Michelle Spencer, the founder of the Legal Learning Development Network, is no stranger to how technology can support lawyers. Spencer’s skills reside at the intersection of people, processes, technology and learning. She can translate technology for non-technical people and manage projects by getting groups connected and communicating, enabling them to work effectively towards their end goal. Spencer is adept at managing learning and IT projects from both the technical and human perspectives. She uses her knowledge – gained from three decades spent on both legal and IT project teams – to help your team. We had an opportunity to connect with Spencer prior to her speaking engagement at the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting in Dallas. You can see her speak during the meeting:
June 23 at 9:30 a.m. in the Coronado BCD Room— Technology to Modernize Your Practice Without Breaking the Bank
You can also meet members of the LexBlog team in the exhibitor hall at booth #28. We are offering complimentary blog reviews and waived initial blog fees during the entire meeting.
How did you first get into the technology side of the law?
I started working in data processing for an Austin law firm when I was 17. We had a large Wang mainframe and my boss was Randi Mayes, founding member and former Executive Director of ILTA, so we were big on using early legal technology to improve efficiency and productivity. A few years later, a clerk and I were responsible for all time and expense entry for the firm. It was all manual data entry back then. The firm had doubled in size (from 30 to 60 attorneys) and their needs were changing. In what was to be my first legal training experience, as the subject matter expert, I was tasked with training the legal secretaries to do time entry. That proved to be an early and memorable lesson in the importance of change management in technology projects involving humans and workflow changes.
Why are you so passionate about it?
After my stint in data processing, I spent several years as a legal secretary and then paralegal before moving to the IT side of the house. I had a knack for technology. Not everyone does. Because of my early career experiences, I have always had compassion for legal teams trying to get their work done while learning to utilize technology effectively. I was frequently the “voice of the people” to IT teams on our projects. I take that responsibility very seriously and like to think that it has helped make for more successful projects.
I also have a strong passion for learning and development. I am a complete L&D nerd. It’s a challenge to come up with creative solutions using technology and then transfer that knowledge and enthusiasm to end users. You have a meaningful impact in people’s work life. That really lights me up.
Learning and development is an area that is sometimes underappreciated in organizations. Now, more than ever, being able to learn, unlearn, and relearn is crucial to the success of our businesses, especially with technology. There are also some exciting developments happening in learning technology right now that will allow us to more directly connect training initiatives to performance and business success. All of this makes me really excited about the future.
What’s the greatest challenge in your work today?
Convincing firms to take the time to stop and really look at their processes and technology and to include everyone in the process. Technology can be a big differentiator, but we spend so much time working in a reactive mode that it’s hard to stop and get into a more creative, inquisitive mindset, dig deep, and create meaningful change.
Managing the people side of technology initiatives can be a delicate balance. There is real fear around the loss of expertise that people have in using current systems. For knowledge workers, this is their livelihood. People need to know that firms are not only investing in technology improvements but also in improving their skills with technology. Providing ample training opportunities and understanding how long transitions will take are crucial. It takes time and deliberate practice to reach mastery, so don’t underestimate the power of old habits to zap motivation.
What’s the one message you want to leave with the Texas Bar audience members?
If firms don’t take a three-pronged approach by looking at their processes, technology, and people, especially how people are using the technology, success is extremely rare. You can buy the best technology in the world, but if you don’t have your people on board and solid processes in place first, then it will likely fail. Take the time to do it right, and reap the benefits many times over.