Generative Artificial Intelligence, or GenAI, is allowing for efficiencies within companies and firms.

These tools allow shortcuts by taking the first crack at summarizing documents, conducting research, creating marketing copy, writing emails, answering inquiries, and so much more.

Time To Reduce Headcount

This means you can reduce business and professional staff because the machines are now making it easier to do all of these things, right?

After all, they are “generating” all of this “intelligence” for you, thus the name GenAI, which can help you consolidate functions and reduce staff.

Not So Fast

I encourage you to approach this from an innovation and expansion perspective.

Ask Management

Instead of calling for staff reductions, I encourage you to ask everyone in management what functions could be performed if their people suddenly had extra time.

Ask Business Professionals 

Equally important as asking management that question, I would also take the time to ask all of your business professionals what they would be able to do for the firm if some of the more routine tasks were streamlined and completed for them.

I Have Too Much Time On My Hands

In all of the years I have been in this industry serving the legal profession, I have never known one person who has told me they have too much time on their hands and wish someone would give them more work to do.

Instead, I have often heard that it is very difficult to find the time to be proactive and strategic, both characteristics that contribute to the strength and growth of a law firm.

Legal and business professionals are longing to be called to “the table” to help their firms with strategy and growth.

Elevate, Don’t Eliminate

You’ve hired and recruited smart, wise, strategic people, so my recommendation for you is not to start thinking about how many people and positions you can eliminate, but how many people and positions you can elevate because their current jobs have become more efficient, allowing time for them to contribute their intelligence to the strategic goals of your firm.

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