Case study: Capacity’s collaboration with CMS

You can watch the full presentation by clicking Lessons Learned at CMS – or read the transcript below.

William Dougherty, Capacity

Hi everyone. We're here today to learn about CMS experience with their latest work allocation programme from Christy Farrer. CMS has over 5,000 lawyers in 80 offices and in 40 countries around the world. Christy, CMS was one of the earliest adopters of work allocation technology. So why is this latest programme of such strategic importance to the firm?

Christy Farrer, CMS

Thanks, William. So I think for us, if we think about our strategy as a firm, it's really with people at the heart and at the centre of it. And so for us, collaboration, using the benefits of our network across the globe – and really connecting people – is really important, as well as sort of developing a really inclusive culture in which everybody has the opportunity for great work, for career development.

And actually for us, resource management is a connector, so it helps kind of enable all of those different things. And I think from that, then there are a number of strategic goals or objectives or projects that can really be woven into it. So it's sort of like a foundation for us and really connects us across all those different areas.

Joshua Fireman, Fireman & Company

So, Christy. All of those objectives, and the benefits to the firm, are clear. That's often not enough to change behaviour, especially when we're talking about partners, used to a process that is subjective and which many of them are probably very comfortable with.

How do you overcome that obstacle? The sense that you're taking something away from me that's important to how I serve my clients? How do you focus them on those benefits and make that change?

Christy

So I think, for us, there are probably three things that have helped with the change management approach.

So the first thing is leadership. So, as I mentioned earlier, it's really important that the leaders of the firm, practice group leaders, the team leaders are really bought into this and really helping to drive the change within their areas.

That won't be enough on its own, though, because this affects every single partner. So I think the second thing that's really important is flexibility. So I think for us, we've approached it on the basis that the system can do what we need it to do. It can be flexible. It can be adapted. It can be adjusted. And actually, how we implement it and the process that we use, you know, that can be flexible.

So if a partner feels that they need to have more control over the decision in terms of where the work goes, that's absolutely fine. And they can do all of that.

Because the third part for us is really that accountability. So it's saying, well, look, you can make the choices you want to make in the same way as you currently make them, but using the system as well, and actually, as long as you can justify them, all we're asking you to do is just have additional information to hand when you're making that decision and just challenge your own thinking, you know, really think about what you're doing, and are you making the right choices with the additional information that you're being given?

It's really saying we're not taking that away, we're just asking you to be accountable for your decision whilst giving you additional information. So it's really pointing those things out in addition to linking it to the strategy.

Joshua

I love the focus on accountability, and I think, honestly, that's the secret sauce for this. Telling people to do something, not going to work; measurable accountability, I think that's a great change driver.

William

So it'd be great, Christy, to hear, with such lofty objectives, such challenging goals here as living your strategy and all the things that that means for a law firm, why was it that CMS chose to partner with Capacity for this programme?

Christy

So sure. So we did look at lots of different providers for this. And the important thing for us was that we found a partner that we could work with, with a system that was simple and easy to use.

We didn't want something that lawyers were going to say, "Oh, this is another thing I have to do on top of my day job," because we know there's already a lot of demands on lawyers. So it was something easy, simple, as fast as it is for them to send an email or fill in a spreadsheet, which is probably the current way they do it.

So it was as fast as that, wouldn't take any more time, but actually it would give them extra benefits. So it would give them analysis. And crucially, I think for all of the lawyers, it would give them transparency because that's really key to our culture — collaboration and transparency and inclusiveness, opportunities for everyone. And so that's something I know lots of law firms are striving to achieve.

For us, this is an enabler for that, and actually, again, we also wanted to find a partner that had built it and looked at it and could see it from a lawyer's point of view, which we felt Capacity had all of that for us. And that's why we partnered with Capacity.

William

Thank you very much. So to any other firms, Christy, who are watching this and thinking, "Yes, we also struggle to embed our strategy into our business," what advice would you give them if they're looking at a programme like this to ensure the maximum chance of success?

Christy

So I think it's really got to be something which is, as I said earlier, led from the top of the firm. I think there's a lot of communication and consultation required with this. And then there is, you know, you are asking people to change their behaviour. So I think I wouldn't underestimate the number of discussions, the support, the ongoing support that you need to put in place for something like this.

But I do think that if you can get this going and we can get some of those behaviour changes that we're seeking, that it's just going to make such a fundamental difference to the way we operate and the way we collaborate.

William

Fantastic. Well, thank you so much, Christy, for taking the time to share this with everyone and to Joshua as well for sharing from your perspective and stimulating great conversation. And to everyone watching today, thanks for your time as well.