THE PROFITABLE LAW FIRM Getting Oriented Before You Accelerate

Craig Medley
Jan 9
2 min read

There’s a natural urge, especially early in the year, to move faster.

The calendar fills. Clients reengage. New matters arrive. And before long, the firm is operating at full speed again.

But the most effective leaders I work with don’t accelerate immediately. They pause, briefly, to get oriented.

Not because they lack momentum, but because they understand something important:

Speed without direction creates stress. Direction creates progress.

Why Orientation Matters

When a firm accelerates without clarity, small issues become harder to see and harder to fix.

The result is familiar:

decisions made quickly but not deliberately
financial questions answered with guesses instead of data
trust and billing issues discovered later than they should be
leadership reacting instead of leading

Orientation isn’t about slowing down the business. It’s about making sure effort is pointed in the right direction before pressure builds.

What “Getting Oriented” Actually Means

Orientation doesn’t require a retreat or a long planning session. It’s a short, intentional reset that helps leadership regain perspective.

At a minimum, it means answering a few clear questions before workload ramps up:

Do we understand where the firm stands financially right now?
Are our trust balances clean and reconciled?
What work is already in progress and what hasn’t been billed yet?
Where did friction show up last month?
What would make the next 30–60 days run more smoothly?

When these questions go unanswered, firms don’t necessarily fail - they just operate with more tension than necessary.

Why This Is a Leadership Skill

Orientation is one of the quiet habits that separates reactive firms from well-run ones.

Strong leaders:

take a moment to assess before deciding
use numbers as a guide, not an afterthought
create space for clarity before urgency takes over

This doesn’t mean every answer is perfect. It means leadership is grounded. Management tone carries through the firm.

What You Can Do This Week

You don’t need to fix everything. You just need to reestablish your bearings.

Here’s a simple way to start:

Review your current financial snapshot Look at cash, outstanding invoices, WIP, and trust balances, even briefly.
Identify one system causing friction Billing delays. Trust confusion. Month-end slippage. Pick one.
Decide one small improvement One adjustment that reduces stress or uncertainty going forward.

That’s it.

Orientation isn’t about perfection, it’s about intention.

A Final Thought

The firms that feel calm under pressure usually didn’t get there by accident. They built the habit of checking their direction before pushing the gas.

If you take the time to get oriented now, acceleration becomes a choice, not a reaction.

And that’s how sustainable progress is made.

If you’d like help reviewing where things stand or getting oriented before workload ramps up, I’m always happy to have a conversation.