But it took a page from its clients’ books when it hired a career coach to fine-tune the leadership skills of its partners.

Co-founder Paul LaBarge says the firm hired Keepers Inc. to ensure its lawyers and support staff aren’t driven off by the breakneck speed its clients demand.

“The law profession is becoming like every other sector,” he says. “People have choices. If you want to get and keep the best people, then I think you have to be cognizant as an organization of what your impact is on the [working] environment.”

Through a series of co-worker questionnaires and face-to-face meetings, Keepers helps managers become “aware of the impact of their leadership skills,” says Karen St. Jean, a partner with the Toronto- and Ottawa- based consultancy. 

Keepers applies a new technology to an old concept - 360-degree feedback. 

LaBarge Weinstein’s four partners recently completed the program.

A handful of their co-workers, from secretaries to associates, logged on to Keepers’ Web site to fill out a survey. Anonymously, they rated their bosses on 21 different attributes. The list covers the key areas in which good managers must be effective: communicating, strategy and structure, and emotional intelligence.

St. Jean says the program helps managers become better leaders.

“The impact that has on the people who work for them is obviously positive,” she says. “If I’m a better boss, employees are going to be happier.”

St. Jean compiles the scores and written comments into a report.

“The next step is to help them understand where they stand in the eyes of others,” says St. Jean.

Then she sits down with the manager, who she says is usually on “tenterhooks,” and walks them through it. Together, they devise a plan to address the concerns.

“It’s always a little humbling,” LaBarge says of the surveys, adding the anonymity ensures frank answers. 

“People don’t feel as constrained about what they say. What it does do is give you a sense of self-awareness when you start to see what impact you have on other people.”

He said the process has improved the flow of information within the office.

“We communicate beautifully with our clients, but we don’t always communicate to that same level inside. I think this process improves that,” LaBarge says.

“Lawyers, generally speaking, can communicate among themselves. You also have to take a look and say, ‘What’s the impact on the other people in this organization?’”

After six months has passed, the poll is repeated and the improvements are measured.

St. Jean says things don’t always get better. She likens the process to an athlete’s training.

“We can’t go in there saying, ‘In six months, you’re going to be a pro.’ If they decide they want to run a marathon and they don’t do any training, it’s not likely they’ll be able to complete it. We give them the tools. If they truly don’t see the value in it and decide not to put any effort into it, nothing will change.”

St. Jean says managers are often too busy to realize others are feeling trampled by the speed of business. She adds that law firm partners are often too busy practising law to put on their manager’s cap.

“It’s cool to be busy,” she says, adding the go-go-go work ethic that drives people to work 60-hour weeks isn’t always a problem. “It’s when it’s enforced on an individual, then it becomes an obstacle,” St. Jean says.

LaBarge likens running a law firm to “herding mercury”.

“It’s managing a business with a whole bunch of owners….every one of whom, because of the way they’re trained, has an opinion on every subject.”

It’s important to focus that energy on the client, he says. 

“The moment you start to compete internally, you’re sowing the seeds of your own destruction,” LaBarge says. “It’s counterproductive." 

“You have to have good relationships with your clients. But there’s no point in having a good relationship with your clients if you don’t have an effective team delivering the service.”

LaBarge Weinstein, which has a fairly young staff of 14 lawyers and 15 support staff, strives to become more like the clients it serves in the fast-paced world of technology. Its clients include high-tech stars such as JDS Fitel, JetForm, and AIT Corp.

It’s no accident the firm has started to resemble its clients, with a non-traditional structure and casual dress code.

LaBarge says companies that run at Internet speed expect the same of their legal counsel.

To achieve this, the firm places less importance on billable hours and focuses on goals and relationships with clients. It encourages associates to call in colleagues whose expertise is needed, instead of hanging on to the file and amassing hours.

The “collegial” culture has helped them avoid the “dysfunctional” ego clashes that plague some firms, he says. It also avoids the trap of having lawyers who are wonderful with their clients and terrors to the staff.

“One of the reasons we started this firm was we found the whole structure of law partnerships is kind of arcane,” says LaBarge, who began practicing in 1976. “There seems to be a whole philosophy of ‘Ride ‘em hard, put ‘em away wet.’”

Its lawyers work as hard and long as any others, but “have more fun doing it,” he says. “Put it this way, I have a sense they don’t feel abused.”