04 Nov More interesting work

I’ve written a lot in recent blogs about the increasing need to differentiate your practice in order to both survive and prosper. Whilst for many, this poses a great challenge, it also poses a great opportunity: the opportunity to do more interesting work!

With clients becoming more sophisticated, and actively seeking ever more specialist expertise, there has never been a better time to step out, do that work that you’ve always wanted to do, and either ditch or reduce the amount of ‘everyday’, low value or commoditised work that no longer interests you and challenges you.

More specialist work is not only more interesting for you, it should also be more interesting for your team, and allow them to develop specific expertise and reputations in a clearer career path. It has higher value for your clients, and therefore has the potential to be more profitable for you.

So what’s stopping you?

Of course, it’s the risk.  Doing what you enjoy doing and what you’re good at is all very well, but does this also pay the bills?

Increasingly, small practices are finding that yes it does. It just requires some effort, application and commitment in re-defining your offering, re-positioning your practice and realigning your marketing strategies to target specific markets.

The risk can be managed by thorough planning, and – if necessary – the use of alternative brands and sub-brands.

The disinterested solicitor

If your work no longer interests you and challenges you, it’s time for a change. Passion and enthusiasm are critical for success and both your team and your clients can tell when they are missing. If the work doesn’t interest you, there’s a good chance it will soon stop interesting your clients as well.

If you feel you’re at risk of falling into the disinterested category, ask yourself some questions:

• what work do I most enjoy doing?
• what work do I least enjoy doing?
• what work do I see other people doing that I’d really love to do myself?
• what am I going to do about it?