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I believe if I could convince law firm owners of one thing that is a solid return on investment of time and money it is to have a law firm retreat once a year with partners. And if you are a sole practioner than pick your stakeholders (people who invest time or emotion into the success of the firm) and have a retreat. Retreats are the way to create synergy to drive your firm for another year. Old ideas are refreshed. New ideas are brought to the table. More importantly you are forced to take a long hard look at the past, the present, and your future. Good retreats don't happen by accident. Here is the criteria I use when planning our Dream, Believe, Dare, Do Retreats for law firms.

1. What is your objective. If the goal is to create a strategic plan or update one then you are going to need lots of information in advance to review so you can have at your finger tips the right information. Define the information and get it ready!

2. Create an agenda. In our retreats we touch on every aspect of the firm from HR to Marketing to Financials to Technology. The agenda should be specific and time allotted.

3. Agree on a facilitator. If you decide to use an outside facilitator make sure everyone agrees on the ground rules. If you do it in house than that person has to be willing to keep everyone on track and stick to the agenda.

4. Keep strong notes of everything said and agreed to. Set an entire year's goals with accountability (you are going to have follow up meetings believe me). Publish the notes and appoint a gatekeeper to keep your feet to the fire.

5. NEVER HOLD IT AT YOUR OFFICE! In fact we like to have the retreats away from the town you practice in. Find some place that you can stay and meet without distraction.

6. Allow time not only to do the retreat but to relax. This allows you to interact with others away from office mode.

7. Be prepared to work. The best retreats I have done is when everyone rolled up their shirt sleeves and worked hard to come up with a workable plan in the future.

8. Believe that you aren't the only one with a good idea. This is the one time that every one's input is important.

I believe that every dollar spent by you should get a maximum ROI. Taking time to plan to you are proactive rather than reactive in your business is about a good of return on investment you will every get. If it gets you one new case or it reduces one cost item you win!

It is not surprising to hear the same question over and over again; i.e. How can we recession proof the firm. Our response is this. First of all you probably should have been thinking this a couple of years ago and definitely last year. However like all of us, most kept thinking it couldn't get that bad and it did. Law firms are no exception.

Creative thinking has to be taking place in law firms to allow the firm to keep stabilize, maintain its staff, and still provide quality service. The worst thing in the world is to make rash decisions and cut staff or strong supportive overhead needed such as marketing, technology or critical supplies.

Written on our office door are the words IT IS A WANT OR A NEED? What we are doing (both personally and professionally) is assessing when we feel we need something to ask ourselves are we just in our "want stage" (instant gratification) or is it an actual need that will make us more secure, stable or successful.

We looked at our budget both at home and at work and did a line item review. Frankly we cut out things that are not true needs right now. We also held the line on things that we think are crucial to our long term goals.

We are strongly encouraging law firms to immediately do firm assessments and examine ever nook and cranny. Do a line item review of every expenditure for the past year and create a budget based on sound need not wants. If you are a high performance firm you have already figured out that your staff is part of the solution not the problem.

Our test of want v need is simple. Try it.