Ep11 How to make a Reverse Sandwich Contract – the high level process for creating a powerfully productive contract

This is the episode that puts together all the previous episodes and ideas into one full process overview…

•        We run through the four big Secrets of Productive Contracts
•        We step through six steps of how to make a Reverse Sandwich Contract™  which makes use of those four contract secrets

‘Lawyers must consciously imagine contract structures that will promote full understanding of the purposes and provisions of a contract…’ Thomas Barton, Helena Haapio, and Tatiana Borisova, ‘Flexibility and Stability in Contracts’© (2014) Retrieved via ulapland.fi/loader.aspx?id=5a80d6cd-83dd-4126-bb16-a069b85533d2, accessed 10 June 2017.

In Episode 01 (Productive Contracts: Reverse Sandwich Contracts), we met our productivity powerhouse, the Reverse Sandwich Contract™. We learnt the basic concept and structure of a Reverse Sandwich Contract and why it makes for a tasty contracting experience.

In Episode 02 (A contract is not a bit of paper), we started thinking digitally about how we work with contracts and contract users.

By Episode 03 (Be a lazy lawyer) and Episode 04 (Delegate like Beyonce), we were starting to think like a lazy lawyer and keep a look out for minions so we can delegate like Beyonce.

From Episode 05 (Triple O Productivity) all the way to Episode 10 (How to map a contract process), we covered a lot of productivity ground. We learnt how to apply Triple O Productivity to everything we touch – the contract document (Episode 06) and contract process (Episode 09) – to streamline our contract into a productivity producing beast. We learnt the SLAPP test in Episode 07 to streamline contracts and we tried to lose legalese from our contracts in Episode 08.

We know we can’t put lipstick on a pig of a process and expect miracles. We do the work to understand the contract process before we try to palm off our process problems to software or our contract users.

We Obliterated everything we don’t need from our contract process and contract document. We Optimised the document to be as easy to read as possible (and then SLAPPed it to make sure). We know we can SLAPP our contract document into shape if we ever want to do a quick productivity check-up on the contract document to make sure it’s easy to read and use for all.

We Optimised the process to be as smooth as possible with the least number of steps. We channelled our inner Beyoncé to Outsource parts of the contract document creation and aspects of the contract process to ready and (mostly) willing human and robot minions.

Now, it is time to put all the secrets together and make our very own Reverse Sandwich Contract™.

Let’s recap the secrets of productive contracts

1. MAKE A REVERSE SANDWICH CONTRACT

Useful and usable | Structure your contract for the future to get productivity wins on the board, fast. See Episode 01.

2. YOUR CONTRACT IS NOT A BIT OF PAPER

Think digitally | Start thinking digitally to see your contract (and life!) for what it really is and what it can be.

3. BE A LAZY LAWYER

Delegate like Beyoncé | Learn to automate and outsource. Always lookout for minions (human and robot) who can effectively do a contractual task, leaving you to increase your skills in higher value areas. See Episode 02.

4. TRIPLE O PRODUCTIVITY

Apply TOP for your contract document and contract process

Write for readability | Obliterate, Optimise and Outsource your contract document for massive productivity gains. SLAPP your contract into shape. Use the SLAPP system’s five key document angles to confirm your contract document is at its productive peak – Structure, Looks, Automation, Plain language , Pictures.

Be curious | Obliterate, Optimise and Outsource your contract process for an ongoing efficiency pay off. Don’t put lipstick on a process pig! Fix your contract processes.

See Episode 05 (Triple O Productivity) all the way to Episode 10 (How to map a contract process)

Try the entire Reverse Sandwich Contract™ process in full. Choose a basic contract and follow the steps to see how much you can improve the productivity of your contract process and document.

Resources and links mentioned on this episode:

• MANY ? Check the individual episode shownotes for details
• Download the infographic for the high level Reverse Sandwich Contract overview
• Check out the other templates and downloads on the Resources Page

Head to https://checklistlegal.com/podcast for show notes, resources links, and templates.

Theme music: Silent Partner, ‘Sway this way’

Head to the Checklist Legal Resources page for access to the other templates and examples mentioned in the show.