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Delivering efficient and meaningful management is a widespread issue in the legal community—especially in law firms—and viable solutions can be elusive. In part because of client demands, administrative burdens, employee expectations and the lack of compensation for partners taking on nonbillable managerial roles, many partners avoid management altogether. This makes it difficult for firms to find the right people to take on such roles. But good management makes a firm more competitive, increases employee engagement and thereby decreases attrition.

Law firms tend to find managers in one of two ways, either by plucking rainmakers from their practice or having partners step up when no one else will. Selecting rainmakers relies on the faulty premise that because an attorney is good at developing clients or business, that equates to solid management skills (or a desire to manage). This thinking can often lead to disengaged leaders, a lopsided value system, a lousy workplace culture and cynical partners, associates and staff. Even worse, many partners assume management roles simply because no one else will do so. These partners often lack formal management training or experience, forcing the new managers to learn by doing. This, in turn, leads to frustration—for managers and for those being managed.

Regardless of how a partner ends up in a management role, they face a difficult predicament: whether to focus on their practice or focus on the firm. These partners must balance ­client development, business relationships and billable work—all alongside administrative tasks, firm concerns and firm politics. Not to mention the financial implications of substituting billable work and client development for nonbillable administrative tasks. To try to combat this challenge, firms enlist co-managers or nonpracticing attorneys, but the issues persist.

Currently, law firms tend to lean on more traditional means to select and train managers, often relying on outside consultants and coaches to train attorneys, as well as internal surveys to gauge issues facing employees. Firms also send attorneys to outside leadership training academies and certificate programs. Firms that do nothing by way of training force new managers to learn as they go, which tends to cause burnout, disengagement and failure. Regardless of a firm's selection or training process, management issues endure.

Law firm managers also face the awkward situation of balancing and negotiating the interests of various partners. Partners are typically reluctant to take direction from nonpartners, which can make it difficult for nonlawyers to take on meaningful and effective managerial roles. By contrast, rainmakers who assume managerial roles are typically focused on issues that do not reflect the concerns of most ­attorneys and staff, which can quickly lead to poor morale and disengagement. So, what can firms do to solve these persistent leadership problems?

As noted above, effective management is a unique skill, and a history of success developing business or practicing law isn't an not accurate barometer for whether someone is going to be a good manager, nor is their simple willingness to rise to the occasion because no one else does. Because of the unique skills required to become an effective manager, law firms should approach the selection and development of managers in new ways. This editorial board has considered these issues and is offering some solutions that law firms ought to consider.

Start Early

Becoming a good, effective manager—much like becoming a good, effective attorney—requires training and development. In conjunction with programming focused on teaching young lawyers about the nuts and bolts of litigation or negotiating a deal, law firms should provide mandatory training related to managing others that includes tangible, practical guidance. Young lawyers are immediately thrust into roles where they are managing others, such as secretaries, paralegals and other professional staff, and they need tools and training to effectively lead these teams. The potential for either success or failure in managing these small teams is important to a young lawyer's managerial development. The more support and best practices law firms teach at this early stage of a lawyer's career will provide immense benefits as the lawyer's managerial responsibilities grow in significance and size.

Accountability for Managers

Too often, bad managers are allowed to manage others, including young attorneys, well after they have been identified as lacking the skill or tact to be effective in their role. This leads to continual questions about who put them in charge. And the common response to such a question is that no senior leaders at the law firm are paying attention to—let alone tracking—a person's managerial ability. A firm's unwillingness to address, correct or replace an ineffective manager can impact associate morale, pollute the workplace culture, reduce engagement and lead to decreased retention of attorney talent.

To address this issue, law firms should create clear accountability related to the management of others. To create robust accountability related to law firm management, firms can develop competencies or similar benchmarks that attorneys must satisfy before taking on more advanced management roles, such as managing a large team, practice group or office. These competencies could include participation in formal management or leadership training, shadowing the good mangers at the firm, and positive upward reviews from the individuals whom they manage. Likewise, compensation discussions should take into account positive or negative outcomes of those in management roles.

Offer a New Track

As law firms create more flexible arrangements for attorneys, they should also consider creating a separate track for attorneys interested in law firm management roles. Although some attorneys may be interested in taking on managerial roles at a law firm and continuing their practice, there are others who would prefer to specialize and focus solely on management. A robust management training program would greatly assist attorneys and law firms in identifying whether a specialized management role is suitable for an individual.

A key component to creating an effective, specialized management track is developing an environment where there is no stigma related to "leaving" the practice of law, and allowing a nonpracticing lawyer to lead the firm, including its partners.

Another consideration in creating a separate track for managerial roles is adjusting the billable hour requirements or compensation scale to recognize time spent on management development skills. Spending time on becoming a ­better leader should not be penalized financially. To the contrary, firms should be incentivizing their attorneys to step into leadership roles and rewarding them for doing so.

Law firms have the ability to be more thoughtful and conscientious regarding the selection and development of the ­individuals who manage their attorneys and personnel. By taking a deliberate approach to the selection and development of managers, law firms can create a better and more productive work environment. This also provides firms with another way to demonstrate their innovation and creativity, which many clients and young attorneys seek from firms today.

The views expressed here are personal to the authors and do not ­represent the opinions of their employers.