Your Year In Review and 2011 Preview

What are you most proud of from 2010?

When I asked my lawyer clients this question last week and this week, almost all of them said they are most proud of how they have taken more control of their practice, career or work day this year. And almost all of them say they did this by developing better business practices, asserting themselves more and raising their profile within and/or outside of their firm. To start making changes, they had to be brave, step outside their comfort zone and stop doing what wasn't working.

Take time this week or weekend to list 100 accomplishments (yes 100!) from 2010 - - large, small, professional, personal, events, actions, tangibles and intangibles, whatever. No one but you needs to see your list. This is a time to be proud of yourself and who you were this year.

So acknowledge yourself and your year. You will see that you accomplished more than you realize and more than you give yourself credit for. You will also more clearly see what you want to accomplish in 2011, who and how you want to be, and how you will make it happen.

Congratulations on 2010 and best wishes for 2011.

If you are ready for coaching to make 2011 your best year yet, please contact me.

Leadership & Management Lessons For Lawyers From a Corporate CEO

Here is a link to an interesting interview with Dan Rosensweig, President and CEO of Chegg, texbook rental online & via mail, which appeared in the NY Times' Sunday Corner Office column by Adam Bryant on July 8, 2010.

Rosensweig talks about how he uses management teams to set priorities for the company and create a clear definition of success, how he runs meetings, how he acknowledges star performers, what he looks for when interviewing and hiring, and how he approaches difficult conversations with employees who are not doing the things they need to do to succeed in their jobs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/business/11corner.html?pagewanted=1&ref=jobs

Take a look and see whether you might apply some of Rosensweig's leadership and management practices to your law firm or company or even simply to managing your legal career.

Career Advice For Lawyers From LeBron James

Hate it or love it, it seems that NBA superstar LeBron James' decision yesterday to leave the Cavaliers and join the Miami Heat boils down to positioning himself to win NBA championships. He knows what he wants to achieve in his career and he knows he needs help to achieve his goal. He looked for teammates and an organization that he thinks will provide the best opportunity to succeed. He made a tough and controversial decision about his own career.

My theme here is not to encourage you to leave your place of employment. Rather, I encourage you to look at how you can best position yourself to get what you want in your career and then have the courage to take the actions to achieve your goals.

If you want to develop a specialty within your practice or firm, what do you have to do first (and then next and then after that), and whose support do you need?

If you want to work with more than just a handful of lawyers within your firm, what can you do about this and who can help you make it happen? If you have tried and failed, what can you do differently next time? How can you match your needs and interests with the firm's needs and interests?

If you want more referrals, how can you expand your network into more meaningful relationships? How can you first provide value to people who are in the best position to give you referrals? How can you make it easier for other people to think of you and remember what you do when they have an opportunity to make a referral?

If you want more clients, who is in your target market and how can you best position yourself in front of your target market? How can you let more potential clients know what legal services you offer? What can be your unique niche? How can you differentiate your legal services from other lawyers' services?

Instead of sitting in your office wishing your phone would ring, or attending numerous yet random and unproductive networking events, figure out what you want, make some decisions, and take action.

As a client of mine said the other day, you're not going to get a hit if you're not in the batter's box. And you won't even get near the plate if you're not in the game. Or, as some say in golf, never up never in.

So take charge of your own practice and career. Make decisions about what you want and start positioning yourself to get what you want.

Get in the game. Step into the batter's box. Give the putt a good roll. Circling back to basketball, be your own point guard. No one else will.

If you would like help figuring out what you want, making an effective plan and/or taking actions, let's set up some coaching. You'll be glad you did, especially since you still have six months left in the year to make this one your best.

Do As Your Mother Says

On this beautiful Mother's Day, consider how the most basic habits you learned from your mother as a young child serve you today in your professional life as a lawyer. This list is in addition to obvious wisdom like work hard, apply yourself and always do your best.

1. Make your bed every morning.
2. Pick up after yourself.
3. Tell the truth and own up to your mistakes.
4. Stand up straight, speak up & look people in the eye.
5. Don't disparage other people.
6. Finish what you start.
7. Be helpful.

Perhaps there is a place for "put on a sweater" (said when she was cold) and "zip up your coat" on this list as well.

Have a little fun today thinking about these as actual habits in your career or as metaphors for elements of your daily practice. Consider renewing your commitment to them professionally and personally. Your mother would be proud.

Of Bucket Lists and Bucket Brigades

Last night a lawyer friend of mine crossed an item off her bucket list. The diva, aka "Rachel Rules", channeled Aretha and others for an hour at a birthday party for herself. R-E-S-P-E-C-T....

Rewind. The idea started to take shape where many things do -- in a bar. During the afterglow of a bar association dinner two months ago, Rachel shared with a handful of friends that she has always wanted to sing live with a band at least once. The second anniversary of her 50th birthday was fast approaching and her years of karaoke were not going to count.

Among those of us present was a multi-talented lawyer on whom Energizer modeled its bunny. He got going bright & early the next morning, calling Rachel with a list of suggested lawyer musicians just as she lay wondering why she had revealed this particular item on her bucket list of things to do. That afternoon he showed up at her office with a potential playlist of songs. American Idol fans volunteered their availability as potential backup singers and musicians. The Ann Arbor legal community was abuzz.

Fast forward to last night. The club's lights spun, the dry ice drifted, the band rocked and Rachel ruled. Rachel had a great time. We all did. You can't go wrong when you open with Mustang Sally and work in a costume change.

Take a look at your own bucket list. What's on it? Who's in your brigade? When will you get started?

2010 Planning: Goal Setting & Values Check

Last week I posted how in December I ask my clients to review their past year and acknowledge 100 of their accomplishments. In December I also ask them to write next year's holiday letter - - as if they are looking back at the upcoming year.

When I do this exercise myself (as I had to assure one of my clients that I do), I start with a stream of consciousness or "scribbling" approach and write quickly without contemplation. I usually surprise myself with some of what I write about what happened in the upcoming year.

(A note about writing: one of my college English professors required weekly writings he called "scribbles." They were a page or two about any thought we had related to the novel we were studying. For some reason, calling them scribbles was liberating. I still often use this approach to get started writing.)

If you haven't set some goals yet for next year, or even thought about a New Year's resolution, set down that burden and scribble a 2010 Holiday Letter instead.

I think you will find it is a different way to discover your values and what you really want to accomplish in the upcoming year.

Scribble and see what unfolds for you in 2010.