December begins in 6 weeks. Notice what feelings that simple statement caused in you. Are you anticipating year’s end, and why? Are you concerned about making your hours? Do you feel like this year has been super successful, and you’re ready to take on 2016? Or do you feel that this year hasn’t gone so […]
Do you ever feel that you’re just one lawyer in a large sea of competitors? Hundreds or thousands of other lawyers may occupy the same niche that you do, and you may wonder how to set yourself apart. The challenge lessens if you have specific expertise in a niche, but re-emerges for everyone at some point […]
The end of the year is rapidly approaching. (According to some stores, Christmas is just around the corner, which accelerates the feeling!) I hope you’ve been reviewing your business development plan throughout the year so you can adjust your plans to match what’s actually happening, but if not, now is the time to revisit your […]
Here’s a quote to bring your Q3 2015 to a close: “Just because something doesn’t do what you planned it to do doesn’t mean it’s useless.” —Thomas A. Edison While it may be obvious how to apply […]
My favorite question to ask is, What one thing could you do this week that would have the most significant effect on your practice? Distraction and a divided focus can undermine any effort. And if your efforts take you outside your comfort zone, trying to do too much at one time generally results in little […]
Have you noticed over the last five or ten years how many leaders in industry, sports, politics, and more have been revealed as untrustworthy? Let’s name a few names. Bernie Madoff: trusted financial advisor. Lance Armstrong: trusted cancer-survivor-turned-multiple-Tours-de-France-winner. Politicians too numerous to count. Even entire organizations, like Countrywide Financial Corp. Closer to home for lawyers, […]
September in the United States means back to school. After spending over half my life in school, I always feel a certain fresh energy in the fall that prompts me to take a fresh look at my goals. I start thinking about what I need to learn, what I need to do differently, and even […]
Last week a client bemoaned the fact that his peers were all advancing more rapidly with business development than he was, that they all seemed more confident than he felt, and their opportunities were endless whereas he had to work hard for every opportunity he had. Ever had a day like that? If there’s data […]
Two levels of activity can completely undermine your business development efforts: doing too much and doing too little. Think I just won the obvious award? Stick with me for a minute. It’s no secret that doing too little business development activity means you won’t build the kind of practice you want without some kind of […]
I recently talked with a friend who completed a Tough Mudder. For those of you who aren’t familiar, a Tough Mudder is a 10-12 mile obstacle race through a variety of obstacles (such as sprinting through a field of live wires) and, you guessed it, lots of mud. Aside from the obstacles, two aspects of Tough […]