(10/27/2024 my photo of Pike’s Peak on the left, a fresh fall morning)

On October 23, 2024, I had the pleasure of speaking on a panel at the Master’s Conference in Charlotte, NC. The topic was Developing the Innovation Mindset.  In addition to the lively conversation with the panel, I was inspired by the on-point audience questions, which demonstrated that this is an ongoing topic, one that perhaps we all struggle with in driving actual change. This post revisits a few of the panel questions and prompts further insight.

What is my definition of innovation?  It is to create value by applying novel solutions to a need or an idea.

What are the common skillsets of innovators? My view is that besides having curiosity and bravery to take calculated risks, there should be a desire for specialization and niche creation.

Several audience members asked me about getting buy-in from leadership, how to motivate others within the organization.  This topic deserves a fuller conversation as there could be novel, “bespoke” approaches to the how – such as starting with on-the-ground issues rather than trying to get the entire organization to change.  Hint:  Trim Tab – more on that concept in future posts.

Every innovative initiative will face challenges such as from the established culture, risk aversion, cost, and compliance requirements.  I would add to that, particularly as it applies to law firms, the question: who is going to do this work?  Lawyers are hired to provide advice, take cases to trial.  A law firm is not in the software business (if we just limit this conversation to legal tech).  Yet, the lawyers and especially the legal support teams are exactly the right people to be involved in these initiatives because they are the practitioners, they know what they need, they will provide the best feedback for development.

A strategy for fostering innovation should start with education, particularly about the AI offerings.  There is a lot to know about how they work and what data is mined. The great news is that there is a wealth of new SME’s out there who will share their knowledge.

Readiness: even if you’re not ready to adopt new technology, prepare for it now by analyzing your data, identify your key personnel, review your tech stack, and prioritize your legal spend.

There are many other components of the innovation mindset which will be discussed in upcoming posts and guest commentary. Stay tuned!