I know it’s starting to seem like I have an issue with size since I keep bringing it up. Believe what you need to believe. Personally, I’m feeling good enough about myself.

Anyway, I’m about to rant about size again. This time it’s about the size of the law firm.

A huge percentage of my conversations with lawyers include the question “how many lawyers do you have?” I answer it, politely, but I’m distressed that it still comes up so often.

The question dates back to a time when law firms increased their profitability through leverage. They had a few partners at the top and many, many associates at the bottom. The more lawyers, assuming the ratios were kept intact, the more profit.

That time is over.

Today the number of lawyers is not a strong predictor of profits. Profits come from effectively implementing progressive approaches to management, marketing and technology. A solo practitioner can earn as much or more, much more, than a partner in a mid-sized or large firm. Income isn’t tied to firm size anymore.

It’s time for us to start asking one another new questions. The old question – how many lawyers do you have – reflects our focus on the wrong things. We’ve got to shift our focus to things that matter. I suppose it isn’t polite to ask how much you took home last year. We should find some new questions.

How about “how many lives have you changed?” or “what difference are you making?” There must be something that we could ask instead of the usual, now irrelevant question. How about you, got any ideas?