Navigating the initial months in a new role is always a delicate balance between absorbing knowledge and demonstrating impact. Now that you’ve completed your first couple of months in the role (access the first 30 days and the next 30 days of the 90 day plan), it’s time to transition to showcasing measurable successes. The last 30 days of your 90 day plan highlights the importance of leveraging data-driven metrics and setting long-term objectives to ensure sustained growth and alignment with your legal team and organization's overarching goals.
Key Takeaways
- The final 30 days of a 90-day in-house plan shift from learning and building to demonstrating measurable impact.
- Reporting on successes with quantifiable metrics shows the tangible value the legal team delivers to the organization.
- In-house success is measured by business impact, not billable hours, so tracking key legal metrics matters.
- Assessing progress and setting long-term objectives makes sure sustained growth aligned with the legal team and company goals.
- Ready to track and report your legal team's impact? See how Streamline AI captures the metrics that matter, and book a demo.
Report on successes
Today’s companies are becoming increasingly data-driven, placing a premium on quantifiable results and performance metrics. For in-house legal departments, this shift necessitates a departure from traditional law firm metrics, where success is often equated with billable hours worked. Instead, the value proposition of an in-house legal team is the tangible impact they have on the organization, as demonstrated by tracking key legal metrics.
An important milestone in your 90-day plan will be presenting stakeholders with metrics that demonstrate the impact of the changes you have implemented thus far. Highlight successful collaborations and improved relationships with other teams. Share quantifiable key performance metrics, such as reduced response times through standardized playbooks and legal front door software implementation. Showcase how self-help resources and training materials have decreased routine inquiries to the legal team. Quantifying the impact helps reinforce the value your initiatives have delivered as well as help the legal team advocate for more resources if needed.
Assess progress and set long-term objectives
With key relationships in place and initial wins under your belt, continue to look at opportunities for improvement. Ask for informal feedback from your team members and cross-functional partners on what has worked well and what opportunities still exist. These inputs can also help inform broader strategic planning initiatives with company leadership. Brainstorm ambitious but achievable objectives across critical areas like budgeting, talent development, technology implementation, and cross-departmental collaboration.
Establish your annual OKRs and KPIs, and identify and develop a comprehensive 12-month plan for personal and professional growth aligned to the legal team’s continued success and the company’s long-term goals. Look inward at your own skills and knowledge gaps to be addressed through training, mentoring, or other personal growth initiatives. With thoughtful preparation and commitment to continuous improvement, you can ensure that you and the in-house legal department are aligned to drive success. The foundation and momentum you have built allow you to exit the 90-day window with a focused vision and actionable roadmap for the future.
These initial three months are critical in laying the groundwork for your and your legal team’s success within an organization. As you continue in your in-house legal role, remember the value of data-driven metrics and the importance of ongoing assessment to continually refine the delivery of legal services. By embracing a culture of continuous learning, you’ll set up the legal team and the broader organization for success.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should You Do In Days 61 To 90 As In-House Counsel?
The final phase of a 90-day plan focuses on demonstrating measurable impact. Report on successes with quantifiable metrics, highlight improved cross-team relationships, show how process changes reduced response times and routine inquiries, then assess progress and set long-term objectives aligned with the legal team and the organization's goals.
How Do You Measure Success As New In-House Counsel?
Success in-house is measured by business impact rather than billable hours. New counsel should present stakeholders with metrics that show the effect of the changes they implemented, such as reduced response times through playbooks and legal front door software, and decreased routine inquiries from self-help resources and training.
Why Is Reporting On Metrics Important For In-House Counsel?
Reporting on metrics reinforces the value of a legal team's initiatives and helps advocate for more resources when needed. Because modern companies prize quantifiable results, presenting data on improvements demonstrates the legal team's tangible impact and supports its case for headcount, budget, or additional investment.
How Do You Set Long-Term Goals As In-House Counsel?
After establishing key relationships and securing early wins, set long-term objectives that align with the legal team and the organization's broader goals. Use the foundation laid in the first 60 days to identify priorities that will sustain growth, and define measurable targets that keep legal aligned with business strategy.
What Is A 90-Day Plan For New In-House Counsel?
A 90-day plan structures a new attorney's onboarding in three phases. The first 30 days focus on learning the business and building relationships, the next 30 on suggesting process improvements and building playbooks, and the final 30 on demonstrating measurable impact and setting long-term objectives aligned with the organization.
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