issues on that mark, how do you support them so that that alleviates that pressure point, that pinch, that disconnect?
Quinn Ross:
And once we started doing that, the number of people who left dropped off to almost nothing. I mean, people leave because they're going to try a different career or something like that. Or they're moving or they've had a child and they're going to take some extended period off, or whatever, the attrition rate on staff just got very, very quiet. And the same with the lawyers. And then we started building on that, because the success was so immediate. But now that we're doing this thing, the whole executive leadership is treated with the same kind of credibility and understanding, that we're really genuinely trying to make this thing a better place for people to work out. That we're trying to make a space where people will be happy to come. That was the foundation. Then we started taking big steps. It was actually COVID that triggered it because Churchill said, "Never waste a good crisis," and I can tell you, once we get into it, we didn't.
Charlene Theodore:
Great. I think that's great. I really want to talk to you though about the 4 day workweek. How? How? That's what I want to know.
Quinn Ross:
So, when the pandemic hit, we flipped the switch, everyone went remote, and thank goodness that we were ready for it. And that was really exciting. And we changed the way we communicated with the staff. We increased communications. Now, it wouldn't make any sense. People would go crazy. Too many meetings. But we were having full staff meetings three times a week. The executive was meeting for at least an hour every morning. Each team was meeting twice to three times a week. A part of it would be substantive. A big part of it would be connection. So, at the three weekly meetings, each person would be given the opportunity to choose what they want to do. They could tell a story about themselves. They could tell some jokes. They could do a skit. They could show a piece of art they were working on, play the piano. Whatever it was, they had to put themselves out there just a tiny little bit for the reason of making themselves vulnerable, which is a really amazing experience, when people embrace you and are supportive. And that's exactly what happened.
Quinn Ross:
So, we stabilized mental health to the extent it was possible and offered outside resources, obviously, but stabilized mental health to the extent it was possible and kept everyone working and pretty happy. And then, the pension came out from Lawyers Financial, and so we said, "Well, geez, let's lead the charge on this. It's the middle of a pandemic, revenues are down 30%. Let's figure out a way to spend a whole shit ton of money on something that will make everyone really happy." Because every time we do something positive like this, the dividends pay. It doesn't matter how much you have to spend because the upside is going to always defeat it. It will always beat it.
Quinn Ross:
And so, we did that, and it was a huge win. It was a big morale boost. Again, we had all kinds of people trying to come and join us when they heard that we had this, because not a lot of small and mid-size firms have pensions. They just weren't available. I think we were one of the first in the cohort that [Kat 00:12:30] took on. And then we said, "Well, let's try the next crazy thing," which was the four day workweek. And we started with a compressed four day workweek. So, it was a disciplined process, first of all. Do not just roll a four day work week out. It will crash and burn.
Charlene Theodore:
Duly noted.
Quinn Ross:
So, you have to understand that even though you're compressing five days worth of hours and putting them into four days, which is where we started, we're at the non-compressed now, you can't work the same way as you did during a five day week. You have to change your systems. You have to have overlap. You have to have backup. You have to understand that people are going to get overwhelmed with the amount of stuff that lands on their scheduled day off. How do you deal with that? So, we projected where all of those issues were going to arise, went with the teams and advanced a rollout, and did a whole set of process iterations in each one of the departments to prepare for this, so that when we launched it, to the best extent possible... Because once you're out there, as I said, the exploration, once you're in the ocean, you don't know what winds and storms are going to come up, but they are. So, you chart your best course, and then you know that during the process, you're going to have to iterate.
Quinn Ross:
So, we did the advance, we did a bunch of baseline surveying on people's mental health. How are you doing? How much do you like work? How much work stress do you have? How much stress do you have related to COVID? To baseline. We roll it out. Week one, how's the process going? Week two, iterate the process, all the while, doing the surveys to test baseline and how people's health are going. There was this incredible upswing of fatigue, psychological fatigue, physical fatigue, because we've added a bunch of hours. Right? We've taken five days and put them into four days worth of hours. And the revenue targets are the revenue targets. And then people got used to it, and then it started to stabilize. But it was always stress was down here before the four day work week, once it was compressed, it hit up here, and then it dropped down again. I'm probably out of camera, but it dropped down again, but it was still elevated.
Quinn Ross:
We had planned to do it for three months, but we could see that people were starting to burn out. They loved it. They loved the day off. They thought it was hugely important, but we were paying too much for it. If you have to pay too much for that day off, the experiment will fail.
Charlene Theodore:
It's not sustainable.
Quinn Ross:
It failed, and it will just end up backfiring. So, we expedited the non compressed, which is terrifying. Because we all know, we have to bill. Right? We have to hit targets. We have revenue requirements. We have fixed expenses. We have to pay payroll. People have to continue on. So, how do you take 20% of your week, eliminate it, and expect people to achieve [crosstalk 00:14:49].
Charlene Theodore:
Their targets.
Quinn Ross:
... I can tell you, that's where the magic is. The thing that I've been talking about the entire time. If you take care of people, they are more efficient, more effective, happier human beings. And I can report, we're over a month in now, we're exceeding revenue targets, we are in a non-compressed four day week, people are beyond happy. All of the staff and the surrounding firms are like, "Hey, I'd like to go work there." So, there's no shortage of great opportunities in terms of human resources, which in our neck of the woods is always a problem because we're in a relatively remote area. It's not easy to find good staff. I mean, it's early days, but thus far, it's been a resounding success.
Quinn Ross:
And then, continuing with the baseline surveys, the psychological health's improved, the stress dropped off, overall job enjoyment has increased. People are just loving it. And then, they're starting to take on the creative projects again, because for a period of time, we just said, "Okay, look, don't do anything extra."
Charlene Theodore:
When we're all in survival mode.
Quinn Ross:
Yeah. Exactly. Don't do anything extra. When you're ready to start doing stuff or looking at stuff again, let us know. We're happy to support that. But it's not expected. And then, all the while, we're bringing people in to talk about wellness and about how to check your gratitude and actually bringing in outside resources to bolster the psychological strength of the team as we're going through this process. Because change is unsettling even if it's really great change, and to deny that is a dangerous mistake to make.
Charlene Theodore:
I want to drill down just a little bit more into... And I like that you made that distinction. Right? Because a four day work week, there's more than one way to get there, but I think the two main distinctions are compressed and non-compressed. So, what you're really doing is eliminating. Right? So, there is work that needs to be done that is not there anymore so we can have this benefit. And so, I guess my first question is, are you outsourcing, or are you finding efficiencies?
Quinn Ross:
One really quick thing, just because the non-compress is important, non-compressed, you get paid 100% of your salary, so it's not like you're-
Charlene Theodore:
Oh, okay. Yes, of course.
Quinn Ross:
Yeah. And some people don't know that. I didn't mention it either. So, yeah, 100% of pay, 80% of work, the efficiencies are happening because people are happier and more effective in their hours through the day. The amount of time I think that we lose because people are ground or just ground down is, I think... Well, it's definitely more than 20% because we've had no problem picking up and maintaining our revenues at the level. Everyone's hitting their targets. In fact, the lawyers are exceeding their targets. And now, four day work week for a lawyer, as I'm sure every lawyer who listens to this is going, "Yeah, whatever. There's no such thing. I'm a litigator, blah, blah."
Quinn Ross:
Yeah, no doubt. Just like if something crazy happened on a Saturday, you're going to do the work. You're a lawyer, you've got an obligation to do it. So, lawyers are having to touch things from time to time, but it is a completely different day than any other day that week. And it is a far healthier, more me day than any other day that week. You're catching me on my scheduled day off. I am currently up north banging in windows in a cottage. So, granted, I've taken a phone call and responded to two emails during that time, but that's not what my Friday looked like before. It is not what it looked like.
Quinn Ross:
So, to the extent that outsourcing makes sense from the alternative legal service providers model and a business case, sure we'll do that, but we could also just hire another lawyer to bring in the four day, and they'll hit their targets in the four day, and they get their fifth day off paid 100% of their salary. And it just works. We've done it. We're in four days, everyone's doing what they need to be doing.
Charlene Theodore:
I just love it. And I want to circle back a little bit to talk about the pension plan because I'm a workplace lawyer, I've worked union side, employee side, and management side, and I do think that it is such a vital workplace benefit that contributes to the overall sustainability, security, longevity in terms of really not just attracting the best people, but retaining the best people. And what I think is important to note, we were both obviously involved in the OBA when these discussions were coming up about Lawyers Financial and being able to give law firm owners the tools to offer this benefit, law firm owners of any size the tools to offer this benefit. And we both really advocated for it because it is so important. But what I think is important distinction to make is you have not just offered a pension plan to replace, you've offered a defined benefit pension plan, as opposed to defined contribution. I'm for any pension plan, I'm for them in general, but we're going to talk about the Cadillac pension plans.
Quinn Ross:
Yeah. Yeah. We were so proud. I mean, we got as much joy out of giving it as it being received. And that sounds so cheesy, but we were so f-ing proud to be able to do that. It almost brings tears to my eyes to have the ability to do that for people. And it's the right thing to do. I mean, we all work bloody hard.
Charlene Theodore:
And I just think it's a full circle moment from an OBA advocacy perspective. I think it's just so key to be able to offer a platform where a firm of any size can do this. You're not cut out of an offering that larger, either firms or larger organizations for people who work in-house can offer, you can provide the same array of services. And so, to see it come full circle and to have your firm be one of the inaugural firms doing it and to find benefit on top of all that, I think it's wonderful. And I think it's really going to really transform the nature of legal practices once we get a few years or a few generations into this.
Quinn Ross:
There are a huge number. There are more available differentiators in the industry of law now than I've ever seen before in my career. The ability to set yourself... Because we're behind, and for better or for worse, we're behind. So, all you have to do is catch up to the rest of the world, and you will distinguish yourself from the majority of the people in the industry. Because so few are doing it. I'm still amazed. The pension is a differentiator. The ability to really embrace technology, remote, the change in work style, all of these accessible things-
Charlene Theodore:
Innovation.
Quinn Ross:
... innovations for law, not innovations in a lot of other sectors.
Charlene Theodore:
You also talked about autonomy. Right? The autonomy, not just with your work, but in terms of... I think what you've done with your firm is given autonomy around work, innovation, an open door to good ideas in a structured way. Right? Because you test ideas, you work them, you have a system within the workplace to test them, roll them out. But also, you've given [inaudible 00:21:12] your employees some autonomy around work-life balance and, again, in that structured way. And so, I think the pension plan plays a part of that, the remote ready learning, because, quite frankly, if you're able to turn on a dime in this environment, I think as an associate myself, I would say, there's nothing that can come at us that we can't handle. And the approach to vacation, that's not something that I'm granting you in dribs and drabs. Yeah. Autonomy over your practice overall.
Quinn Ross:
Two things on that. One of the most recent associates that joined the firm is in Toronto. They're a completely remote solicitor.
Charlene Theodore:
This is what I love. This is what I love. And again, you're seeing really, I think, an embrace of that in tech, in the tech industry, where they have just really said, "Well, all of these walls or silos in terms of how our talent is structured and where they come from and where we can source talent from, [inaudible 00:22:08] no longer exists, and let's embrace it and let's try it." I think that's phenomenal. I did not know that. I think that's phenomenal. Phenomenal.
Quinn Ross:
Yeah. We're really excited. And the last thing, so as I said, we're in the non-compressed four day workweek final experimental stage, just making sure that we haven't missed some juggernaut of a problem. No one anticipates it, but you've got to be careful. Once that's done, everyone, lawyers, staff will go to salary. And we don't track hours. There's no more hour tracking. That is the last vestige of awfulness. Please don't tell me you took 15 minutes to do X so you're going to take 15 minutes less of your lunch. That is not a dynamic that is healthy. It is not a good dynamic. It is a dynamic of scarcity, and you must build a dynamic of abundance.
Quinn Ross:
And once you do that, it takes trust, and it does take discipline. You can't just throw the Gates open. You have to have systems, you have to have process. Because people feel better within systems and process, to a large extent. There's the peer creatives who just want to just flit about and do whatever they want to do all the time, but a lot of us, including me, I like a little structure. I like to know where A leads to B and what what's expected and how to do those things.
Charlene Theodore:
Yeah. I see that throughout all of these initiatives. There's a good balance of a big idea, of vision, creative, and then structure and testing and testing. And putting it out there, getting some outreach out there, then getting feedback, and wash, rinse, repeat.
Quinn Ross:
Yeah, exactly. It gets easier and more natural. It gets easier and more natural to do that. We go from organic to being pretty structured with the testing and the metrics, and then the more you do it, it moves back to organic again, where it feels like a natural part of the process. It's not so invasive when you receive a survey to see how X, Y, or Z is happening. You know that it's all part of the beta, figuring things out to make the next positive step. And we're getting to that point, which is a pretty cool place. It almost feels startup-ish. We're doing all of these neat, nimble things, and people are jazzed. You get this sense of a gestalt where people are excited as a gestalt, which is not easy to build.
Charlene Theodore:
Well, I think that... First of all, I think you're just great. I think you're a lovely man, and I have for a long time. But I also think that you're-
Quinn Ross:
[crosstalk 00:24:15].
Charlene Theodore:
Yeah. I also think you're part of the changing guard in law. I think you're the new brand of leader in our profession, and I love that you are just really vocal about not just seeking input, but actively looking at old customs and our old models and seeking to how can we improve them? How can we replace them? Because as you and I both know, the old model worked for a lot of people, but what more people are starting to realize now is that it left so many people out of the equation. Right? It left so many people out of the equation.
Quinn Ross:
It relied on leaving people out of the equation for its success. More than just leaving them out, it was predicated on their exclusion in order to be a successful as it was.
Charlene Theodore:
In general, for law firm owners and other employers of lawyers in various sectors, they listen to this, they say, "A lot of great ideas here. A lot of great principles here, foundational principles. How do I get started?" What do you think is a good first step, and just some things from a practical perspective, things people should avoid or be aware of?
Quinn Ross:
Geez Louise. Start in a structured manner. And it is not necessarily the most fun part, but it is the most important part because it is the part upon which all other things are built. And that is, unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you're built, you really do need to pick a process in your office. Pick new client onboarding. Pick one, and spend an afternoon looking at every step of how you do that. And start with the fact that maybe you don't do it the same way each and every time, and that is an indication in and of itself that it's a great exercise. But take a look at each step, each person who was involved, how it works, whether there's a better way to do it for efficiencies perspective, from the client onboarding experience perspective, and map out a new way and test it and tweak it and repeat throughout everything in your office.
Quinn Ross:
And once you've built that, you've got an incredibly strong foundation and you've got a team, throughout, who understands that this is how we look at things now, and this is how we build and develop and that input is always welcomed. It immediately starts happening where, especially if you top down, and if you create a process from the top down, you'll immediately start getting people who participated in the iterative process coming to you and saying, "Well, that's great, but this doesn't work because you haven't thought about this." And that is the healthiest thing you could ever hope for in an organization, as long as it's not just a naysayer. But again, those are such, such small numbers compared to people who genuinely just want to make the thing better.
Charlene Theodore:
Of course. Of course, of course.
Quinn Ross:
So, once you start there, then you start looking at the people, and that's the next step. And that's books and learning and talking and being compassionate and open and engendering trust. It's not easy, but it's doable. And it builds your soul with good.
Charlene Theodore:
Yeah. Yeah. It's, I think, an important reminder that we're all very privileged to work in a profession where we have amazing platforms, access to power, ability to make really sweeping changes that affect people's lives every day. And it's hard work, but there's also a lot of privilege and some fun. So, speaking of the future, this time we'll pass, we're at a particular time where I see there are a lot of negative things about what the country, what everyone around the world is going through now with the pandemic, but I'm also of the mindset that if we don't use this as an opportunity, we have to make it worth it. So, let's say 10 years from now, what would you like to see in the legal profession? And maybe let's talk about workplaces specifically and the justice sector, as well.
Quinn Ross:
Yeah, I'll break it down in terms of system and people. From the perspective of the system, I would be, with the amazing steps that have been taken within the justice system in Ontario, in the modernization of the courts in such an incredibly compacted timeframe, considering how long it's taken us to get to this point, and how much has been accomplished in the last several months, it's not enough, not nearly enough, but I would be content if we built on that and didn't backslide. Because my terror is backslide, that we get out of it and the litigators are like, "No, I must be in front of the court in the room because that's the only way I can actually do my job," which I would debate with anyone until the end of time. I would be just happy if we could take the foundation and accept it as the new normal. That would be a win for me.
Charlene Theodore:
It can be done, and you're proof that when you are committed to making those transformations that are so needed and, quite frankly, that as a professional, you've already identified are needed in the justice sector and in our work environments as lawyers. That if you are truly committed to it and you dedicate the time and the resources through, I wouldn't say trial and error, but through the natural process of learning and improving a process, you come out the other side with, again, a sustainable, profitable, healthy business, where there is equality of opportunity for the diversity of lawyers in our profession that exists right now. I just think what you're doing is great. It was a pleasure, as always, to talk to you. I'm excited for people to hear what you have to say, and I'm excited for the engagement that's going to come following this conversation once we share it with everybody.
Quinn Ross:
Thank you so much for inviting me, Charlene. This has been awesome. I don't know how I'm going to go back to swinging a hammer. I'm all jazzed.
Charlene Theodore:
Thank you to Quinn Ross for such an enlightening discussion. So, you're ready to be brave, to explore, and to blaze new trails in your organization. Where do you begin? Quinn reminded us that successful change makers combine systemic change with philosophical change. One of my goals with this podcast, as you've heard me say, is to provide listeners with the cheat sheet for making a better workplace. So, what I think we can take away from this episode is this. As a start, take a long close look at just one process in your organization and consider all of the steps and the people it involves, how well those elements are working, and whether there's a better way to do it. Is there a new approach that would improve efficiency or the client and lawyer experience? Map a new course and recalibrate as needed. Next, remember to apply these new processes in a structured way. Measure their efficacy, gather feedback from everyone on your team, and readjust accordingly.
Charlene Theodore:
When the Ross firm introduced a four day workweek, they did so in a disciplined manner that involved a whole set of process iterations, baseline surveying of mental health, and regular check-ins with staff as the rollout evolved. The end result: a happier team that regularly exceeds revenue targets and a firm that suffers very little attrition. We also learned adapting new technology can create new efficiencies, but you can't simply apply new technologies to old systems and expect to reap the rewards. Rather than attempt to recreate what you did before with a new gadget or tech tool, you have to ensure your processes evolve alongside the technology to take full advantage of what it has to offer.
Charlene Theodore:
We learned equality and inclusion are critical to a healthy and sustainable workplace ecosystem. Ensuring pay equity is done right in your workplace will help you achieve this. This means not just looking at what the other guy is earning, but really going to market and researching what compensation is appropriate for the role from a pay equity perspective. Quinn's story teaches us that wellness and productivity are inextricably linked, so investing in your employees pays dividends. Be kind, provide compassionate spaces, encourage your team to rest and recharge.
Charlene Theodore:
Our final lesson this episode: seize on that great idea. Implement it with structure and testing and then feedback. Before you know it, you will have affected a culture shift that has overcome stagnation, to become a vital, profitable, and sustainable legal workplace.
Charlene Theodore:
The Work That Works Podcast is produced by the Ontario Bar Association. I want to hear from you. We want to hear from you. Let us know what you think. How are the ideas we're discussing here having an impact on your workplaces? You can find the OBA on Twitter @OBAlawyers, and you can find me on Twitter @CharleneYYZ. Use the hashtag #workthatworks, and let's keep this conversation going.