Please enjoy this blog authored by Melissa L. Brown, Learning & Development Manager, Holland & Hart.
Ctrl+Alt+Adapt – Business Earthquake Survival Kit
The ground beneath legal technology has perhaps never felt more unstable.1 And as we're all too well aware, we're experiencing more than isolated tremors. Instead, we're facing a series of seismic shifts, each one each one shaking the ground beneath our feet. Consider this: just last year, AI adoption among legal professionals surged from 19% to 79%.2 The technological evolution in our industry has been building for decades. From dictation machines to cloud computing, from paper files to digital workflows, each wave of change has come faster than the last. Now blockchain, data analytics, and other emerging technologies are reshaping how legal professionals work,3 while client expectations evolve just as rapidly—70% now actively seek or readily accept AI-enabled legal services.4
For seasoned professionals in business and professional services, the current pace of change feels less like an occasional tremor and more like a constant state of upheaval. What once felt like minor, or at least infrequent, vibrations, now feel like a constant barrage of aftershocks, with the occasional earthquake threatening to topple everything we've built. Incremental adaptation no longer suffices.5 We need a comprehensive survival kit - one built from hard-won experience across various business sectors including the legal industry and professional services.
Calibrating Your Seismograph
The good news is that quakes rarely strike without warning; rather, they send out subtle tremors if you know what to look for. Throughout my career, I've learned a thing or two about spotting these early signals of impending change. The signs often appear in unexpected places - shifting client questions, emerging job descriptions, evolving performance metrics.
Case in point, during the 2008 financial crisis, I witnessed how subtle shifts in client behavior foreshadowed major technological changes. While some firms struggled to adapt to the rapid adoption of mobile banking, those who'd paid attention to the early indicators were better prepared to meet the evolving needs of their organizations and their clients.
These patterns of change repeat across different technologies and times. For example, more recently, in 2023, I began getting numerous questions from various individuals in my professional network about the capabilities of AI. And they weren't just asking about basic automation. The questions focused on more sophisticated applications: Could AI help ensure consistency across dozens or even hundreds of documents and reports? Could it draft preliminary communications based on specific parameters or precedent? Could it analyze terms across multiple fields? The frequency and complexity of these questions signaled a fundamental shift in how this evolving technology was being viewed, and who was paying attention.
Detecting these early signals is crucial, but it's only the first step. Once you've spotted the tremors, you need a strong foundation to weather what's coming.
Building Earthquake-Ready Foundations
If there's one thing my decades across professional services have taught me, it’s that surviving professional earthquakes requires more than just quick reflexes - it demands intentional preparation. Back in financial services, I watched seemingly minor process changes cascade into major operational disruptions. A "simple" trading platform update rippled through every aspect of operations, affecting everything from compliance workflows to client communications. That experience reinforced my belief that preparation isn't just about skills - it's about building resilience into every aspect of your professional practice.
Let me share what I've found works:
Core Competency Cultivation
A mentor once told me, "Technologies come and go, but problem-solving principles endure." Those words have guided my approach ever since. Whether you're managing systems, optimizing operations, or developing talent, your true value lies in those foundational skills that transcend specific tools. My background in thought leadership and process analysis, for instance, has proven invaluable across multiple industries and technological shifts - from paper-based workflows to digital transformation to AI-enhanced operations.
The Power of Professional Networks
Some of the most valuable insights about shifts don't come from formal announcements or press releases. They emerge from those casual conversations with colleagues, the virtual coffee breaks, and the occasional LinkedIn insights - where you begin to perceive subtle, but noticeable changes encroaching. When several colleagues across different organizations started discussing their struggles with uneven AI adoption last quarter, it signaled a broader challenge emerging. This early awareness proved invaluable, and by the time publications began highlighting this 'AI divide' as a critical challenge, I'd already had the opportunity to explore remedial strategies and develop practical frameworks for bridging technology adoption gaps across the vertical.
These network-driven insights often spark the most effective solutions. After hearing similar challenges from multiple colleagues about change management during technology implementations, I began documenting patterns and successful approaches. This led to developing more nuanced strategies for managing transitions - approaches that acknowledge both the technical and human elements of change.
Field Notes on Fault Lines
Speaking of documentation, I keep a detailed log tracking everything from minor workplace tremors to major organizational quakes. In this "Professional Richter Scale," I document not just the events themselves, but the resulting disruptions and the strategies that restored stability. These records reveal clear patterns about what steadies organizations during change and what leaves them vulnerable.
This approach proved particularly valuable during Covid-19 when an organization I was working with faced resistance to a new collaboration platform. Amidst the upheaval, I consulted notes from a similar CRM implementation I had experienced years earlier. The patterns of organizational change remained consistent, and those historical insights proved invaluable. What worked before - clear communication, phased rollouts, dedicated support channels - worked again, albeit with some contemporary adjustments.
The combination of strong core competencies, active professional networks, and documented experience provides the stability needed to weather any technological storm. Thus, like a well-designed building that flexes rather than breaks during seismic activity, these elements working together help absorb and adapt to change. But even the best preparation can't prevent aftershocks. Let me share what I've learned about handling those inevitable ripple effects.
Navigating the Aftershocks
Major changes ripple through organizations in unexpected ways. I witnessed this firsthand a few years ago during a learning management system implementation. What seemed straightforward on paper - upgrading to a new platform - triggered waves of downstream impacts. Workflows built around the old system needed complete redesign. Training materials required reconstruction for new delivery methods. Integration points with other systems revealed hidden dependencies.
The real challenge turned out to be not the technical implementation, but in the management of the unforeseen aftershocks. Success required constant communication, flexible planning, and rapid problem-solving. Most importantly, it demanded recognition that change never ends with implementation - it evolves.
Charting Your Course
As the legal technology landscape continues to evolve, survival demands more than keeping pace. It requires actively shaping your path through shifting terrain. Start by understanding your current position - what core strengths can you build upon? What capabilities need developing? Where do opportunities for growth exist? For me recently, this meant diving deep into Generative AI's practical applications and strategic implications. Once that’s formed, look beyond the horizon. Which signals hint at the next significant shift? How might emerging technologies reshape your role, your team, your organization? What groundwork laid today might transform future disruptions into opportunities?5
The tremors running through legal technology signal bigger changes ahead.6 Those who build solid foundations and strong networks today will shape how our industry evolves tomorrow.7 The next major shift isn't a matter of if, but when - and preparation now determines who guides that transformation.
About the Author
Melissa L. Brown, who leads Learning & Development at Holland & Hart LLP, combines over two decades of experience in HR and Learning & Development with her research on organizational adaptation and technology adoption in legal operations. Her doctoral focus is The AI Innovator's Dilemma: An Exploratory Analysis of Professional Services Transformation.