This year, McKinsey Legal launched the Legal Innovation Competition (LIC)—a global innovation competition across the department. To the best of our knowledge, this competition is the first of its kind for an in-house legal department.
The goals of this (friendly) competition were to enhance our creative-thinking skills, unlock innovations in how we work as lawyers and serve as thought partners, and encourage global connectivity among our colleagues.
The leaders of LIC—Jim D’Ambra and Keith Langlais, both Boston-based lawyers—share their reflections on best practices for running similar competitions.
Build the energy
Start communications a few months in advance. To build excitement and anticipation, we started LIC communications about three months prior to the launch and opening ceremony.
Be intentional about the quality and frequency of the communications. Being intentional can signal the department’s (and the organizers’) enthusiasm about the event. We sent LIC weekly updates about important dates, resources, and progress (for example, number of teams signing up).
Use a cohesive communications style. To make LIC communications easily recognizable, we created an LIC logo and email template, and we always used emojis 😁. We aimed for brief and clear communications that reflected the nature of the event (read: not boring 💤).
Create the space
Host a special launch for the event. We hosted an LIC opening ceremony to explain the concept, how to sign up for the event, and the support we would provide. We included a surprise video featuring colleagues from across McKinsey Legal 🌍.
Have department leadership be visible and vocal about their support. Our General Counsel, Pierre Gentin, attended the LIC opening and closing ceremonies to say a few words. He emphasized his support and enthusiasm for the LIC and recognized McKinsey Legal as a distinctive and innovative 🌟 department.
Provide an ‘artifact’ to remind your department of the event. We let every member of McKinsey Legal—from around the globe—order a “thinking cap” 🧢 with the LIC logo to remind them of the event and encourage participation. We made sure to always wear our caps when discussing the LIC!
Provide the support
Provide different opportunities and formats for skills building. To accommodate different time zones and working styles, we offered virtual workshops/sessions, as well as a library 📚 of materials for colleagues to access at their convenience.
Consider working with someone external. Who doesn’t like a new friend? 🤝 We worked with Jen Leonard, Penn Carey Law's Chief Innovation Officer and Founder of Creative Lawyers, to host innovation workshops for all of McKinsey Legal and ideation sessions for each LIC team. Our final-round jury panel included external legal and design experts to provide feedback. 👩⚖️
Be proactive and reach out to see if anyone has questions or needs help. Leading up to the due date for LIC proposals, we hosted weekly “office hours” covering various time zones. We also “crashed” each group’s monthly meeting to talk about the LIC. You couldn’t get rid of us! 😅
Make it easy
Make finding a team and submitting a proposal super simple. We created an intranet page for all things LIC. Each step in the LIC had a corresponding numbered folder ✅ (1. Find a team; 2. Brainstorm your idea; 3. Submit your proposal). We proactively matched those colleagues interested in the LIC with a team.
Ensure participation is low stress. We emphasized throughout the LIC that it was optional, nonevaluative, easy to participate in, and fun! 🎉 We created a standard template for proposal submissions with low word limits (250 words or less). Round one of the LIC did not require a presentation or video. 🙈
Meet people where they are. We recognized throughout the LIC that this might not be energizing or the right time for certain folks to participate. We made clear that McKinsey Legal is still open to exploring innovations outside of the LIC! 👂
Give it legs
Make a plan for winning teams. We messaged to LIC teams that the winners would get the support, resources, and bandwidth to make their innovations happen. After the LIC concluded, we met with each of the teams to discuss their plans and ensure alignment within McKinsey Legal. 🔄
Celebrate and amplify their success. The winning teams were announced to the entire department, and we plan to provide periodic updates on their progress. We also have a trophy engraved with the winners in our NYC office. 🏆
Don’t forget everyone else. We reached out to all the LIC teams—regardless of if they won—to see if they wanted to continue to explore their innovations. Some teams were so passionate and energized that it didn’t matter! ⚡
Is your legal department interested in hosting its own LIC 🥇 or similar competition? Feel free to reach out to Jim and Keith via InTheBalance@mckinsey.com to brainstorm 🧠🌩.