"Team" is commonly described as a group of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose for which they are mutually accountable. For a law firm, this should include everyone from rainmakers to support staff. Yet recognition rarely goes beyond those with their names on the front door. Find out what you can do to increase the success of your team.

Sometimes when partners talk about the members of their firm, they are referring are only to colleagues at their level; typically partners and generally lawyers. But it is a rare situation when I hear attorneys talk about members that they are referring to every single person who works in their business. Many of us remember the time when people referred the firm as an “X number man firm”.

It may be that this language is restricted to the professional services firms. In the business world, when people talk about members of the firm, they are referring to everyone in the organization from the CEO to the delivery staff. Employees of law firms notice this lack of inclusion, and it may set the tone for how connected they feel to their jobs and their firm. Frequently when I talk to attorneys about their practice, I hear that hiring, supervising and retaining support staff is among their most difficult tasks. What are the most important things that you can do to make that aspect of your business successful?

Know the role that support staff plays in your success. For the purposes of this discussion, think of your support staff broadly. This includes secretaries and receptionists, your internal finance people, office or firm administrator, recruiting, marketing and IT staff, if you have them. When attorneys go outside to bring in specialized expertise, it is important to acknowledge contributions these individuals make to your firm’s ongoing success. Although law school offers extremely rigorous training, other employees have made a relative investment in time and commitment to develop their skills, through both education and practice. When you hire people to fill these roles, it is critical to value and honor that expertise in the same way that you value the abilities of your attorney colleagues.

There are contributions to the bottom line other than billable hours. The person who handles internal payroll, the computer staff who keeps your Web site running, or the recruiter who screens resumes and schedules interviews may not fill out a billable time sheet, but the infrastructure of your business could not function without their expertise and contribution. Just like the attorneys, they are not fungible. Once you have hired these staff members, make sure that their expertise is acknowledged when you talk about firm work and success. You must also work to retain these staff. Losing key staff can be very disruptive and slow down the pace of your work for a considerable length of time. If you are having trouble keeping staff in some area of your firm it’s important to know why; just as you would take notice if you had associate turnover in one particular area.

Remember that your staff is your first line of contact with your customer.

The person who answers your phone is your first contact with clients and potential clients. When you are not immediately available, your secretary is the person to gather that all-important message, or the one to make the judgment call as to whether or not to interrupt you, whatever you are doing. Take this into consideration when writing job descriptions, hiring and supervising. Will this individual make the kind of positive first and lasting impression that you are seeking? Clear expectations and accurate job descriptions will make it easier for your support staff to send the right message.

Remember and utilize the role that support staff plays in your day-to-day operations. Over the course of time, support staff will become very knowledgeable about clients, opposing counsel and specifics about cases in which you are involved. As an attorney, you are probably spending a great deal of time out of the office – meeting with clients, conducting depositions, attending business meetings or making marketing calls. Your front line support staff spends almost all of their working time in the office. This allows them to have a different view of the work, and the way in which matters are handled. You’re not asking them to practice law, but they are often likely to have key insights about the people with whom you are dealing. When it’s appropriate, ask for their input. People want to have their opinion valued, and the people that are in the office most of the day, every day, know certain things that you don’t.

The same thing goes for those members of your support team that have an external focus. Your office manager, marketing director or firm administrator probably belongs to professional groups and associations that offer a much larger window on various aspects of the legal world. Many times law firms do things ‘because they’ve always been done that way’. Your support staff may be in a position to initiate new activities, policies and procedures that could be of great benefit to the firm. When you’ve hired this expertise, pay attention to it.

Most of your clients probably aren’t lawyers, and neither are your support team members. One of the biggest problems that lawyers can develop is tunnel vision about their profession. If you spend all of your time with lawyers, you probably aren’t doing as much marketing as you should, and you may be losing touch with people outside of the profession. Yet, in your very midst are non-lawyers who can help keep you grounded with those outside of the profession. Support staff can be a source of clients, and of other business opportunities of which you may not be aware. Don’t overlook a good source of “reality check.”

Don’t ask support staff to do work that is supposed to be done by attorneys. It’s no secret that some attorneys have difficulty meeting deadlines - internal and external. This means everything from filing motions to completing time sheets. That’s why courts have continuances. But asking support staff to “nag” lawyers about completing important lawyer work is very likely to create resentments between support staff and much higher paid employees. If the work is the responsibility of the attorney, put the onus of completion on the person charged with the task.

If you are a junior attorney, never underestimate the influence and importance of support staff. Some junior attorneys come to the practice of law with limited experience in the work place, and consequently fatally misunderstand the influence and expertise of support staff. There is no way better to find yourself in a difficult situation with a partner than to treat his or her secretary in a way that is less than professional and respectful. Who is more valued, or knowledgeable– the employee who has been with the firm (and partner) for twenty years – through good times and bad, or the first year associate?

When planning firm functions, remember that everyone is part of the team. I often hear of firms planning social functions, or retreats, and find that the only people invited are attorneys. Although there are certainly times for ‘attorney only’ meetings or social functions it is important to err on the side of inclusion, not exclusion. If you aren’t sure whether or not support staff wants to be included, ask a senior trusted staff member. If you are planning a retreat to determine the future direction of the firm, or to create a team atmosphere, make sure that all members of the team are present for at least a portion of the program.

When important things happen, make sure everyone finds out at the same time. If your firm is merging, if you are bringing a new partner on board, or if someone in the firm is leaving, make sure that all members of the firm get this information. Once again, your support staff is likely to be managing front line inquiries from the outside, and it is important they know the information, and have been given information that allows them to respond appropriately.

If staff is expected to share in the workload, make sure they share in the reward structure. Staff is often expected to spend additional hours in crunch times at work. When bonuses and salary increases are determined, make sure that the reward structure includes the ‘behind the scenes’ members of your successful year. Not all rewards are financial. Everyone appreciates recognition for a job well done, and you probably know that no lawyer is successful without a strong support team. Let people know when they’ve helped you and the firm, and whenever possible make recognition public.

Consider an all-firm community event to build a team environment. Having all firm members join in an activity to benefit others is a good way to build relationships. A Habitat for Humanity house raising, a firm sponsored charitable walk, or some other activity that puts the firm’s name into the community and brings all employees together can reap benefits that far outlast the activity itself.

Think more broadly about how ‘membership’ in your firm can lead to a stronger business, better employee retention, and a reputation that enhances recruitment at all levels. It’s a concept worth implementing.