Why “Everyone Is Doing Their Best” Isn’t a Performance Strategy
“Everyone is doing their best.”
I hear this phrase constantly from law firm leaders.
And most of the time, it’s said sincerely.
Teams are working hard.
People care.
No one is trying to drop the ball.
But effort and performance are not the same thing — and confusing the two creates blind spots that quietly hold firms back.
Good Intentions Don’t Equal Good Outcomes
In professional environments, especially law firms, motivation is usually not the problem.
Most people want to:
do quality work
meet expectations
contribute meaningfully
be seen as reliable professionals
So when leadership says, “Everyone is doing their best,” what they often mean is:
“I don’t see obvious problems.”
But the absence of visible problems is not proof of strong performance.
It’s often proof that performance isn’t being measured clearly.
A Real Example I See All the Time
Here’s a true story from a recent client engagement.
Both management and ownership repeatedly told me:
“The team is fantastic. They’re doing a great job.”
There was no reason to doubt that belief.
The team was busy.
People were responsive.
No one appeared disengaged.
So we proceeded assuming the metrics would simply confirm what leadership already believed.
Instead, once the data was built and reviewed:
utilization gaps became obvious
write-offs were higher than expected
effective billing rates varied widely
work quality issues surfaced
accountability gaps became visible
None of this had been obvious before.
Not because leadership was ignoring problems — but because nothing was making them visible.
The team was trying their best.
They just weren’t performing at the level leadership assumed.
Why This Assumption Is So Common in Law Firms
Law firms are particularly prone to this mindset because:
busyness is mistaken for productivity
effort is mistaken for effectiveness
professionalism is mistaken for performance
problems are often fixed quietly
leaders absorb friction without realizing it
As long as clients aren’t complaining and work is getting done, leadership assumes things are fine.
But “fine” is not the same as healthy — or scalable.
Effort Without Expectations Creates Inconsistency
When expectations aren’t explicit:
people self-define “good work”
standards vary by individual
feedback feels subjective
performance conversations feel personal
This makes leadership hesitant to push further — because it feels unfair.
After all, if people are trying, how do you tell them it’s not enough?
The answer isn’t pressure.
It’s clarity.
This Is Why Data Changes the Conversation
Metrics don’t replace judgment.
They anchor it.
When utilization, write-offs, billing effectiveness, and workload distribution are visible:
assumptions get tested
patterns emerge
coaching becomes targeted
accountability becomes objective
The conversation shifts from:
“Are they trying?”
to
“Is the system producing the results we expect?”
That’s a much healthier place to lead from.
“Doing Their Best” Often Means “Doing What They Understand”
In many cases, underperformance isn’t about capability.
It’s about:
unclear priorities
vague quality standards
inconsistent delegation
undefined ownership
mixed signals from leadership
People can only perform to the standard they understand.
If expectations live in leaders’ heads instead of systems, teams guess — and guessing creates variance.
Accountability Without Clarity Feels Unfair
This is why accountability feels so uncomfortable in many firms.
Without clear expectations:
feedback feels subjective
corrections feel sudden
performance conversations feel emotional
leaders hesitate to push
Take a closer look at: Why Accountability in Law Firms Feels Uncomfortable — And Why That’s a Problem.
Accountability doesn’t fail because people are sensitive.
It fails because clarity came too late.
What High-Performing Firms Do Differently
Firms that move past the “doing their best” trap:
define success explicitly
document expectations
use metrics as signals, not weapons
review performance regularly
course-correct early
Effort is still valued.
But it’s paired with structure — so performance doesn’t rely on interpretation.
This Isn’t About Micromanagement
It’s important to be clear about what this isn’t.
This is not about:
hovering
policing
tracking for tracking’s sake
distrusting professionals
It’s about respecting professionals enough to give them:
clear targets
consistent standards
honest feedback
fair evaluation
Professionals don’t want ambiguity.
They want to know what “good” looks like.
The Question Leaders Should Ask Instead
Instead of asking:
“Is everyone doing their best?”
Ask:
Do we know how performance actually looks?
Are expectations clearly defined?
Can we see where work is slipping?
Are we relying on assumptions or data?
Would the truth surprise us?
Those answers determine whether leadership is informed — or just hopeful.
If your firm assumes strong performance because everyone is working hard, you may be missing important signals.
I help law firms move from assumptions to clarity by designing performance expectations and metrics that reveal where things are truly working — and where they aren’t — without blame or micromanagement.