25 min
119: Creating Conditions for Change LeftFoot - Fresh Conversations on the Business of Law
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- Business
On episode 119 we talk with Mo Zain Ajaz, the 2018 Legal 500 Individual of the Year for Legal Operations. Mo is accountable for operational excellence across National Grid’s Global Legal Function.
With a 25% efficiency goal, the legal operations team at National Grid started by gaining visibility to their external spends. The introduction of an e-billing system provided data for scoping outside work, matter budgeting and stronger alignment with firms. To manage risk and efficiency, National Grid prioritizes legal work; matter profile and risk thresholds underpin decisions specifically what can be done outside at a lower cost without increasing risk.
With the addition of data and standards for outside engagement, the next step involved enabling change with lean design thinking visual management; real time messaging and with the Hines Model for change. The Hines model shows when key conditions for change are present and more importantly when a key condition is missing.
The model can be used to take an audience from current state to future state. One of its tools is 3C. Using 3C stakeholders are asked:
• What are your concerns with the current way of doing things?
• What is the cause of these concerns?
• What would be the counter-measure to this concern?
The 3C model puts a counter-measure in place and asks the stakeholder to test and break the system. The power of the counter-measure is to partner with the stakeholder and deliver the agreed approach for acceptance.
Creating the conditions for change and collaboration with law firms is the role of in-house teams. National Grid holds quarterly Operational Excellence Workshops with their firms to do design thinking and 3C process mapping. These workshops resolve problems, address issues and ensure deliverables for the next quarter and year are met.
Another strong practice is performing a firm technology audit ensuring timesaving technology is implemented on National Grid work. This collaborative effort reviews bottlenecks to ensure technology and its efficiency is implemented and embraced to its full potential.
The next frontier for National Grid is obligations tracking within a contract lifecycle. Data suggestions a 10% savings on procurement spend when post-negotiation obligations are well managed. Working with a broad team of stakeholders in the industry they are looking to partner and take on this challenge. That’s what legal operations and executing change is about solving big hairy problems with your partners in the ecosystem.
Mo Zain Ajaz is the Global Head of Legal Operational Excellence at National Grid. He has responsibility for legal function strategy, operations, embedding performance excellence, technology, as well as panel firm appointment and delivery.
On episode 119 we talk with Mo Zain Ajaz, the 2018 Legal 500 Individual of the Year for Legal Operations. Mo is accountable for operational excellence across National Grid’s Global Legal Function.
With a 25% efficiency goal, the legal operations team at National Grid started by gaining visibility to their external spends. The introduction of an e-billing system provided data for scoping outside work, matter budgeting and stronger alignment with firms. To manage risk and efficiency, National Grid prioritizes legal work; matter profile and risk thresholds underpin decisions specifically what can be done outside at a lower cost without increasing risk.
With the addition of data and standards for outside engagement, the next step involved enabling change with lean design thinking visual management; real time messaging and with the Hines Model for change. The Hines model shows when key conditions for change are present and more importantly when a key condition is missing.
The model can be used to take an audience from current state to future state. One of its tools is 3C. Using 3C stakeholders are asked:
• What are your concerns with the current way of doing things?
• What is the cause of these concerns?
• What would be the counter-measure to this concern?
The 3C model puts a counter-measure in place and asks the stakeholder to test and break the system. The power of the counter-measure is to partner with the stakeholder and deliver the agreed approach for acceptance.
Creating the conditions for change and collaboration with law firms is the role of in-house teams. National Grid holds quarterly Operational Excellence Workshops with their firms to do design thinking and 3C process mapping. These workshops resolve problems, address issues and ensure deliverables for the next quarter and year are met.
Another strong practice is performing a firm technology audit ensuring timesaving technology is implemented on National Grid work. This collaborative effort reviews bottlenecks to ensure technology and its efficiency is implemented and embraced to its full potential.
The next frontier for National Grid is obligations tracking within a contract lifecycle. Data suggestions a 10% savings on procurement spend when post-negotiation obligations are well managed. Working with a broad team of stakeholders in the industry they are looking to partner and take on this challenge. That’s what legal operations and executing change is about solving big hairy problems with your partners in the ecosystem.
Mo Zain Ajaz is the Global Head of Legal Operational Excellence at National Grid. He has responsibility for legal function strategy, operations, embedding performance excellence, technology, as well as panel firm appointment and delivery.
25 min