Five steps to help drive legal tech adoption

Big changes in traditional industries like law don’t happen every day. It’s not uncommon for any type of change to cause waves of discontent — but slowly the tide is turning in the legal field. In fact, there’s strong reason to believe there has never been a better time to think about updating processes with legal tech. 

In this blog post we’ll explore why now is the time for change, what challenges you may experience along the way and, most importantly, five steps to help you overcome them. 

Why law is entering its digital age

It’s true that processes for tech adoption in law have traditionally been limited. Historically, it was often unclear who made decisions about what tech to use. And younger lawyers — those more likely to want to integrate tech into their working lives — often found their opinions weren’t given much consideration.

Today, things are a little different. In 2007, the UK’s Legal Services Act made it possible for non-lawyers to own equity in law firms, which led to consultancy firms like Deloitte setting up legal practices alongside their tech advisory services. 

With these new, tech-driven firms entering the market, the dynamics of the industry were forever changed — and traditional law firms were forced to compete. 

Faced with this industry shift, attitudes towards tech adoption changed significantly.  Firms hired technology, innovation, and knowledge management specialists. And new roles were created, like the legal engineer. Significantly, the more tech-minded junior lawyers found themselves able to have a significant impact on the processes and technologies their firms adopt. 

This created the environment we see today — one where introducing new technologies is more achievable than ever. But, that doesn’t mean it’s easy. 

Overcoming inertia and barriers to change

If now is the perfect time for change, you might be wondering what could make it so hard. 

People, by default, are resistant to change. And that’s especially true in an industry where traditions stretch back hundreds of years. The Status Quo Bias is strong in the legal field for a number of reasons. Like most of us, established legal professionals find it easier to do things the way they always have. Some people are inherently attached to the processes they created. And perceived risk can be a major barrier to adopting something new. 

So how do you overcome these obstacles and drive meaningful change? One framework to consider is the Reduce Framework — a structured way to break down resistance and help progress stick.

The Reduce Framework

The Reduce Framework is a five-step system for overcoming reluctance to change — something you’re sure to encounter as you try to modernize your processes. The idea comes from Jonah Berger’s book, The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone’s Mind.

Reactance

Step one is dealing with reactance.

When people are pushed, they naturally push back — this is what we mean by reactance. For that reason, your success in driving change will not be defined by how hard you push, but by how you react to the pushback you receive. 

Although the temptation here may be to double down to try and prove the benefits of your way of thinking, the opposite approach is required. At this stage of your process, you need to carefully consider what objections people may have and why they’re pushing back.

By assessing the root of those reactions, you can assuage fears, encourage people, and take them on the journey with you — which is infinitely more conducive to change than fighting against them.
It’s all about understanding the viewpoint of the people you need on board, and building trust so everyone pulls in the same direction. 

Ease endowment

Ease endowment is all about smoothing the passage of change. And again, it helps to consider this from the negative point of view. For instance, what features make the status quo desirable? You can also flip the coin here, though, and ask yourself what the status quo lacks.

This stage is all about fully understanding the benefits and costs of switching to your new way of working. And that could be a financial cost, or simply the energy and time required from those you need to bring on board. It’s also important to consider any risks involved in switching from one product or process to another. 

Once you understand these factors, you can plan how to ease endowment and streamline adoption. 

Shrink the distance

Big ambitions are great, but they can also be overwhelming. And people who are reticent to change certainly don’t want too much of it at once. 

Shrinking the distance is about bridging the gap between two opposing mindsets. The best way to shrink the distance between you and the people you’re requesting change from is to start small and find the common ground. This is what Berger refers to as “the moveable middle”, a place where compromises can be made without people being pushed outside their comfort zones. 

This stage of the framework is all about articulating what it is you’re trying to change in a way other people don’t immediately reject. Get this right and you can help them to realize what’s possible and bring them round to your way of thinking. Ask for too much at once, and it's easy to scare people away.   

Alleviate uncertainty

The key to step four is all about reassurance. 

As you know, lawyers are naturally risk averse. To overcome this, you need to fully understand the key concerns and uncertainties of your stakeholders and future users. And that takes two things: listening and reflection.

If you take the time to really listen to user concerns, you give yourself the opportunity to think about the features or processes you can introduce to alleviate them. And in doing so, you make it that much easier to get everyone pulling in the same direction. 

Gather corroborating evidence

Finally, lawyers naturally love evidence, so use that to your advantage. Find the evidence that supports your claims. It’s important to consider where this can come from, and what it should look like. The best results may come from a blend of quantitative and qualitative proof, which will paint a full picture of the success just around the corner.   

Promoting adoption together

iManage is your partner through the adoption journey and beyond. Book a demo today and see how our technology could support your firm.