Why Your Law Firm Needs a Quarterly Review — Even If You’re “Too Busy”
Most law firms operate in reaction mode. There’s always a case to finish, a client to call, a fire to put out. So when I suggest a quarterly review meeting, the usual response is: “We’re too busy for that.”
But here’s the truth: if you’re too busy to review where you’re going, you're probably going in the wrong direction.
A quarterly review doesn’t need to be long or complicated. It just needs to happen. Because momentum without alignment is just spinning in place.
The Real Cost of Skipping Reviews
When firms don’t pause to reassess, they often:
Keep projects going that should be cut
Miss early signs of burnout or capacity issues
Drift from long-term goals
Make reactionary hiring or spending decisions
Without a quarterly review, you’re flying blind. And in most cases, you’re also repeating mistakes that a 90-minute check-in could have flagged and fixed.
What a Quarterly Review Should Include
It’s not about reviewing every case or checking boxes. It’s about asking:
What’s working well?
What’s not?
What bottlenecks are slowing us down?
Do our goals still match where we’re heading?
Where do we need to adjust?
Think of it as your firm’s built-in gut check — a chance to zoom out and course-correct before you waste a quarter chasing the wrong things.
Client Example: A Simple, Effective Review
One of my clients recently completed their quarterly review. They booked it in advance so the leadership team could travel in with minimal disruption. It was 90 minutes long — short, focused, and intentional.
The agenda:
Celebrate wins
Identify friction points
Invite feedback from every leader
Align on the next 90-day priorities
No overproduction. No 30-slide decks. Just real conversation and real clarity. Everyone left that meeting more aligned and more motivated than they were when they walked in.
Why Reviews Get Skipped — And Why That’s a Problem
The most common excuses I hear:
“We’re too busy.”
“Nothing’s really changed.”
“We can just talk about this in Slack.”
Those aren’t reasons. They’re warning signs.
If you’re too busy to reflect and reset, you’re definitely too busy to waste time on misaligned execution.
How a COO Transforms the Review Process
A fractional COO takes the lift off your plate and ensures:
The review is scheduled (and actually happens)
The agenda is clear and strategic
Everyone comes prepared with metrics and feedback
Decisions get made — not just discussed
Outcomes are tracked after the meeting
It’s not about more meetings. It’s about better meetings that move the firm forward.
If your firm has been stuck in “go-go-go” mode, a quarterly review might be exactly what you need. I’ll help you make it focused, actionable, and worth every minute.