New issue of The Complete Lawyer: Dealing with the jerk at work
“There have always been, and inevitably will be, a certain number of bullies, braggarts, brutes and bigots who manage to insinuate themselves into any assemblage of humans, the legal profession not excluded. In the past, these misfits have been dealt with by peer pressure and sanctions; however, as the rude, degrading behaviors creep ever […]
You do it for your clients… Do you do it for yourself?
During my first conversation with a new client, we were talking about the goals she’d like to set. She said she’d like to make partner at her firm, and I asked what she needed to do to reach that goal. She answered that good work and maybe bringing in a few clients would get her […]
Discovering my inner “hot worm”.. And changes for 2008
Perhaps you’ve heard this: “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life!” I’ve seen that quote, or similar ones, attributed to everyone from Confucius to Harvay MacKay. Now, here’s my corollary: even so, you will nevertheless sometimes need to adjust priorities, to take time off, and to shift what you do. On […]
Happy holidays!
I hope those of you who celebrate Christmas have had (or perhaps are having) a marvelous, restful time with friends and family. I naively thought I might induce my two dogs to wear their holiday finery (a reindeer headpiece, as seen here, and a Santa hat) and get them to pose in front of the fireplace, […]
Second Annual “Lawyers Appreciate…”
Last December, Stephanie West Allen (of Idealawg and Brains on Purpose(tm)) and I launched a 10-day campaign that we called “Lawyers Appreciate…” We asked legal bloggers to make a post, sharing the things and people they most appreciate in the practice of law. And we were delighted with the results, which you can find summarized here. […]
Clear your mind to increase productivity.
Every office has one: the messy lawyer, whose desk and/or office always looks like a bomb exploded and left behind papers and files and coffee cups and who-knows-what-else scattered everywhere. It’s a good practice to clear the decks weekly or following the end of a major project, just to keep some level of tidiness. This […]
Discovering “fit” between square pegs and round holes
I often request new clients complete the DISC assessment, both to give the client a sense of his or her natural tendencies and how much he or she feels the need to adapt to the current work environment and also to give me the background for communicating by using the client’s language. As I outlined […]