New York Lawyer
January 17, 2002

Q:
My firm is very dedicated to the idea of �family.� It�s been around for a long time, has a distinguished history, etc. I came in as a lateral partner recently and have been struck by how many incompetent staff people and attorneys are allowed to stay on, despite their obvious shortcomings. This �family� thing seems to make it impossible for folks to realize that they�re being taken advantage of.

I�ve made some noises about the appalling �help� I�ve been receiving � copies made on a very leisurely schedule, copies with missing pages, rampant misspellings, you name it � but as a relative newcomer, I�m a little reluctant to go on and on about this. How would you handle the situation?

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A:
Many, many organizations think of themselves as a family. It�s one of the most frequent metaphors used to describe a company or professional firm, and is usually said with pride: �We like to think of ourselves as family.� I can�t tell you how many organizations I�ve worked with or known about where this has been both a blessing and a curse.

The upside is obvious: a congenial, warm, supportive atmosphere, a place where people want to go every day, and a place where they maintain long-term ties. But the downside may outweigh the benefits: deadwood personnel, more work for everyone else, frustration at unclear standards for work and advancement, lack of pride and lowered morale. After all, you can�t fire your family. Nowadays many people prefer to think of their colleagues as a team, rather than family, emphasizing respect and trust among workers. It lessens the uncomfortable pressure of having to deal with non-performing �family members.�

As for dealing with this problem, you�re right that your newcomer status may discredit you, at least for the moment. However, it�s often outsiders who can see problems most clearly. Smart management takes advantage of new people to help them take an unvarnished look at what�s working and what isn�t in their organizations.

Therefore, this non-performance situation is a symptom of larger issues. Without a broad commitment to high performance, those lackadaisical employees will remain rooted in place. Rather than hitting partners head-on with the notion that they�re coddling incompetents � which will just make them defensive -- why not suggest that the firm commit or recommit to a broad vision for the future? If the management committee or partnership as a whole has wide-ranging conversations about where the firm is headed, fitting enhanced performance standards into such a vision will be much simpler than if they are isolated.

Another proven approach, if you would prefer to deal with firmwide attitudes about what �family� means, is to have discussions led by an outside facilitator where you talk through this issue. Often people will reveal that they don�t care for the family metaphor, because of the things you point out in your question, and want to move on to a vision that better requires accountability for everyone � not just the favored family members.

Sincerely,
Holly English
Principal Consultant, Values at Work