Building Better Habits with Legal Project Management
Staying organized, fostering effective communication, and cultivating mindfulness are essential in legal project management. Lupl recently hosted a webinar, "Building Better Habits with LPM," featuring three seasoned professionals: India Preston, Director of Platform Solutions at Lupl, Trisha Wright, Project Coordinator at DecisionQuest, and Ericka Davis, Legal Project Manager at EDP Renewables. Moderated by Lupl's Marketing Associate, Isabella Lozano, the panelists dived into key aspects of LPM, offering valuable insights for legal professionals eager to optimize their project management practices.
The Power of Organization
Trisha Wright shared her passion for organization, emphasizing its significance in her life as a neurodivergent individual. She introduced the Pomodoro technique, a time management method, and explained how adapting it to her preferences has helped her organize her day effectively. Trisha highlighted the importance of understanding one's natural circadian rhythm to optimize productivity and avoid burnout. She also discussed using timers, particularly in a billable hour context, and encouraged the audience to leverage tools like focus areas on smartphones to maintain concentration.
Ericka Davis delved into the practical aspects of organization, focusing on Microsoft's Viva Insights. She outlined four key features within Viva Insights that professionals can implement for improved organization. These include utilizing the My Analytics dashboard to track time and tasks, employing Insights Outlook for scheduling focus time, leveraging Teams for enhanced collaboration, and utilizing the Insights Home app for a personalized overview of tasks, deadlines, and meetings. Ericka emphasized how these tools can enhance productivity and goal achievement.
India Preston continued the discussion on organization, addressing common challenges faced by lawyers using generic tools like email, Word, and Excel for project management. She advocated for legal project management platforms such as Lupl, emphasizing its tailored design to support lawyers in managing legal matters efficiently. India highlighted Lupl’s features, such as task tracking, deadline management, template creation, and collaboration capabilities. She encouraged the audience to explore various project management tools, including Asana, Monday, Trello, and Todoist, stressing that adopting such technology becomes a time-saving habit with lasting benefits.
Mastering Communication in LPM
Then, the topic shifted to the critical role of effective communication in project management. India Preston started this discussion by sharing insights on managing communication within legal matters, highlighting the challenge of numerous communication channels like emails, calls, and meetings. She stressed the necessity of establishing clear communication methods upfront and understanding the preferences of team members to prevent overwhelming inboxes and enhance efficiency.
Ericka Davis focused on stakeholder identification, outlining five key steps to ensure project success. She emphasized the significance of clarifying project objectives, brainstorming potential stakeholders, categorizing them based on interest and influence, engaging with stakeholders through various means, and developing a stakeholder management plan. Ericka underscored that identifying and engaging the right stakeholders from the beginning is crucial for project success.
Trisha Wright concluded the communication discussion by addressing setting the tone and taking a leadership role in communication. She emphasized the importance of being direct and directive in communication, providing practical examples of effective communication strategies. Trisha highlighted the need to understand team members' communication preferences and reinforced that soft skills, such as communication and leadership, are crucial in building successful project management teams. She urged organizations to prioritize these soft skills when hiring to ensure effective communication and collaboration within the team. Overall, the communication section underscored the significance of intentional and clear communication strategies in project management.
Mindfulness in Legal Project Management
The final segment of the webinar focused on mindfulness, during which the speakers underscored the importance of being intentional and mindful in both personal and organizational aspects. India Preston initiated the discussion, emphasizing mindfulness as a tool to enhance focus and decision-making in legal project management. She encouraged inquisitiveness, noting that asking questions opens doors to new understanding and perspectives. India highlighted the value of curiosity, suggesting that being proactive in seeking information and understanding legal topics contributes to success in project management.
Trisha Wright expanded on mindfulness, differentiating between personal and organizational mindfulness. She emphasized the need for project check-in points to assess changes and prevent scope creep. Trisha discussed the importance of balancing organizational goals, team adaptation, and individual well-being. She stressed the responsibility of legal project managers to be mindful of various aspects, acknowledging the challenges and excitement inherent in the role.
Ericka Davis shifted the focus to personal mindfulness, emphasizing self-care and mental health. She provided practical tips, urging legal professionals to be kind to themselves, prioritize rest, and mind their mental well-being. Ericka introduced the Headspace app, a meditation and mindfulness tool, and shared her positive experience with its guided sessions. She also mentioned the Happify app, which promotes emotional health and well-being through science-based games and activities. Ericka encouraged the audience to explore these tools to begin their mindfulness journey.
Conclusion
This Lupl webinar, "Building Better Habits with LPM," provided legal professionals with a wealth of insights. From organizational strategies and effective communication to mindfulness in legal project management, the webinar offered a comprehensive guide for enhancing habits and optimizing efficiency in the dynamic field of legal project management. As legal professionals strive to build better habits, these key takeaways will be valuable tools in their journey toward success.
Are you interested in legal project management software? Book a demo today to get a firsthand look at how Lupl can improve your daily workflow.
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