Is your mind encouraging you to evolve, or stopping you from doing so? You might be shocked at the degree to which your state of mind may be sabotaging your progress. I’m a certified executive coach but I’m also a certified soccer coach, and I can tell you that the roles are not that different. [...]
Unhappy lawyers don’t hate the law; it’s often that they suffer a lack of ability in one or more of the many other areas that are required of a great lawyer. Here’s an inventory of the capabilities great lawyers need. Spring is the season for planting. We prepare the soil, we put in seed, we [...]
This week, a guest post from Vancouver-based communications expert Deborah Folka who explains what’s newsworthy, and how to ensure your topic gets strong coverage. Many professional service firms produce news releases about ‘news’ that isn’t of interest to anyone beyond their own front doors. Hint: news of someone making partner isn’t of great interest to [...]
Now that many law firms have woken up to the value of strategic and marketing plans, it’s time to adjust their compensation systems to motivate lawyers to help achieve those business goals. It makes sense that if you want a group of people to achieve a goal, you reward behaviours that are most likely to [...]
I help professionals change behaviors to accomplish their business goals. These are very smart, accomplished individuals. So why do they need me? The answer might help you to coach yourself! It’s still early enough in the year to reference that bane of February, the New Year’s resolution. Many of us make them – stats say [...]
We think of scaffolds as a construction tool, but scaffolding is equally important in business. This post defines business scaffolding and promotes its use as a critical business tool. When I was in Hong Kong several years ago I marvelled at the common use of bamboo for scaffolding – even for ten-story buildings. This went [...]
In my last post, I discussed the value of planning. In this post I’ll describe how to create a simple business plan for your firm. Step one: To quote Stephen Covey, it begins with the end in mind by considering what you want your firm to look like in ten years. Will it be the [...]
“Planning” is not a dirty word. In fact it’s liberating, hopeful, positive and action-oriented. If your firm doesn’t have a carefully considered, documented plan for 2016, you need to read this post. My purpose is to help professional services firms do better. So you’d think that occasionally, my job would entail improving their existing business [...]
It’s easy to throw money into marketing and hope for good results. But strong marketing isn’t about spending money; its purpose is to ensure that a firm accomplishes its business objectives by doing the right things. Determining what marketing actions to take is both an art and a science, and keeps me very busy with my [...]
One wouldn’t think that accomplished professionals lack willpower or discipline. But shockingly, many do. My next few blogs will focus on these obstacles, and how to overcome them. In my executive coaching practice I work with extremely intelligent individuals who have a difficult time with self-discipline. In the book, “Willpower”, by Roy Baumeister and John [...]