The 80/20 Principle

163: Visualizing Workflows using Kanban Boards (with John Grant)


Listen Later

Making your work visible is vital for knowledge workers (like lawyers), and the best way of doing that is by using a Kanban Board. Task managers just can't cut it.

In this episode, Ernie talks with John Grant a consultant who helps fellow lawyers fix their legal workflows using Kanban Boards to help them manage tasks more effectively and collaborate better.

Show Notes

  • Agile Attorney (John Grant's website)
  • The Voice of The Client (John's podcast where he interviews lawyer clients)
  • Thinking Fast & Slow, Daniel Kahneman
  • Making Work Visible: Exposing Time Theft to Optimize Work & Flow, by Dominica DeGrandis (John's book recommendation)
  • The Rise & Fall of GTD (Cal Newport's article in the New Yorker)
  • Lean Software Development (Wikipedia article)
  • Agile Software Development (Wikipedia article)
  • Scrum Software Development (Wikipedia article)
  • Knowledge Workers (Wikipedia definition)
  • How to Think Better And Profit More (Ernie's blog post)
  • Feedback loops (Wikipedia definition)
  • Kanban (Wikipedia definition)
  • Trello (Kanban board tool used by Ernie, which he recommends)
  • KanbanZone (Kanban board tool that John recommends)
  • WIP: a task started by not yet finished (Wikipedia definition)
  • Start less to finish more (a key principle of the Agile work method)
  • Optimism Bias (Wikipedia definition)
  • Why All Your Projects Are Late And What to Do About It (Freakonomics podcast)
  • Less Doing: Ari Meisel's website (productivity guru that Ernie follows and recommends)
  • "Honest reckoning with capacity" (John's advice for not succumbing to optimism bias)
  • "Brutal assessment of priority" (John's related advice)

General Resources

  • The 80/20 Principle (my email newsletter)
  • The 5 Pillars of a Tech-Powered Law Practice
  • The Inner Circle (an online community for law firm owners)

Thanks to Our Sponsors

SweetProcess is a great way to document your important workflows. Doing so will help make your practice run more smoothly, and require less involvement on your part to keep things running smoothly.

The best way to understand how SweetProcess will help streamline your firm is to start using it. The company offers a 14-day free trial, but as a loyal listener of this podcast, you can try it for 28-days free of charge. And you don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started.

Just navigate to SweetProcess.com/ernie to start your 28-day free trial today.

And thanks to the other sponsor of this podcast…

Smith.ai is an amazing virtual receptionist service that specializes in working with solo and small law firms. When you hire Smith.ai you’re actually hiring well-trained, friendly receptionists who can respond to callers in English or Spanish.

If there’s one great outsourcing opportunity for your practice, this is it. Let Smith.ai have your back while you stay focused on your work, knowing that your clients and prospects are being taken care of.

Plans start at just $140 a month for calls or chats. And they have a special offer for podcast listeners where you can get an extra $100 discount with promo code ERNIE100. Sign up for a free trial now (and learn more) at www.smith.ai. 

EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.

Find out more at EmeraldCity Pro.

 

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The 80/20 PrincipleBy Ernie Svenson

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

87 ratings


More shows like The 80/20 Principle

View all
Your Law Firm - Lee Rosen of Rosen Institute by Lee Rosen

Your Law Firm - Lee Rosen of Rosen Institute

39 Listeners

Un-Billable Hour: Business Management Strategies for the Busy Lawyer Around the Community Table by Legal Talk Network

Un-Billable Hour: Business Management Strategies for the Busy Lawyer Around the Community Table

31 Listeners

New Solo by Legal Talk Network

New Solo

115 Listeners

The Tim Ferriss Show by Tim Ferriss: Bestselling Author, Human Guinea Pig

The Tim Ferriss Show

16,062 Listeners

Lawyerist Podcast by Lawyerist.com

Lawyerist Podcast

136 Listeners

Lunch Hour Legal Marketing by Legal Talk Network

Lunch Hour Legal Marketing

53 Listeners

Above the Law - Thinking Like a Lawyer by Legal Talk Network

Above the Law - Thinking Like a Lawyer

457 Listeners

The Law Entrepreneur by Sam Mollaei and Neil Tyra

The Law Entrepreneur

2 Listeners

Maximum Lawyer by Tyson Mutrux

Maximum Lawyer

201 Listeners

Profit with Law: Profitable Law Firm Growth by Moshe Amsel

Profit with Law: Profitable Law Firm Growth

90 Listeners

The Law Firm Owner Podcast by Melissa Shanahan

The Law Firm Owner Podcast

33 Listeners

Grow Your Law Firm by Ken Hardison

Grow Your Law Firm

56 Listeners

Deep Questions with Cal Newport by Cal Newport

Deep Questions with Cal Newport

1,278 Listeners

They Don't Teach This in Law School by Law Firm Alchemy LLC

They Don't Teach This in Law School

38 Listeners

The Renegade Lawyer Podcast by Ben Glass

The Renegade Lawyer Podcast

9 Listeners