I don’t know a lawyer that isn’t trying to squeeze more out of every single day… maximum productivity. We would all like to find a silver bullet… the answer to the demanding obligations we have in our lives. Jeff Haden contributor to Inc. Magazine wrote… 14 Simple Ways to Get Considerably More Done. It’s an … Continue Reading
Firm culture… It can foster business development or it can thwart it. Consider all the different aspects of your firm that your culture influences. Jeff Haden, contributor to Inc. Magazine, highlights Dharmesh Shah, the co-founder and CTO of HubSpot who knows exactly how valuable a strong firm culture can be to your success. 1. Culture … Continue Reading
The legal profession is evolving… are you? Granted change is tough. But the longer you put it off, the farther behind you fall, and the harder it is to get started. So, make the choice… take the first step! Harvard Business Review offers a great place to start…Three Ways to Help Your Company Snap Out … Continue Reading
At the end of April, I was on a panel at the ABA Annual Litigation Conference in Chicago with Laurel Bellows (the ABA President), Sofia Lingos, Damian Thomas, Paul Lehner and practice management expert Ann Guinn. We spoke to solo and small firm lawyers on the subject of creating a successful practice. I encouraged the … Continue Reading
Have you ever left a meeting with a smile and thought…”I really like that person?” Chances are the person was witty or even downright funny. Or have you been in an extremely tense meeting and someone cracked a joke and all of a sudden the tension was broken? Humor can be a valuable tool when … Continue Reading
Training your brain to stay positive is a tall order for lawyers. You are trained to look at the dark side of an issue. But when you are developing business that trait doesn’t serve you well. It blocks progress and inhibits confidence. Entrepreneur magazine contributor Nadia Goodman writes… How to Train Your Brain to Stay … Continue Reading
CHANGE. Few like it and least of all lawyers. It’s important to have a firm culture built on good work but equally important is to build a firm culture around business development. If business development is at the core of how everyone thinks and goes hand-in-hand with excellent work the financial health of your firm … Continue Reading
I was speaking with a male client, discussing my last blog post on “Leaning In” by Sheryl Sandberg. He was talking about how much he admired Sandberg and reminded me that his mentor at his large national firm was a female. As he concluded he said… “What’s this thing about women having it all… No … Continue Reading
Over the past week “Lean In” has sparked many conversations. The topic that topped the list is mentoring. I have had more conversation about mentoring then I have had all last year, put together. Whether it be with men or women, it seems that people define it differently. Some say it’s a formal program directed … Continue Reading
The conversation in the past few months has been loud… but maybe not so clear. Articles like… Atlantic Magazine’s, “Can Women Have It All?“ and The Wall Street Journal’s, “The Tyranny of the Queen Bee”, seem like the opening act for the launch of Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In“ this week. The message is lost on … Continue Reading
There is nothing like great words that motivate, inspire and help us get focused. I just read Inc. Magazine contributor, Geoffrey James’ 12 favorites… it’s a great collection that I felt inspired to share with you… “Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate … Continue Reading
Do you feel like you define the term “multi-tasking?” You simply can’t say no. You do everything and yet you feel that you aren’t doing any of it as well as you could be. Of course you’re not. You are overloaded and you need to focus, set boundaries and learn to say no! Peter Bregman, … Continue Reading
Yes… We all need a pep talk! Some days we can’t seem to find the strength to get out of bed. We could use the help of our families, our friends, our colleagues… and maybe even a Kid President! Spend the next three minutes and I guarantee you will smile, be inspired and get off … Continue Reading
When you think of business development you probably think of the millions of things you think you “have” to do. The things everybody tells you that are the right things to do. But… What do YOU want? Yes, it is possible to consider what you want. Jack Canfield author of the Chicken Soup for the … Continue Reading
As a lawyer you are trained to find the pitfalls, the imperfect, the holes… and that ability serves you well in legal matters. But in areas such as business development, not so much. It makes you a critic. There are times when the critic foils progress. The most egregious of them all is when the … Continue Reading
We have all been there… needing to do two or three things at once. Seldom do we feel like we’ve done anything well. The reality is that if we focus on each task, complete it and move on to the next, we will do each one much better and probab feel more satisfied in doing … Continue Reading
If you’re a lawyer you are attracted to solving puzzles… that is what you do. I work with lots of lawyers that don’t think of themselves as creative, but of course they are creative. It takes creative thinking to solve puzzles. You look at cases from many perspectives in order to reach the best outcome … Continue Reading
I recently talked to a law firm about their mentoring program. Yes, everyone understood that junior lawyers might want to be mentored by a more seasoned senior lawyer in the firm. That is the traditional way that mentoring works. Today I believe it can be a two-way street. Ask what can a senior lawyer learn from … Continue Reading
Happy Thanksgiving! Let’s take a moment to breathe in the gratitude. Success can be measured in a multitude of ways… little steps and giant steps. They are both signs of progress and we need to acknowledge them. Often times we only see success as the finish line… and that is not always the end-all. Here are … Continue Reading
Perfection is the affliction that most lawyers have. I see it as the good news and the bad news. It can make you great lawyers, but it can also stop your progress in business development. When you are building a book of business it matters more that you are REAL and you make progress, than … Continue Reading
Who owns your vision? Sounds like a rhetorical question. If it’s your vision… of course it’s you! But let me tell you that is not always the case. Three times in as many days I have worked with clients who have given up ownership of their own vision. How could that be you might ask? While … Continue Reading
Change! Just the mention of the word may make a few lawyers breakout in a cold sweat. Openness to change is not at the top of the list when it comes to lawyer traits. Just because its not at the top of the list doesn’t mean that as a leader of lawyers you can’t navigate around … Continue Reading
What is it that you want? You say you want it… but do you really? Are you committed? Or are you just giving your commitment lip service? I’m talking about the kind of commitment that you feel to your core. Here is a relevant quote by Goethe to make you think. It’s the power of … Continue Reading
Be your own voice of reason. The meaning you give events in your life influences your life. You have the choice… positive or negative… stops action or fires up action… derails or keeps you motivated. On the site Daily OM, Madisyn Taylor shared her thoughts in, Being Your Own Voice of Reason. The meaning we … Continue Reading
