David Maister’s new book, Strategy and the Fat Smoker, explains how to manage and lead a professional services organization. Its lessons apply equally well to any other type of business.
Although Maister’s insights should prove valuable to any business leader, his finest insights come in the one chapter of his book he suggests we don’t read! The chapter is called, “The Trouble with Lawyers”. And although Maister is writing about law firms, he actually does a spectacular job of articulating what is wrong with our Federal government. I suppose this isn’t totally surprising, considering that Congress is comprised of more than a few lawyers. Here are some excerpts — when you see the word “firm”, think, “Congress”.
While a majority of firms will vote to proclaim standards, they will usually not vote to enforce them … Law firms have a proliferating plethora of rules … So firms end up with a mishmash of bureaucratic red tape in the hope that mandatory processes will achieve compliance when adherence to common values does not. (p 235)
In a room full of lawyers, any idea, no matter how brilliant, will be instantly attacked. Lawyers are expert loophole finders, trained to find counterexamples of or exceptions to any proposition. Accordingly, within a short time, most ideas, no matter who initiates them, will be destroyed, dismissed, or postponed for future examination. (p 237)
When lawyers reason with each other, the primary objectives are not necessarily logic, consistency, reasonableness, or fairness. In their professional practice, whether in trial or deal making, many lawyers are more frequently rewarded for persuasiveness, rhetoric, verbal agility, and point scoring. (p 238)
Many firms have collections of great lawyers. The time may be coming when clients will expect them to go beyond this and become effective organizations. Without a prior, explicit agreement on minimum standards, and the resolve to enforce them, many law firms will not function well as firms but will remain what they are today: bands of warlords, each with his or her followers, ruling over a group of cowed citizens and acting in temporary alliance — until a better opportunity comes along. (p 242)
In one fell swoop, Maister demonstrates why our government is characterized by gridlock, demagoguery, elitism, duplicity, and opportunism. Send your elected officials a copy of Strategy and the Fat Smoker today and circle Chapter 17.
The above comments certainly sum up the common perception of lawyers!
To a degree, they may also sum up the American government, which could no doubt lift its game in many areas.
But I think Americans should be glad for the government they have. Compare the American government with many around the world, say Zimbabwe, Sudan or North Korea, and I would think Americans are pretty lucky.
Indeed, if you benchmarked the performance of all governments around the world, like in business, I would say the American government would rate highly.
Cheers
Andrew
True, Andrew. I’m being rather harsh and we indeed have much to be thankful for. Just the same, we could do better. Gridlock is rampant and serious problems such as health care are being sloughed off on future generations. It seems to me that the quality of our government, although being better than most, is worsening instead of improving. I suppose that’s what I’m most concerned about.
You are certainly correct, Brad, in saying that your government, like any other government could do better.
Having never been to America, I cannot comment specifically on traffic gridlock or health care problems in your country.
In any organization, government, business, charity, sports club, no matter how well run the organization is, there are always opportunities for improvement. Simple questions like “What can we improve on?” and “How can be do things better?” are questions governments (and businesses, and all other organizations) should ask on a continous basis.
Cheers
Andrew
After reading this interesting take on where we’ve fallen — I wanted to propose a rejuvenated blog that addresses the question … What would it take to connect Wash with people and possibilities again? They say the American dream is now dead (along with our brains) and people lately shout more about the Dubai dream — where people use innovation and take risks for a much better place for all. Not sure if it’s better or even a dream – but it beats the Wash brain-dead scene described so well here, and in the media.
Ellen, what a wonderful idea for a blog project. I don’t follow many political blogs, but I wonder if one is already out there. If anything could reconnect politicians with people, it would be a blog.