Sunday, February 22nd, 2009

What are the qualities of successful law firms whether large or small?  One is that they have leaders who know and capitalise on their fields of strength and recognize the territory beyond. 

President Obama knows this well.  It was one of the strategies he used early on in his political career.  When President Obama first became United States Senator from Illinois in 2005 he courted Washington veteran Pete Rouse to be his Chief of Staff.  In an interview with the CBC’s Passionate Eye Rouse recalled Obama telling him:

I know what I am good at.  I know what I am not good at.  I can give a good speech but I don’t know anything about what it takes to get established in the Senate.

This is the quality we see in the most successful law firms.  These firms recruit the best administrative advisors and then give them the power to lead their departments and advise the firm on strategy, process and management.

In this Sunday’s Globe and Mail, columnist Wallace Immen interviewed Syndey Finkelstein, Professor of Leadership, and one of the authors of  Think Again:  Why Good Leaders Make Bad Decisions and How to Keep it From Happening to You.  Finklestein commented:

It is important that leaders have sounding boards, people who do not have the same pre-judgement and who will push back and challenge and not be afraid of pointing out contradictory facts.

This is where some law firms go wrong.  They invest considerable amounts of money, time and effort into recruiting the top marketing, financial, human resources and administrative directors and then the firm leadership proceeds to ignore the advice of these hand-picked professionals.  It’s a standing joke in the legal profession that for administrative professionals to get a point across to their law firms they must hire expensive consultants to carry the message.

My advice to law firm leaders:  Take a page from President Obama’s book.  Understand that intelligence operates in fields.  Recognize your strengths and learn your weaknesses.  Surround yourself with the best advisors and listen and reflect on what they have to tell you.

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Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

After years of long days and nights at the office many associates  are now finding themselves with regular office hours and the time to catch their breath after the marathon.  It’s been a long crazy trip – 17 years of unparalleled prosperity for law firms according to the Hildebrandt/Citi 2009 Client Advisory – and now it’s time to clean house, throw out the dead house plants and get back in touch with family and friends.

I recently spoke with an associate who had just spent the last three years billing over 2100 hours a year.  There was no time for thinking about work processes, about client development, or about how the work was being done.  Instead it was just one long marathon towards a finish line that forever hovered just beyond the horizon.   It was exciting, it was stressful and he and many others were approaching burn-out.

Now that he has caught up on his sleep he wants to take stock of his practice and invest his time in developing solid practice habits that will support him through the next marathon.
 
Follow his lead.  Take advantage of this period of calm to prepare for the opportunities that will arise when the economy improves.  Hone your practice habits.  Polish your business development skills.  And most importantly connect with your clients, contacts and friends to strengthen the relationships that may have frayed.

Here’s my list of things to do if you are an associate with more time on your hands then usual:

• First, allow yourself some time to reflect.   What goals do you have for your practice?   Who are the clients you like best?  What is the work you most enjoy?  Consult with a mentor, friend, or coach.  Write down your long term goals and what you would like to make happen this year.
• Clean up and update your contact list.  Review it and highlight those people you want to get back in touch with this year.  Every week write up a short connect with list of people you will touch base with by email or phone during the week.
• If you are at a stage of your practice where you have clients, reach out to them.  Visit their offices and make sure they know it is off the clock.  Learn about their priorities for 2009.  How can you or others at your firm help them during the challenging year ahead? 
• Do some internal networking.  Your relationships with the partners in your firm are important.  Initiate lunch or coffee meetings with the partners to learn about how they are meeting the current challenges.
• Expand your knowledge base.  Find the publications and associations associated with your practice area and/or industries you serve.  Catch up your reading.  If you come across a useful article, clip it and email it off to your contacts.  Undertake to write an article, present or both.   Look for opportunities to write or present for industry or professional associations, or for legal publications and conferences.
• Get involved with the professional or industry associations associated with your practice.  By attending the meetings consistently and getting involved on boards and committees you will increase your professional network and lay the foundation for business development in the years to come.  I was recently speaking with an entertainment lawyer who as a young associate got involved in one of the key industry associations for women filmmakers.  The contacts she made back in the early days of her practice were a critical component of her success in the years that followed.
• Assess your current legal skills.  What are your strengths?  What are your deficits?  Take advantage of your time to take some courses and hone your skills. 
   

There are so many options to consider.  Just remember to start with your goals and choose the actions that will best support you in moving forward.

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Monday, February 9th, 2009

After a long hiatus this lawyer coach is returning to her blog!  Some of you may be wondering what happened?  Why the long break?  The answer is simple.   I never developed the vital habit of writing short blog posts.  The time commitment was considerable.  With a busy coaching practice and limited time available I placed my priority on my clients and let the blogging go. 

When I started this blog in December 2006 I was wrapping up my work as the Marketing Director at a large Canadian litigation firm and launching my lawyer coaching practice.  I was busy right from the start but in the spring of 2008 I initiated my BASE CAMP Business Development Training Program for associates and got even busier.  In addition to my one-on-one coaching clients I now was working with large groups of associates as well.   With all my time spent in boardrooms and on the phone meeting with clients there was little time left for other pursuits!

As the months passed I found I missed the blog.  I enjoy writing and exchanging ideas with other bloggers and a large community of readers.  This New Year’s I determined to get back to blogging.  I will focus on posting shorter entries more frequently.  There sure is a lot to blog about!  Since I stopped writing in August 2008 the legal market has transformed.  I look forward to sharing my ideas and top strategies about how to maximise the opportunities in this challenging economic environment.  If you have any topics or questions you would like me to address in my blog just send me an email or a comment.

It’s good to be back!

 

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