The blank page problem
Last night at 9pm, I had nothing.
Blank page. Deadline looming. Three Things due out this morning.
So, I did what any self-respecting professional would do… I asked AI to help.
A quick conversation before bed with my LLM and I had a structure. Something to react to. Something to edit. This morning, the editing process was a lot easier because I had something to work with.
And that’s the point. Blank pages are a nightmare in professional services. Here’s three ways to avoid them. Enjoy.
#1. AI is the fastest way past the starting line
The blank page isn’t neutral. It’s a blocker.
Because starting requires:
- recalling detail (often from months ago)
- structuring it into something coherent
- finding the time to do both
So, it gets parked. Then delayed. Then rushed. AI changes that. You no longer have to start from zero.
AI is very good at:
- turning rough thoughts into structure
- asking the right questions
- giving you something imperfect… but usable
Not finished. Not perfect. But enough to get you moving. I don’t sit down and write from scratch anymore. I’ll open up an LLM and:
- dump a stream of half-formed thoughts
- talk through what I’m trying to say
- ask it to structure the mess into something coherent
From there, I edit. Tighten the language. Change the tone. Get rid of the EM dashes. Add the bits only I can add.
But I’m never starting from zero. And that’s the shift.
#2. Give people something to tear apart
If it’s 0% done, it gets ignored. If it’s 40% done, it gets finished.
Same person. Same workload. Different outcome.
Because lawyers don’t actually love writing… they love editing.
Give them something rough and you’ll see it happen:
- red pen out
- wording tightened
- structure improved
- “this isn’t quite right…” (followed by a better version)
There’s also a subtle ego dynamic at play. Most lawyers back themselves to improve what’s in front of them. (And, to be fair, they’re usually right.)
So, don’t fight it. Don’t ask them to create. Give them something to critique.
#3. Speed wins (and perfection slows you down)
Speed is becoming a serious advantage.
Not chaos. Structured speed.
The firms moving quickest are:
- capturing information earlier
- sharing drafts sooner
- iterating in the open
And increasingly, they’re co-creating with clients.
Instead of: “Here’s the finished version”
It becomes: “Here’s a draft, let’s shape it together”
That:
- builds buy-in
- surfaces better insight
- avoids the painful rework loop
Most importantly, it keeps things moving. Because progress creates momentum. Perfection just creates delay.
Chat to Tina by voice, when you’re between meetings, on the commute to/from work, or heading into something you’d rather avoid.
The shift
Stop asking people to start from scratch. Start giving them something to react to.
It worked for me this last night. And it works even better at scale.
Turns out the fastest way to beat a blank page… is not to face it alone.
We’re building a team of voice enabled AI assistants to support you with BD activities and allow you to spend more time being human. Interested? We’d love to chat.
