Office culture can truly make or break the success of a business - especially in an industry like law, where work can be high in both pressure and intensity. The tricky thing about culture is that it's not something that can simply be talked about; it's something that needs to be created. Oftentimes, this enigmatic idea of culture can feel hard to pin down but, in reality, it just exists.

Culture — your firm's culture — is what happens at your firm every single day. It's not a mission statement or a value proposition or a fancy manifesto, culture just is what it is, even when it's not what you'd like it to be. To help illustrate this idea, Jordan Furlon, Attorney and legal blogger, offers his own definition of law firm culture:

"Culture is what people at the firm actually do every day. In harsher terms, it’s what people get away with. Culture is what actually happens. A law firm’s culture is the daily manifestation of its performance expectations and behavioural norms — what is encouraged and what is tolerated. So it’s not a matter of law firms “ignoring” culture — every firm has a culture, and most firms’ cultures are remarkably and depressingly similar. It’s a matter of recognizing that the culture that a law firm develops and sustains has an impact on productivity, retention and morale — in many cases, a catastrophic one."

It's glaringly obvious the ways in which negative culture can adversely affect business performance across multiple departments, such as turnover rates and client retention; the results of which can be devastating for a firm that aims to be profitable. So how do you go about transforming your law firm's culture in order to foster a high performance environment? That's where we've got you covered.

Emphasize results, not action.

In the same way that it's not enough to just get things done (they need to be done right), it's not enough for employees to solely focus on being busy. For example, it's easy to write a blog post and then check it off of your to-do list, but it doesn't do much for business if that blog post doesn't produce any tangible results. Did your team members go the extra mile to share the post on social media? How may engagements did it receive? Fostering a results-oriented environment in which your employees think of their work in terms of achievements and outcomes is a great way to create a culture that's all about high performance.

Reward ideal behavior with positive reinforcement.

It's no secret that using incentives in an office environment works (it's been proven time and time again),  but implementation can be a bit tricky if you're new to the concept. The overarching ideal is that incentivizing work doesn't have to be about providing rewards for certain behaviors; instead, it's all about encouraging your employees when they've done great work and giving them due credit for helping the company grow.

Inspire collaboration, not competition.

If an employee likes the people they work with, it typically means that they also like coming to work which, in turn, means they'll be extra motivated to work hard. That said, if you dream of a culture of hard-working, inspired employees, it's time to create a culture of collaboration! To start, figure out how to get your employees to break out of their regular 9-5 routines and encourage team bonding. From open office plans to off-site excursions, there are endless ways to facilitate relationship-building and open communication amongst your firm's employees.

Establish core values and continuously act on them.

Yes, we did say that culture was so much more than a manifesto (and it is!), but it doesn't hurt to have some kind of established and commonly-held idea of what you're working towards. Being able to summarize your firm's values in under thirty seconds means that you've got it figured out: you know your company, you know where you'd like it to be, and you know what kind of people you need on board in order to get there. These values should be digestible and relatable and they should empower your staff to work towards a "bigger picture," adding meaning to their work day and constantly propelling them forward.

Give feedback early and often to improve employee efficacy.

If you don't like the way something is being handled or the direction in which a project is headed, the worst thing you can do is sit back and watch negative outcomes unfold. (Actually, the worst thing you can do is gossip about it to coworkers, but we're all above that, right?) The art of feedback is such that it exists on a continuum: it shouldn't have a clear beginning or end point. It's not that you should manage in a way that feels eerily similar to hand-holding, but you should always be checking in on the work of your team members, providing positive or course-correcting feedback before an implosion.

Encourage risk.

Having employees who want to try new things and who want to take risk (within reason) is good for a company! Encourage innovation, empower your team members to develop creative solutions, and champion a workplace where new ideas are both respected and enthusiastically supported.

Establish internal branding and make it part of your hiring process.

When you envision your ideal team, what adjectives come to mind? Maybe you dream of an office full of brilliant and motivated professionals who are passionate about the legal industry. If that's the case, then that's exactly who you need to hire. (Kind of obvious, huh?) It can be hard to find and hire the right fit, but if you're being honest about how important culture is to your firm, it's important to hold out for the best person for the job. Don't settle on a B player when an A player is on the horizon.

The most important thing to remember is that your firm's culture doesn't have to be right for everyone, it just has to be right for the people that you want working at your firm. So what are you waiting for? It's time to walk the walk and start living your culture.

Do you have any tips for creating an A+ law firm culture? We'd love to hear all about them in the comments below!