How to Manage Client Deadlines

In a world where law firms do business with clients halfway across the
world, gears turn to keep departments working without a glitch, and managers
chart schedules by the minute, handling tight deadlines without jeopardizing
quality is a top prerogative and an embedded part of today’s competitive legal
market culture.
At Nora.Legal (Based in Michigan, with a broad” US, Canadian and UK presence,
we can support all your legal research and writing, and legal support needs
with accuracy, reliability and efficiency), we have developed a method to this
madness and have learned what it takes to deliver high-quality content at
record speeds.
To never compromise on our clients’ interests, we follow a few best
practices as part of our operations planning management.
1. Never commit to a deadline you cannot meet
It is always important to understand your own potential before saying
yes to a deadline. What you can do before you sign the dotted line: a) Mentally
chart out the project, b) Ask as many questions as you need to set the
expectation, c) Invest in an honest conversation with the team you will lead or
be a part of, d) Be reasonable, not aggressive.
2. Set clear priorities and plan your time
Collect a list of all your tasks and rank them by estimated effort. Knowing
how to prioritize work is important, and it is essential that your deadlines
take this into consideration. Focus on client work as opposed to internal work.
If you have the option, take advantage of every set of hands at your disposal.
3. Leverage project management tools to stay organized
Automation and technology-based tools provide a huge advantage and help
one stay attentive to deadlines. Maintaining a calendar and using Gantt charts
to keep an eye on projects is an excellent way to manage tight deadlines. One
can also set up reporting targets to stakeholders, to track progress and
incorporate changes, while preparing to submit work to clients.
4. Delegate smaller tasks
Dividing the project into smaller tasks and then delegating them to subject
matter experts makes for better results. There is increased focus on each
sub-task and putting the project back together becomes easier. It is all about
synergy within the teams.
5. Use a soft deadline and avoid the eleventh-hour fire drill
It is important to review the work multiple times
before submitting it. A client noticing an error or an obvious spelling mistake
is embarrassing. Ensure you have more than a single soft deadline to review the
work many times before delivering it to the client.
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