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So, how exactly do you launch an LTC4 Certification program at your firm?  Well, there is no single best way.

In this series, we will provide strategies that have worked for LTC4 member law firms, but only you can know what will be the best fit for your firm’s culture.  Here’s the secret: get started.

This first firm started small, with a single pilot group.  Then it turned to LTC4 when rolling out new software and later adopted LTC4 learning plans to guide their new hire training.

We call this...the Snowball Approach

This firm had thought that LTC4 certifications would give their new LMS some structure and motivate their employees to accomplish a goal.  Their strategy was to start small with one certification (Managing Documents and Emails) that also aligned with a business goal.  (Hint: connecting your IT/Learning and Development projects to established business goals is a good way to show firm management that your rowing in the same direction.)    

The firm management was not opposed to the idea, but wanted some indication that the project would deliver increased productivity. This firm began with a pilot group and asked for volunteers to take simple assessments to calculate “pre-certification” levels.  These scores were contrasted with “post-certification” scores, showing a remarkable improvement.

The pilot group posted an average time savings of 40% from the pre-certification data.  Over time, the firm used LTC4 core competencies when rolling out a new time and billing system.  Later, when instituting a yearly cybersecurity training, the firm looked to LTC4 again.  These trainings are probably happening at your firm as well.  But for this firm, the water cooler talk shifted from simply “training” to “certifications” and “learning plans.”

The snowball was growing.

The firm learned that for this approach to be successful, it needed an engaging marketing campaign to capitalize on the buzz.  Rather than seeking a mandate from management to require certification, this firm used marketing to highlight the benefits of learning and included a healthy dose of fun.  The leadership aimed to make LTC4 certification something that one would want to do.  

This included:

Themes: Summertime is Securitytime (the annual Security training) or Aderant April (when LTC4 standards were used to develop training to support a new software rollout).

Prizes: movie tickets, a special breakfast, or gift cards, and certificates to those who successfully completed certification courses.

Recognition: internally to announce certified personnel, and externally through press releases and articles to announce what the firm had accomplished through LTC4 certification.

As new employees joined the firm, they were included in the training and the culture of certification that was snowballing.  Over time, the firm required LTC4 certifications as part of the onboarding process.  It became business as usual.

From a single pilot group to multiple certification pathways, this firm was clear about the benefits of increased proficiency and emphasized the upside of ongoing professional development to shape a culture that welcomed learning.

What do you think about the Snowball Approach?  As we proceed through this series, let us know which strategy or elements within a strategy you find most appealing. Tell us what might need further explanation or more examples.  We’ll give your our best answer because this series is all about equipping you.