Walking before you run.

• Author: Hoff, Melissa
• Position: Message from the Editors

She Said

The wonders of fall: the crisp air, the turning leaves, the start of school ... and attorney retreats, budget planning for next year, strategic planning, and a frantic rush by many lawyers to fulfill the commitments laid out in last year's practice plan. Oh, and let's not forget the time-honored pleasure of choosing a firm holiday card and organizing the signing of said cards. Indeed, it's a time for new beginnings, forward-looking and crazy-making busyness.

Through the fog of the end-of-year crunch, I think it's also a good opportunity (in all that free time we have) to reflect on our goals and what stood in the way of success if we didn't get around to accomplishing what we set out to do. We implement strategic plans in stages. The old saw about walking before you can run comes to mind. After all, we can talk a good game about developing more business using some innovative or exciting new approach involving Twitter or LinkedIn, but if we don't have a good mailing list or adequate attorney participation, our efforts will fall flat.

Being world-class doesn't happen overnight, and it can't necessarily be defined by what the most successful and biggest firms are doing. Certainly, we can look at market-leading firms to help us see what is cutting-edge in our field and what is on the horizon, but if it were as simple as following a checklist, we'd all be out of a job. We have to take a more nuanced approach when we set goals or aspire to a larger platform. What's possible for this firm, at this time, with these people and these resources? Indeed, being the best has to begin with a clear understanding of your starting position.

The point is, even if we know what to do, we still need to figure out how to get there. And it is really an art form. You have to know your firm, know what it can handle, and know how to sell it internally. We might know what the best practices in legal marketing would dictate, but if our firm isn't ready to embrace those practices--either due to lack of resources or simply a lack of sophistication or readiness--then, we have to meet our firm where it is and incrementally move it along the continuum.

Every world class success story begins with a first step. What's yours?

He Said

My esteemed co-executive editor is always first to offer her monthly words of wisdom for this column, while I continue to find new ways to redefine "the eleventh hour" as I provide my usual banter for each issue. In preparing to craft my...