As we close out another not-so-normal year, it’s time to reflect on what we’ve learned. We asked a few Affinity team members to share their reflections as we look back at 2021.
Affinity’s team of passionate, well-connected consultants and industry experts work hand in hand with thousands of legal professionals every year to help them find ways to work more efficiently and better serve their clients. From our team’s unique vantage point, a few common themes and observations really resonated throughout 2021. In their own words, here are some reflections over the past year that celebrate all that has been accomplished.
Resilience
“When forced to change quickly, we can. A lot of people are still surprised that the pandemic is still a thing, but our clients are resilient. Where once there might have been a sense of entitlement surrounding the service we all want to receive, now I see more understanding and empathy.”
– Paul Purdue, Senior Engagement, Specialist
“I’ve been surprised at just how resilient our clients have been in the face of the pandemic. They’ve sought out new technologies and ways to work in this novel climate.”
– Lauren Mihalic-Bandy, Project Manager
Adaptability
“Firms’ appetite for remote training increased. The ability to follow along from everyone’s desk and break the training up into smaller, bite-sized pieces can make remote training more effective than in-person training. We’ve broken training down into sessions as short as 30 minutes for firms that want less disruption in their day.”
– Danielle DavisRoe, Senior Consultant
“I went from doing about 50/50 on-site and remote rollouts to almost exclusively remote. This took a lot of adaptation on the parts of both Affinity and our clients, but we’ve come up with innovative new ways to make it work and still provide firms with the solutions they need.”
–Lauren Mihalic-Bandy, Project Manager
“After working with many clients in 2021, one thing that was repeatedly mentioned was how important cloud technology implementation was in helping them support internal communication and productivity in these times when there was so much uncertainty around working in the office or back at home. One of my clients called their new implementation ‘life changing’ saying that prior to the implementation most of their day was spent dealing with issues, tracking down documents, and assisting lawyers to get the information that they needed. All of that went away with the new system.”
–Chris Martz, Senior Consultant
“I had the pleasure of speaking with clients who wanted to make changes to adapt to the realities of working remotely, some of them after many years of hesitation. I was really encouraged to hear leaders at some of the firms we work with investing time, resources, and most of all careful thought into providing their teams with the best technology and processes possible to support and elevate them.”
– Wray Withers, Director of Client Service
Community
“Our clients are leaning heavily on us to help them research and identify areas they want to improve during our calls. That helps them generate a good road map, which has really trickled down to help them bring about a more positive and engaged remote culture. Law firm leaders are really working hard to make culture shifts in bringing their team together while working remotely.”
– Carissa Heath, Client Relationship Manager
“One thing that was different in 2021 was understanding the need for community and communication despite physical distancing. Oddly, I feel teams are stronger post-pandemic than they were pre-pandemic and that is all due to being intentional with community building.”
– Chris Martz, Senior Consultant
“This year, more than any other I can recall, clients were so direct and honest about the challenges they were facing with staffing, remote work challenges, and balancing work and life when both became unpredictable. Working together really felt like a community. Although I’d never wish the challenges of these last months on anyone, it gave our teams the opportunity to assist in meaningful ways.”
– Wray Withers, Director of Client Service
Together we can achieve great things. Now that we have looked back, it’s time to move ahead into 2022 with renewed optimism and persistence. We are thankful for our clients and our team. Simply put, Affinity’s consultants are the best in the business. With legal experience unmatched in our industry, the Affinity team knows exactly what it takes to transform any firm or legal department into a lean, thriving productivity machine. We leave no stone unturned as we discover every opportunity to help our clients work smarter. If we can be of service to you in the future, we hope you’ll let us know.
Wishing all of you a safe, healthy, and successful new year.