Getting the most from stagnation reporting
Stagnation reporting works best when it is reviewed regularly and acted on early. These three habits help your firm get maximum value from it.
A matter without action is a risk — to the client relationship, to cashflow, and in serious cases, to the firm's professional standing. Reviewing stagnation reporting regularly means problems are caught early, files keep moving, and fee earners are not caught off guard at billing time.
Priya Sharma adds the Team Efficiency screen to her weekly team meeting. By working through the list together each week, the team addresses stagnant files before they compound. Over time, locked-up WIP falls and the team consistently hits their targets earlier in each cycle — lifting morale and the team's profile within the firm.
Tom Chen reviews his stagnant matters in My Portfolio at the start of each week. His locked-up WIP is consistently lower than his peers, his clients are less likely to have things fall through the cracks, and he finds it easier to hit his target each period.
Sarah Mitchell sits with each team leader to walk through the stagnation rules and explain the reasoning behind each one. She sets two expectations: team leaders run a weekly review with their team, and they actively encourage fee earners to use My Portfolio. The result is firm-wide adoption without Sarah needing to intervene case by case.
Stagnation reporting is most effective when it becomes a routine rather than a reaction. The firms that get the most from it are the ones that treat it as a weekly habit, not a last resort.