What does this layer contain?
The building blocks of the Pyramid allow you to start operating consistently and with a measure of clarity. This is not just trying to walk before you can run; this is trying to tie your shoelaces before you walk!
This layer focuses on elements that will provide consistency for your function's operation. Without these, you will likely be limited to operating reactively, and unable to implement structure to your operations, never mind proactively plan for the future.
What does this look like in practice?
One key example is the Organisational Design of your legal department. Setting out the expected roles and responsibilities of team members is essential. Without this, you won’t have clear boundaries on what work is delivered by whom, preventing you from adding further structure.
Knowledge Management is also a critical part of a legal team's foundation. Knowledge is the main currency of any lawyer, and the primary function of that process is ensuring that knowledge is shared and applied correctly in the right places. Without a clear approach to how knowledge is stored, maintained, and shared, it is, therefore, challenging to operate in anything close to a sophisticated manner.
Similarly, Process Mapping is crucial for any legal team that wishes to move up the Pyramid and think strategically. To properly assess how the legal team is currently operating, be able to gather data, and improve its performance, it needs to deliver key processes consistently. For example, when a new contract review request is received from the business, what happens next, who should do this, and in what order does each step take place? If things are done differently every time, assessing the best way to improve is nigh on impossible.
Our Key Takeaway: Setting the foundations is all about adding consistency and clarity to the way that you operate. Once you have these foundational basics in place, you are in a good position to become more structured and deliberate in how you operate.
