Despite the considerable efforts of HR departments to change the culture, and some significant inroads to a more flexible work environment, the billable hour model has the tendency to disincentivise efficiency and encourage a culture of being married to your work.
While different business models and increased fixed price agreements are being flirted with, negotiating the reality of clocking up the hours is an essential part of any successful career.
Disruption is the word de jour, and law firms are not immune.
There is talk of new non-pyramid structures, more fixed price agreements, shifting away from billable hours, the rise of general counsel and in-house teams, the encroachment of the big accountancy firms, artificial intelligence, out-sourcing, and the list goes on.
You can’t always control your circumstances, but you can control your perspective.
We are all brilliant at seeing things our own way – it’s part of what makes us unique. When we face challenges or circumstances outside our control, however, we can very quickly come up against the limits of our own perspective.
