James R. Miller is trying to keep up with a rapidly growing family.
When he joined Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote PC in 1974, the law firm claimed about a dozen attorneys.
Now, as chairman, president and CEO, Miller presides over 378 employees and eight satellite offices.
“It was almost like a family,” he says. “I try to still make it feel like we are a close-knit group. I don’t think you can as much as you would like, but it may be a trickle-down effect.”
Smart Business spoke with Miller about how to keep a family environment as your company grows.
Q. How do you connect with employees?
I try to do it by letting them know that I’m just like them and I was a young associate at one time. I try to make them feel at ease and let them know that they shouldn’t view me as the senior shareholder or president of the law firm; I’m someone who has gone through what they’re going through and understands it. I try to put them at ease so we can communicate on a one-to-one level.
It’s maybe some initial talk about things other than the law or what areas you’re focusing in on, knowing their likes or dislikes and connecting on a more personal level. The other thing is having an outing for the employees and their families outside the work environment. For example, we have a Kennywood day [every] July. You get to know people outside the work environment, and you get to communicate and interact with their families.
Q. How do you communicate with employees?
One of the things that I’ve learned being the president and CEO is that even making the most basic decisions, there always seems to be some unexpected or unintended reaction or take on what you’ve done or suggested. What you need to do is be totally honest and communicate directly the rationale for the decision. Try to make sense to them about the decision, and try to erase any doubts or concerns that might crop up in their mind.
Every month, we have our shareholder meeting on one day and then we have our associates meeting the next evening and then a social hour after that. It’s something where you can communicate important decisions of the company or provide important or interesting information to them.
For example, we discuss our financial situation with them, we discuss important decisions. So it’s not just, ‘Come to this meeting,’ but it’s making them feel like they’re a part of the overall fabric of the firm. I give them meaningful information that allows them to understand what the company’s doing and what our vision is in the future.
There has to be a willingness to have a dialogue. It shouldn’t just be shareholders or owners or officers speaking to the younger employees, but there needs to be a willingness to have a give-and-take and respond to their questions and their concerns in an honest matter.
