Law Firms And Data Storytelling, Part 3

This is the third in a series of three blog posts on Law Firms and Data Storytelling.

Last time banging this particular drum. And, yes, I’ll say it one more time: People look at statistics (data), but they feel, and respond to, stories — especially stories about people!

Part three of this series expands upon the question asked in the previous post: Are there different kinds of data our law firms should be collecting, in order to tell a more engaging story to clients (both present and prospective), to distinguish themselves from competitors, and to attract both lateral hires and desirable law school graduates?

In my last post, I offered one suggestion, supported by a personal story (that still makes me smile). If that suggestion made any sense — regardless of whether it is actually pursued — I offer a few other data points that might also be examined, though the story that that data would tell, and the manner in which it is communicated, is left to others.

In no particular order, I suggest that our law firms could tell tremendous stories that reinforce their lawyers’ powers of:

Empathy (Understanding client concerns);

Compassion (A close cousin of empathy, that connotes action);

Vulnerability (Connection);

Gratitude (Even more connection);

Loyalty/Commitment (Through thick and thin);

Determination (Focus);

Wisdom (Knowledge plus ); and

Humility (Satisfaction in a job well done).

Mindfulness and meditation can help us shape the stories that we tell about ourselves (both individually, and collectively) by allowing us the time and space to skillfully respond to the challenges we create for ourselves, as well as the challenges that others ask us to accept, on their behalf.

Historically, we lawyers met those challenges by promoting ourselves as somehow, superhuman — at tremendous cost to our sense of personal well-being. Maybe our profession would benefit by promoting lawyers more simply as skilled humans, rather than super humans.

What’s your story?