Stop Building Workarounds: Why Law Firms Need to Solve Root Problems

Here’s how a workaround usually starts:

“Just CC me on the emails for now.”
“Let’s track it in a shared spreadsheet.”
“Text me when the file’s ready.”

And just like that, the process becomes… a process. A bad one.

What Is a Workaround?

It’s a patch — a temporary fix that becomes permanent because no one takes the time to solve the root issue.

Examples:

  • Manual invoice tracking because billing software isn’t set up properly

  • 5-step intake emails or chasing down infinite amounts of information because no one built the form

  • Asking the receptionist to remind the team to update deadlines

  • Creating “roles” for people that don’t exist in the org chart

These feel like solutions — but they’re symptoms of missing systems.

Why Workarounds Hurt Firms

  • Time-consuming

  • Error-prone

  • Unscalable

  • Hidden from leadership

  • Frustration and burn out of your best people

The longer you rely on them, the more they become embedded — and harder to unwind.

How to Spot a Workaround Culture

  • If someone leaves, the whole system collapses

  • There’s no centralized documentation

  • Most communication happens in text or side channels

  • Team members say “We just do it this way” but no one knows why

Solve the Root, Not the Symptom

Ask:

  • What’s the actual breakdown here?

  • Who owns this outcome?

  • What’s the simplest system we can build to solve this?

  • Can we automate or eliminate this step?

This is COO thinking — and it’s the difference between duct tape and design.

COO Role in System Design

A COO:

  • Identifies recurring inefficiencies

  • Maps processes

  • Creates clear workflows with ownership

  • Documents systems

  • Aligns tools with people — so the work flows


If your firm is running on patches and hope, it’s time to upgrade your systems. Let’s replace the workarounds with operations that actually work.

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What a COO Actually Does in a Law Firm (And Why You Probably Need One)

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