There has emerged in recent years an exciting new paradigm known as high performance work systems that is changing the way we think about people and how work is organized. About seven years ago Catalyst began to preach this philosophy to law firm clients with little success. It was not until we translated down into a business principle delivering a better net profit with more stability did lawyers start to set up and listen. Law firms are playing catch up when it comes to high performance training.

A high performance organization could be defined as an organization in which each person is a contributing partner to the business. High performance work environments require a deep respect and trust in people. People are not viewed as extensions of machines, objects to be manipulated nor costs to be controlled but rather as thinking and feeling human beings who bring enormous energy, creativity and talent to their work. Most people want jobs that are meaningful and allow them autonomy to make decisions and contribute to the company in significant ways. Effective organizations are those moving beyond attempting to control people to trusting and empowering them with the resources, information, tools, skills and support to manage their work processes and create products and services of unprecedented quality.

Of course, lots of companies espouse a philosophy that values people and yet are not experiencing the kinds of performance they expect. That is because they are not designed to do so. Only a holistic and systemic view of the organization in which all aspects of the organization are aligned behind that philosophy will realize the true value of their people.

In high performance organizations people understand the business, are committed to getting results and are organized into self-contained, multi-functional and client-focused business units or teams that take full responsibility for making decisions, solving problems and continuously improving the quality of their work.

Everyone involved with a particular core process are members of the same team and are empowered with full authority for the success of a whole product, service or major segment of work. Roles and responsibilities are much broader and more meaningful in scope than in a traditional organization. The team is responsible for setting goals, coordinating and scheduling their work, interfacing with the customer, training, making decisions and problem solving, monitoring quality, and even measuring performance and making hiring and selection decisions.

The role of management changes from that of controlling workers and solving day-to-day problems to being facilitators and coaches. They define outcomes, manage boundaries, interface with other departments and, in general, insure that the team has the resources, training, information and support they need to carry out the job.

Law firms are an ideal setting for high performance work cultures. It is a matter of deciding where best to spend your money that will deliver high performance training at an efficient and profitable bottom line.