It’s official: we are headed into a recession and possibly a depression. And we’re headed into this abyss while still in quarantine, which may last until there’s a vaccine and the time needed to inoculate everyone. Government assistance – for those who qualify – helps, but can’t last forever. How do we get out of [...]
Lawyer time is valuable… and so is client time. When a lawyer has decided to meet with a client in a non-billable capacity, they are well-served by taking the time to ensure both parties receive maximum value in the exchange. Contrary to popular belief, showing up for a non-billable meeting with a client isn't enough. [...]
Are you a lawyer considering retirement, or do you know someone who needs to start thinking about their retirement? If so, read on... It seems counter-productive to be thinking of an exit strategy when building a business; but that’s precisely what experts say you should do. This was particularly relevant during the .com era when [...]
For me, December is a time of reflection and planning. I start by reflecting on my plan and actions for the current year. Did I do all of the things I had committed to doing? If not, why? What can I learn from that? Did I accomplish what I wanted to. If not, why? Did [...]
By definition, make or break decisions occur when we have the least amount of time and emotional control to make them. How can we make the best possible decision in the worst possible circumstances? Management is about dealing with people and things – including events. We can’t possible manage every timekeeper, every moment of the [...]
(This article is for individual lawyers but especially for Managing Partners and Executive Teams, Marketing Partners and Directors, and leaders of practice groups and client teams). We all know that a law firm is hardly the ideal environment for marketing. Typically, lawyers are more on the introverted scale: they don’t like socializing with people they [...]
Earlier this month, I shared a lesson on marketing that I learned from Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast “Revisionist History”. Today, lesson #2 from that same podcast. See if any of these sound familiar: I just saw the client at an event last week. It’s far too early for me get in touch with them again. I [...]
I learn about things that can help marketing from all sorts of interesting sources. For example, I heard about Parkinson’s Law from Malcolm Gladwell in his podcast “Revisionist History”. At first, I thought he was talking about Parkinson’s Disease, the progressive nervous system disorder. But Gladwell clarified that Parkinson’s Law is the belief that work [...]
Increasingly, law firms are learning to appreciate the value of individual lawyer marketing plans. But paperwork is only the first step. A plan is useless without implementation. Yet how does a firm convince a busy lawyer to implement on those plans? Too often, in firms that require personal plans, lawyers will begrudgingly prepare them but [...]
Planning - any planning - is better than doing none at all. For this reason, I encourage lawyers to engage in whatever level of complexity of planning they can muster. If that means spending a lunch hour talking about business goals with your partners, or writing down a few goals on a napkin, so be [...]