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The Messy Middle: Why Legal Tech Change Is Worth It

A dark green-tinted image of a frustrated woman in a modern office, surrounded by piles of paper on the desk and floor. She holds documents in one hand and rubs her forehead with the other. A detailed project Gantt chart is spread out in front of her, and a whiteboard covered in complex diagrams is visible behind her. The BlindSpot eye logo appears in the top right corner.

“Change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and gorgeous at the end.”

— Robin Sharma


Legal tech change doesn’t happen with the click of a button. Even the most well-planned implementation will stir up discomfort, confusion, and resistance — not because the tech is bad, but because change, by nature, is disruptive.


Chapter 4 of Beyond the Features opens with Robin Sharma’s powerful quote because it perfectly captures the emotional rhythm of transformation. Legal professionals are trained to manage risk, follow precedent, and deliver consistent outcomes. So when new systems disrupt familiar processes, it’s natural to feel unsettled.


But here’s the truth: that messy middle is where the magic happens.


The Illusion of Smooth Transitions

Firms often believe that if they’ve selected the right technology, the rest will fall into place. But no matter how strategic your selection process, there’s no skipping the human part of change. People will have questions. There’ll be resistance. Processes will feel clunky before they improve.


Change isn’t linear — it’s layered, emotional, and iterative.


The Real Work of Change Management

Chapter 4 dives deep into what makes change management in legal tech successful. Spoiler: it’s not about avoiding friction — it’s about preparing for it. Firms that succeed don’t just roll out software and hope for the best. They:


  • Communicate early and clearly

  • Involve stakeholders at every stage

  • Set realistic timelines and expectations

  • Offer support long after go-live


They understand that the path to gorgeous is paved with a little bit of chaos.


From Frustration to Flourishing

When the new tech finally clicks — when workflows smooth out, when hours of admin shrink to minutes, when users start saying “this actually helps” — that’s when you see the payoff.


Yes, it was hard at first.

Yes, it was messy in the middle.

But now? It’s something better than just working — it’s working beautifully.


Final Thought

Legal tech change is a journey. Don’t dread the middle. Embrace it. Plan for it. Lead through it. Because on the other side is a more agile, modern firm — and a team that knows you had their back every step of the way.

A digital graphic with a black background features a messy, scribbled grey ball on the left, overlaid with two bright green circular arrows. On the right, a quote reads: “Change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and gorgeous at the end.” — Robin Sharma. The text is in white, with green quotation marks and the author’s name in green. At the bottom is a thin green line and the BlindSpot eye logo, featuring a stylised eye with three green lines.


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A clickable image of the Beyond the Features book cover. Clicking the image takes you to a page where you can purchase both the PDF and print versions of the book.

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