Yesterday, we were at the office of one of our favorite clients, a local law firm. We have been working with them to develop and improve systems for the areas that support the attorneys: business development, marketing, accounting, customer service. One key area is addressing potential clients in a professional, sensitive, respectful way. Today, one employee is assessing all potential client calls, 10-20 per day, and the managing partner feels this is an area where all other support employees could help but need training.
In order to do this, we broke down exactly what happens in a call. This is complex because in order to screen the call effectively, there are several questions that need to be asked and some of those questions lead to other questions depending on the answers received. We are now in the process of developing a checklist for the several different types of calls so that anyone in the company can answer client calls effectively and according to company vision.
As a business person, you can see why having this in place would be important, but did you know that it can protect you legally as well? (Of course, I would learn this at a law firm!) They informed me of the doctrine of respondeat superior which states that “the employer is liable for the injuries caused by an employee who is working within the scope of his employment relationship.” The firm must be very careful to not give legal advice in the assessment stage. If advice is given, an attorney can receive disciplinary action by the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission. Now, this same commission will not go after a non-legal business; however, the doctrine of respondeat superior could still apply to your company in the case of a lawsuit. It’s another reason putting systems in place and appropriately training your employees to use them is crucial.
Checklists are profoundly useful tools. If you haven’t already picked up your copy of The Checklist Manifesto, do so right away!
However, the key challenge with such a rigorous process is ensuring that it is *stakeholder-driven.* When you write “we are now in the process of developing a checklist” the key question in my mind is not “what’s in the checklist” but “who do you mean by *we*.”
It is the people who have ownership over tools that make them work, not the tools themselves.
@robbyslaughter
Very true - thanks for your comment, Robby!