Hold regular, pre-planned and productive staff meetings.

#1 “Definitely Don’t!”

Without adequate preparation and the right facilitator to ensure employee meetings are productive, positive and efficient, don’t go there.

I could stop writing now as the most critical points of my message are listed above.  A checklist is offered below, however, with a partial, non-prioritized listing of other ingredients to include in recipes for ensuring successful staff meetings.

For a far more comprehensive article, please check out my 2002 Lawyers Weekly USA column entitled, “Staff Meetings: Can’t Live With (or without) Them!” (October 18, 2002).  I would make the same recommendations today as I did then adding, of course, video conferencing and other newer technologies and systems that have since become smart management tools.

All of us bemoan unproductive, hot air only, waste of time committees and meetings and the agony of attending such “events” (many CLE programs, too, for that matter!).  Hope all of you agree with me that we should not want our names included on anyone’s list of terrible meeting planners and facilitators.  And, yet, I’d be a very rich gal if I had a nickel for every employee complaint I’ve heard through my 20+ years of law office consulting about negative, unproductive staff meetings!

Likewise, a #1 request by staff is the desire for upbeat and informative meetings to be held.  In some firms, they just want them to be taken seriously and not events that can be cancelled at a moment’s notice for non-emergency reasons (or excuses!).  For others, no meetings are held at all.  Instead, what information and instructions are shared is typically done in a “shoot-from-the-hip” and rushed manner.

History repeatedly proves, however, that productivity, office morale and efficiency flourishes continually with firm leaders who plan adequately for and hold productive, regular staff meetings. These critical office characteristics, however, will be present only occasionally and fleetingly at best in offices with poor meeting planners and ineffective leaders.

As an aside, we all know that the right and best leaders for law offices is often not the most senior attorney or biggest rainmaker.  The day we all “get it” re smarter law office management and tools will be a HUGE and positive turning point for our clients, ourselves and our legal system as a whole.

Thanks for sticking with me so far and now here’s the promised partial listing of recommended “other” ingredients for successful staff meetings (in addition to my #1 Must Do and #1 Don’t Do’s above):

1. Know what the objectives are for holding any meeting as well as what amount of time should be allotted to each matter (e.g. educational, updates regarding firm news, 10-15 minute workshops conducted by different staff members each time, brainstorming of solutions needed for specific issues, Q & A time, etc.).
2. Share an informal agenda with all participants a few days ahead of the meeting, ask them for suggestions about the agenda and remind everyone to come appropriately prepared.
3. Decide on what the parameters and “rules” will be for all (e.g. Cell phones to be banned from meetings?  Any accountability for tardiness or no-shows? Plan for ensuring all get fair time for asking questions, responding, etc.)
4. Plan ahead for how you the meeting will be kept moving in a timely manner, how to nip any verbal or body language negativity at its onset, how to set a positive tone at the start, during the meeting and at its closure.
5. Include time at each meeting for publicly thanking any deserving employees for things (big or small) they have done well and/or above and beyond the call of duty.
6. Mid-way, take time to review the written agenda to ensure all matters being covered in a fair and timely manner.
7. Before closing, have everyone write down what, if any, decisions were made, who is to do what by when and what agenda items need to be carried over until the next meeting or what new ones need to be added.
8. Thank everyone for their participation and ask them to give you some quick feedback about what parts of the meeting worked very well and what aspects may need some improvement.  Also, encourage them to send you their written, confidential feedback via a memo if they prefer.
9. Post-meeting – have a plan for monitoring who is to do what and ensure they are doing it.  Again, if not, are there any consequences for ignoring what they were asked and they agreed to do?

10. Consider rotating meeting planners and facilitators instead of depending on the same person or persons to plan and conduct re-occurring staff meetings.

As I wrote in the 2002 article mentioned above, any and all time spent on learning how to plan and facilitate more effective meetings yields great rewards. The firm, its leaders, staff and clients will reap immediate and ongoing returns.

And, as always, many thanks for stopping by our website today.

The self-audit below is by no means intended as all-inclusive, but is intended to help anyone who supervises others to take a quick look at how they are doing…what can we improve, what should we stop doing ASAP and what things are we doing well and should make sure we keep doing??!?  Remember, the two critical elements in any self-audit process are:

1. Being brutally and thoroughly honest with ourselves; and

2. Having the self-discipline and commitment to convert needed changes into reality sooner than later

Well, here we go…let me know what questions you’d add, delete or change….always appreciate your feedback …even when painful!

Smiles from Our "Miz Star"

1.Are regular lawyer-staff meetings held for legal support teams?

2. Are staff members kept informed of and given an opportunity to offer input regarding matters affecting them?

3. Is appreciation frequently expressed for work well done, and is any necessary criticism shared privately, constructively, and sooner than later?

4. Are staff members given clear and complete instructions regarding work assigned?

5. Are reasonable completion priority dates given with work assignments?

6. Are assistants kept informed about the whereabouts and schedules of the persons for whom they work?

7. Do lawyers stay in tune with office morale taking any necessary steps to investigate and redirect low periods back to a positive working environment for all?

8. Is timely and appropriate support offered staff members with disrespectful, rude, and otherwise out-of-line clients?

9. Are staff members encouraged to maintain a reasonable and healthy balance between their professional and personal lives, or are they made to feel guilty over taking earned vacation days, staying home with a sick child, etc.?

10. Are all members of the legal vdteam introduced to clients by the responsible lawyer at the onset of representation and during which time the lawyer reminds clients that staff members cannot and will not ever give the clients legal advice?

11. Do the lawyers and other management personnel set good examples for the staff by providing and faithfully utilizing the firm’s risk management policies and systems (e.g., email, internet and social media policies and parameters, docket/work control, conflicts of interest, good documentation, file management, etc.)?

12. Are staff members ever asked to be a party to unethical conduct or to participate in any other uncomfortable and unprofessional situations?

13. Do you have planned, fair, and good staff evaluation policies and procedures while ensuring that all staff members receive frequent feedback regarding the quality of their work product, their overall performance, and their other contributions to the firm?

15. Have the “how to’s” of guarding lawyer-client confidentiality been thoroughly explained to and discussed with all staff members?

16. Have all firm employees signed a confidentiality form acknowledging their understanding of the importance of safeguarding client information and property?

17. Are all lawyers and others in supervisory positions kept informed about how to manage, hire, train, and supervise associates and staff properly?

18. Have all staff members been provided with a copy and told to read your jurisdiction’s ethics rules, the informative comment sections and related guidelines/articles/checklists?

19. Have meetings been held for the purpose of teaching and discussing the rules of ethics?

20. Are quality control systems for checking the quality and timeliness of staff’s work product utilized (i.e., random file reviews to check on such things as the use of appropriate, error-reducing checklists, organized and complete file documentation, etc.)?

21. Is there a comprehensive, up-to-date office policy and procedures manual that is readily accessible to and used by all employees?

22. Does the office manual include clear, detailed how-to sections (e.g., Risk Management How To’s, How to Check for Conflicts of Interest, How to Open a File, How to Handle Disgruntled Clients)?

23. Have the firm’s telephone policies and procedures been clearly established and thoroughly explained to all employees, with an emphasis on the critical importance of handling all calls with professional courtesy (explaining that each and everyone also carries the unwritten title of “Marketers of 1st and Last Impression” for the firm)?

24. If for some reason a person’s supervisor is an inappropriate resource, do employees know to whom they should report problems such as office bullying, sexual harassment, unethical actions or omissions, suspected substance abuse, and other concerns on a confidential basis without fear of retaliation?

25. Are appropriate interpersonal skills, conflict resolution skills, staff management policies and procedures taught to all supervisory personnel?

26. If jobs were reversed and you were a staff member, would you want to work for someone with your same work habits, work ethic, and interpersonal skills? Why or why not?

AND…IF YOU ARE STILL READING, PLEASE SEE THE NOTE BELOW FROM NANCY RE HER SELF-AUDIT LIBRARY:

• Can’t or don’t want to pay consulting fees?
• Prefer to take a hard look at what’s working and what’s not on your own?
• If your answer is “Yes or Maybe” and you’re interested in purchasing one of my self-audit e-books* then please send me an email and I’ll notify you when the newest versions are available for purchase on-line.
• NBJ’s Self-Audit Library includes such topics as Self-Audits for Law Offices Big & Small, for Professional Firms, for Conflict Resolution, for Career Building, Risk Management, and many more.
• Or, want a customized self-audit developed by Nancy for your firm or office?  Great…please contact us so we can get started sooner than later.

*($35 each or $100 with forms, checklists and NBJ articles included, or $150 to include the extra materials plus a call with Nancy to discuss how to get started and how to maximize your self-auditing efforts)

……and last, but not least, many thanks for your interest….your courage and wisdom to stay in touch with the realities of your office’s strengths and weakness is admirable.

P.S. Here’s a what a former section chair of the ABA’s Law Practice Management Section had to say after he reviewed my first nationwide book of self-audits waaaay back in 1999:

“…[Easy Self-Audits...] one of the most valuable books I have read in 20 years on practice management”
(J. Bennett, Attorney, District of Columbia Bar Association Book Review, August-September 1999)

(Self-Audits for the Busy Law Office, by Nancy Byerly Jones, Pub’d by ABA, 1999…and still being requested and sold by the ABA!)

2. Do you make an excessive number of personal calls during the workday?  What about personal emails?

3.  How would co-workers most likely describe your office personality (grumpy, happy, productive, efficient, resourceful, energetic, bully, holier-than-thou, wimpy, rude, positive, negative, I-do-no-wrong-ever, whiner, gabby gossiper, sour puss, team player, chatty Cathy)?

4.  Are you a 9 to 5 clock watcher or willing to go the extra mile no matter what or how long it takes to get the job done?

5.  Do you have any unresolved conflicts with co-workers?  If so, do you make the effort to resolve conflicts, disagreements quickly?  Or, do you just quit speaking to the co-worker, talk about them behind their backs and/or refuse to face the real issues?

6.  Do you share a good (and appropriate) sense of humor at work?

7.  When instructions are unclear, do you seek clarification sooner than later?  If you give instructions, are they clear, timely and prioritized for your employees…or are you a poor planner and ask for everything to be done ASAP?!?

8.  Is your attitude one that sets a good example for others (e.g. positive, resourceful, uplifting, helpful, thoughtful) or one that can darken a room quicker than a full scale, nighttime power outage?

9.  Do you respect and show respect to all employees regardless of their title, job, seniority or lowness in the pecking order?

10.  Would you like to work for someone like yourself? Why or why not?

NOTE FROM NANCY RE HER SELF-AUDIT LIBRARY:

Can’t or don’t want to pay consulting fees?

Prefer to take a hard look at what’s working and what’s not on your own?

If your answer is “Yes or Maybe” and you’re interested in purchasing one of my self-audit e-books* ($35 each or $100 with forms, checklists and NBJ articles included, or $150 to include the extra materials plus a call with Nancy to discuss how to get started and how to maximize your self-auditing efforts).

If so, please send me an email and I’ll notify you when the newest versions are available for purchase on-line…and many thanks for your interest….your courage and wisdom to stay in touch with the realities of your office’s strengths and weakness is admirable.

*NBJ’s Self-Audit Library includes such topics as Self-Audits for Law Offices Big & Small, for Professional Firms, for Conflict Resolution, for Career Building, Risk Management, and many more. Or, want a customized self-audit developed by Nancy for your firm or office?  We welcome those requests as well.

P.S. Here’s a what a former section chair of the ABA’s Law Practice Management Section had to say after he reviewed my first nationwide book of self-audits waaaay back in 1999:

“…[Easy Self-Audits...] one of the most valuable books I have read in 20 years on practice management”
(J. Bennett, Attorney, District of Columbia Bar Association Book Review, August-September 1999)

(Self-Audits for the Busy Law Office, by Nancy Byerly Jones, Pub’d by ABA, 1999…and still being requested and sold by the ABA!)

How Can Paralegals as a Profession Maintain Their Highly Valued Niche

1. Love what you do, respect your employer and co-workers and have empathy and compassion for those who really pay your wages … the clients. And, if you don’t…well, how can you be helping to enhance your profession?!
2. Always make the effort and take the time to ensure the glamorous and not-so-glamorous parts of your job are done right the first time. Any true professional understands and does this.  They also know professionalism is not something we turn on and off at the office door…it is a 24/7 commitment.
3. Encourage risk management, marketing, conflict resolution, stress management & appropriate technology know-how (e.g. proper and professional use of social media and within parameters of firm’s internet policies) as must-have knowledge and skills for all paralegals. Include these critical topics in all CLE programs…all! Don’t consider them subject matters for just the attorneys, IT folks or others to know…these are critical areas to every office and paralegals must become more knowledgeable and learned in all these areas.
4. Respect the contributions of all others working within the legal system regardless of their title or designated low place on the totem pole.
5. Police yourselves (e.g. if you know a paralegal is engaged in unethical or criminal activities, get help from the appropriate persons to ensure they are stopped sooner than later).
6. Do not accept same old, same old CLE programs as enough for meeting the Bar’s annual CLE requirement….be progressive, broad-minded and attentive when it comes to offering programs of interest, value and excellent learning opportunities for all paralegals.  Ditto re seeking speaking opportunities at attorney CLE programs to teach subjects such as: Working Effectively With Your Paralegals; The Value of Paralegals in Family Law Practices, Criminal Law, Corporate Legal Departments, etc. Ditto re community speaking opportunities…help educate the public regarding how to work efficiently and successfully with their attorneys and legal staff, what paralegals do, etc.
7. Delegate if you’re fortunate enough to have that option…by effectively delegating yourself, you will be demonstrating first hand to any attorneys who are not good delegators the value of trust, respect for others and delegation.
8. Be proud of being State Bar certified if you have successfully achieved this goal, but do not assume a better-than-thou attitude regarding non-certified paralegals.  Instead, work together on opportunities to share data and tools rather than forming cliques or trying to distance yourselves as the “real” paralegals via that ol’ egotistic pedestal. What nonsense….anyone –regardless of their titles or degrees — working for a law office or legal department should be bringing value to it or they shouldn’t be there.
9. Build a solid foundation for all those following in your footsteps via thoughtful succession planning for future paralegals and the profession’s future leaders.
10. Be willing to do any and all legal staff jobs necessary when extra hands are needed….your paralegal skills are critically valuable to attorneys and expected….employees MOST valued, however, regardless of titles or certifications are those known for their willingness to do what’s in the firm’s best interest with a great attitude and in spite of it not being in their job description (you know, however, that this does NOT include the unauthorized practice of law!)

How Paralegals Can Enhance Their Individual Value

1. Have the courage to look in the mirror often & to make changes as and when needed (i.e. Pros/Cons checklists regarding personal strengths and weaknesses and your job’s positives and negatives).
2. Initiate (e.g. firm doesn’t have social media policy? Draft one for consideration) and be innovative, creative, and resourceful (and hold onto a good sense of humor too…a must-have for everyone working within the legal system!)
3. Be an excellent team player, leader and follower when appropriate.
4. Know, respect and work within the ethical rules and other related regulations, not putting one’s head in the sand if malpractice or ethical violations are likely or already occurring, and at all times avoiding even the appearance of the unauthorized practice of law.
5. Never quit using well-designed checklists to help minimize the chance of human errors and never quit learning new things and honing our skills.
6. Communicate clearly and respectfully with attorneys, co-workers, third parties and clients (this includes being attentive listeners)..by the way, dress in a professional manner too…you’re at the office, not a cocktail party!
7. Go beyond traditional expectations when it comes to writing skills (e.g. pleadings, correspondence, contracts); learn how to professionally, effectively and ethically use social media, blog, create excellent website content, etc.
8. Be solution seekers vs. contributors to gossip pollution or the fallout of unresolved disputes.
9. Brainstorm and apply ways to save the firm or legal department money.
10. Create, implement and closely monitor strategic plans for your professional and personal lives.
11. Do what’s necessary to maintain good mental and physical health.
12. Possess and demonstrate consistently positive, can do/ will do attitudes.

Behaviors that Decrease a Paralegal’s (and any Employee’s!) Value?

1. Verbally abusive (e.g. gossipers, whiners, criticizers)
2. Resistance or down-right refusal to learn new systems, technology, etc.
3. Insecure, shows little or no initiative, requires too much hand-holding
4. Overly defensive to constructive feedback
5. Jealous of co-workers’ successes
6. Enjoy stirring up conflict rather than avoiding or resolving it
7. What’s-in-it-for-me attitudes vs. what’s best for the clients, firm
8. It’s-not-my-job attitudes (I.e. non-team players)
9. Holier-than-thou attitudes with other employees
10. Think they know more than anyone else including the attorneys
11. Unhealthy habits (e.g. workaholic, little or no exercise, poor stress management)
12. Too busy whining, being negative to stay focused properly on the moment and task at hand

Enhancing The Profession for Future Paralegals

1. Each and every paralegal must work hard at enhancing their value to firms and legal departments by behaving as noted above and more.
2. Paralegals should collectively and unselfishly do things today that will create long-term payoffs for future professionals — payoffs that may not be reaped until after the “planners” themselves have passed the torch and retired.
3. Work well collectively overcoming jealousies and pre-judgments that impede real progress (i.e. ditch the negative “layers” — the politics, cliques, insecurities and non-productive attitudes)
4. Assign tasks in association work based on strengths and skills vs. seniority and select leaders with characteristics needed for effective leadership
5. Love what you do, respect your employer and co-workers and have empathy and compassion for those who really pay your wages … the  client.*

*Warning — If you don’t or can’t feel the love, respect, empathy and compassion noted in #5 above, you just may need to change employers and/or professions asap!

Related Materials:

Staff Plays Key Role in Law Firm’s Survival in Tough Times

Workplace Gripes? Quit Complaining, Start Resolving

Checklist for Managing Stress (Short Version!) and My Top 4 Stress Management Tips

Our Mental Health and Toxic People

Morale Busters and Boosters

My Problems with the Word, “Non-Lawyer” and Related Links

Attire in the Workplace (and oh-so-sexy Voicemail Greetings too…another one of my sore spots!)

Reducing our Personality “Fireworks” Displays in and Out of the Office

Lawyers Lives Out of Control = Ethics Violation #1 , Hidden Dangers in Law Firms & Other Articles

Action Plan

Rough times can sneak up on us with little or no warning or they can descend upon us after plenty of telltale signs that we chose to ignore.  Either way, every staff member–regardless of title — plays a key role when it comes to successfully surviving predicted and unexpected storms of change.

The starter list below includes ten essential staff “must do’s” in tough times (and in good times too for that matter!):

1. Fully comply with all risk management procedures and systems…remember ethic grievances and malpractice claims usually rise significantly during economic downturns.
2. If you have the authority to delegate to others, do it!  Quit thinking you can do it all by yourself or that you’re the only one that can do it right or worse, you’re scared another employee will do “it” better.  If you sport any of those attitudes, you’re wrong on all counts.
3. Say no when asked by attorneys to do a task that only a licensed lawyer should do.  Ditto when clients are asking you to give them legal advice.
4. Help your firm come up with cost-saving ideas and new steps to improve efficiency, up morale, enhance the quality of client services, and more. Suggest the firm start a monthly awards program to acknowledge employees’ cost-saving and other worthwhile ideas that are adopted (and better yet – actually implemented!)
5. Look for ways you and your co-workers can help each other in and out of the office. How about child or eldercare sitting for one another? Or, if you like to cook, prepare freezable meals for a co-worker’s family in exchange for their time to help you with carpentry projects, repainting a room, making hand-made gifts, etc.  If a co-worker has a special family activity they want to attend, help them with their work so they can leave early (even when the tasks are not a part of your job description).  Bottom Line Results: Morale soars (which means productivity does as well), help each other save money, and it just plain feels good to share our time and talents in helping others.
6. Be super empathetic regarding the extra stress on attorneys during tough times (e.g. the financial strain of making payroll when income is down, the loss of great employees from unavoidable down-sizing, retirement or resignations, etc.) and ditto re your co-workers.  Like you, your co-workers are feeling the strain of financially tough times as well or they may have other difficult situations occurring in their lives.  Be more tolerant of their occasional snappy moods assuming, of course, there are indeed legitimate reasons for their stress.  Back off a bit, don’t be too quick to jump to conclusions or to take things personally.
7. Share seminar materials and anything you learned that could benefit your firm and clients.  Summarize these “lessons” in a memo or better yet, get permission to conduct a luncheon workshop during which you re-teach a mini-version of seminars attended to co-workers.  Share any worthwhile handout materials that you believe the firm could benefit from using.  And, tell all attorneys and staff where the complete set of seminar handout materials will be kept in case they want to learn more.
8. Teach and share your talents and skills with co-workers.  Let go of competitive attitudes or fears that others may appear smarter than you.  Think instead about the value to everyone when there’s a team spirit atmosphere instead of “every man for him self” environment.
9. Mentor someone and make the time to be mentored!  We are never too experienced or old to learn new things, to be guided, to guide, to be coached, to coach, to be encouraged, to motivate.

10. Attitudes really are highly contagious so ask yourself often, “Is mine worth catching ?!” And, if your answer is “No,” immediately ask yourself why it’s not worth catching and begin all necessary attitude adjustments pronto!

The best of the best get slack occasionally, but during tough times we can’t afford that option – not if we want our firms (and our jobs) to survive.  Remember, manure with the right attention can be turned into fertilizer that helps beautiful things grow.  Likewise, the manure piles of our lives have the potential to produce silver linings as well.

I close with just a few of the silver linings law offices gain when tough times meet up with tougher legal teams:

• A team spirit atmosphere that is genuine — not just talked about in monthly meetings
• Improved efficiency and productivity
• Ongoing cost savings that make a big difference in the bottom line
• Thicker skins, fewer disputes, more empathy and understanding for co-workers
• An office environment that picks folks up instead of bringing them down
• Maximization of quality work product and minimization of stress
• Renewed energies
• Happier clients because of more efficient operations, more productive employees, persistent positive attitudes
• Jobs saved, bills paid, and the opportunity to continue doing work you love
• The you-earned-it pride and peacefulness of staying the course, making any changes needed and successfully surviving the storm.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know low morale = stressed employees = a lower quality of work product including more mistakes are made.  Management and leadership who fail to put a stop to workplace bullying of any sort often bury their heads even further in the sand these employees just happen to be major income producers.

Bottom line is this — if verbal violence and other bullying behaviors are not stopped in their tracks, there is an obvious absence of smart, effective and progressive leadership.  In my opinion, this makes leadership and management as guilty as the actual bullies are for causing the resulting and ongoing widespread negative effects.  Thanks for “listening” as always and let me know if you want me to tell you how I really feel!

All the Best,

Nancy

• Rules applied sporadically and unfairly among employees (e.g. starting time, length of lunch breaks, # of vacation days)
• An ongoing frantic pace — day after day — caused primarily by a supervisor’s poor planning and organizational skills … leadership should step in sooner than later to coach, train and/or mentor these folks….of which the legal profession and many others have a costly excess!
• Guilt trips over personal, sick or vacation time taken (see NBJ 2002 Lawyers USA column on how vacation policies …and attitudes… mirror a firm’s culture)
• Thinking that “real” lawyers always work a 60+ hour week and lacking the wisdom to understand that the most productive and satisfied employee lives a balanced and healthy life style (e.g. In addition to encouraging healthy behaviors, consider providing an exercise room for employees — even a small one with one treadmill and an aerobics workout video is better than none — and 10 minutes of exercise can rejuvenate energy levels far better than pouring on the caffeine)
• Frequent start/stops of promised (and needed) changes — too often not completing projects begun
• Allowing tensions or outright conflicts between partners or other employees to go unresolved for an unreasonable length of time (If they refuse to resolve their differences in a timely and responsible manner, firm leadership should mandate a resolution via the use of a firm ombudsman, mediator or the like — Every employee should have access to excellent resources such as Stewart Levine’s 2nd Edition of Getting To Resolution – eye-opening, thought-provoking and packed with simple and wise conflict resolution tips)
• Little or no constructive feedback given to employees in a timely manner
• Assuming staff have no personal plans after normal working hours and that they will always work overtime on short notice (the poison to morale of this culprit escalates in direct relation to poor planning and/or procrastination by supervising personnel)
• Acceptance by leadership of loud, abrasive, demeaning and other bully like behaviors
• A noticeable lack of common courtesies shown to employees (Good Morning greetings, showing appreciation, etc.)
• An absence of well deserved bonuses from cash to creative “Job Well Done” gifts (e.g. childcare fees paid for a week, dinner and other gift certificates, “free” personal days off, firm-wide recognition for achievements, etc.)
• Not holding regular staff meetings and if they are held, failing to give it our full, undivided attention (e.g. no looking at our watches or mobile phones, no shuffling of files around on our desks, etc.)
• Attorneys not taking the time to personally introduce staff members who will be working on the case to new clients
• Expecting top notch work quality produced at a 90 mph pace in spite of outdated equipment and software, unclear instructions, and/or insufficient training
• Romantic relationships between supervisors and subordinates giving the presumption — if not the actuality of –  unfair advantages for the participating employee
• Never (or too rarely) sending employees to appropriate work-related seminars or workshops for training and networking purposes
• Not providing the right kind and adequate amounts of training needed for new software, systems, etc.
• Talking negatively about employees (directly or within earshot) to other employees
• Failing to put an end to an employee’s chronically negative attitude either through mentoring, discipline or termination (firing should, of course, be the last resort after all other reasonable efforts to correct the situation)
• All work 24/7 day after day after day….Never making the time for non-work related group activities (e.g. sporting events, cookouts, community group volunteer projects)

A few Morale Boosters include:

• Not allowing any of the above morale busters or others to exist in your office; and …
• when they or other morale busters do occasionally show up, acting quickly and decisively to rid your office of these progress, morale and productivity thieves

Happy Weekend everyone and I hope you go into work on Monday ready to try out some new morale boosters! We all function far better in a positive environment regardless of our type of work, title or years of service.   As always, thanks for visiting my blog.

Nancy (& Jessie, our resident Tennessee Walker comedian!)

The ABA used to have some good books on mergers and if they’ve been updated recently, that would be one good source.  What’s not written about enough is the effects that mergers have on staff members and how to help your staff transition successfully (pre-merger, actual transition period and post-merger). You’ve probably already discussed this w/your client but if not I’d suggest that one of their primary goals be to keep in close touch w/their employees, get their input regularly re how merger is going for them, what’s working/what’s not, their suggestions on improving whatever needs attention, etc.  Also like to see firm-wide attorney/staff meetings held fairly regularly for a while that are focused solely on “How are we doing w/this merger, what’s needs attention, etc….”  If staff’s given plenty of private and “public” opportunities to share their input and/or concerns, but the partners learn they are nevertheless nay-saying the merger (and/or folks from the “other” firm) behind closed doors, then that too would need to be addressed promptly (and firmly) to avoid the spread of their venom.

My years of experience has shown that too often mergers are entered into haphazardly, too quickly, for the wrong reasons (or expectations) and without the proper preparation being made before the actual merger itself occurs.  When rushed through too quickly there are usually costly repercussions and lots of “clean-up/repair work” to be done office wide.   Mergers can be a very smart thing to do, but only if there’s careful pre-planning done not ony about the financial aspects but also the merging of two different workplace cultures and how to do so respectfully, professionally and successfully!

Let me know if you want me to write more on this subject and as always, thanks for stopping by my ever-evolving new blog!

With smiles & best wishes,

Nancy

I’ve previously blogged about telecommuting in regard to handling in-house employees who may be disgruntled over remote working employees  (http://lawbusinesstips.com/2009/06/24/telecommuting-disgruntled-co-workers/) and experiences shared by other companies (http://lawbusinesstips.com/2009/07/08/telecommuting-cost-savings-cisco/).  Today, I found this blog post that is also worthwhile reading about the management of telecommuters: http://bit.ly/3NxO3N.

In addition to the tips and discussions found in the posts above, I add these suggestions for law firms and businesses that already have employees who telecommute:

(1)  one to three times each year hold events that require employees with shared work goals to meet for continuing education and training, social time and general business sessions.

(2)  If your telecommuters are not far away, have them come into the main office at least once a month (pre-scheduled for the convenience of all!) to touch base with their supervisors and co-workers in person.

(3) Create and maintain a diverse working environment mindset among all employees.  This means management will not tolerate nay-saying or any other negative attitudes to develop toward its telecommuters (and visa versa!).  Supervisors who say or imply anything negative against telecommuters are especially “poisonous” …..their negativity gives all employees implied permission to do the same and it ratifies the destructive act of behind-the-door backstabbing….destructive because it significantly decreases productivity, office morale and a team spirit mindset.

(4) Many things can cause friction between in-house employees and telecommuters including:

• jealousy,
• general distrust of management and/or one’s co-workers,
• a lack of understanding about a telecommuter’s responsibilities,
• a failure by management to make it clear that each and every employee brings value to the team and plays a role in its success stories;  and
• employees (in-house or telecommuters) with a “holier than thou” attitude and/or total lack of empathy for their co-workers’ responsibilities and related on-the-job pressures (most of us have been around the “Poor, poor me” types who think their job involves more stress and their plates are fuller than others!

Stop these poisons in their tracks or beware the rapid spread of negative consequences among the troops and on the quality of services or products.

(5)  Via your internal newsletters or in person at department meetings, etc., regularly share positive comments about employee contributions, their different success stories — big and small, creative ways they’ve helped clients/customers or co-workers, etc.  All too often we only let others hear about what someone hasn’t done or what they’ve done wrong (“When I’m right who remembers and when I’m wrong who FORGETS!”)….it’s important to ensure that we are sharing the positives as well – often and openly.

Telecommuting is becoming more widely accepted and utilized and it can be an extremely successful addition to any workplace IF we give it the planning and management attention needed.  Please share your experiences, tips and other comments about telecommuting my taking a few minutes to submit your comments below.  Many thanks for “listening” and adding to this discussion…wishing everyone a great week ahead!

Nancy

Be on the lookout within the next month or so for a totally new look to my blog. ….going to be getting the polish it desperately needs with the help of folks who are experts when it comes to blogging and who have the time I haven’t had to get it spiffed up for you, my wonderful readers….bottom line is the blog will be much easier to navigate, search, etc.  Once it’s up and running – still down the road a few weeks, please share the benefit of your feedback with me.  I am writing for YOU, my readers for which I am so grateful and want to make it a worthwhile and enjoyable stop during your online time.

On a different subject, many thanks to Vicki Voisin (http://www.paralegalmentorblog.com/), paralegal specialist, author and speaker. She recently blogged about one of my posts (http://bit.ly/ezzGP). It was the one in which I shared my frustrations over the use of the word “non-lawyer” (http://bit.ly/Es6Ye).  Lawyers USA also published my thoughts on their online site (http://bit.ly/MZaEh).  Had a few attorneys and others acknowledge their agreement via their Twitter posts.  As I’ve written and stated previously many times, of course the term is used in many forums with no negative intent whatsoever…I know that.  Still, just don’t “get it” as to why we’re the ONLY profession to use a “non” label when referring to those that don’t have a law license.  More importantly, why can’t we use ANY other word or combination of words (e.g. legal assistant, staff member, paralegal, etc.) instead of “non-lawyer?!?”   What do you think – please take a few minutes to share your thoughts re my concerns over our use of the “N-L” word!?

Thanks again for visiting, let me know any subjects you’d like me to address (more legal staff issues, client rights and appreciation, business smarts, marketing on an hourly basis, effective communications, working with difficult folks, stress management tools, time management/organization, etc.!).  Wishing everyone a great week ahead with many smiles along the way both shared by you and with you!

1. RESPECT IS 24/7 ….. you appreciate, value and genuinely respect employees at all times — even the smallest showing of disrespect negatively affects everyone’s morale, productivity and work quality.  And, removing the memory of manager’s disrespectful actions  is difficult (and in some cases impossible) to achieve.
2. ENTHUSIASM ….. your enthusiasm for your clients, customers, product, service, overall mission never falters and it is highly contagious….as is your lack of enthusiasm for the job to be done!
3. SYNCHRONIZATION ….. your actions are in perfect sync with the professionalism, ethics, work habits and attitudes you expect from your employees  (old Indian proverb….“Your actions speak so loudly, I cannot hear what you say.”);
4. PROMISES ….. if you fail to fulfill a promise you made (any promise whether small,big, in-between), you acknowledge it and let employees know if and when you will do what you said you’d do or why you now cannot or will not do as promised;
5. ENGAGEMENT ….. your engagement of employees does not stop upon their initial hiring date…you must make employees a part of finding solutions for problems, hurdles and the like ….. benefit from their perspectives, ideas, concerns by asking for their input and truly listening to what they have to say – - the ongoing, active engagement of your entire employee team is an essential cornerstone in the building of lasting success stories;
6. CLARITY ….. you take the time to clearly communicate your requests and expectations of employees; and
7. TIMELY INFORMATION ….. leadership and management beat the miscommunications and other hazards of the gossip grapevine by keeping employees timely informed re non-confidential changes made or in the works.

Remember – respect means the genuine, consistent showing of your best side …

NOT your “other” side!

What we don’t hear as much about, statistically or otherwise, are the more subtle impairments that many people have. A few root causes of the more subtle impairments to our mental (and physical) health include: chronic workaholism; addictions to our high tech tools; ongoing sleep deprivation; obesity; food allergies and intolerances; irregular or no exercise regiment; sexual or other harassment such as office bullying; burnout; long-term excessive stress loads; and the stubborn denial skills many folks have regarding all of the above.

Thinking right now how lucky you are NOT to have any addictions? Good for you unless of course you’re overlooking being overly attached to your tech “tools”. With brutal honesty, think back to your out of the office hours last night or last weekend. How frequently did you check your mobile phone, Blackberry or PDA for messages? How many work-related text messages or emails did you send? How often do you check for messages while supposedly “listening” to others?

Acknowledging and taking steps to address mental health concerns can be very difficult for many people. Instead, they resort to out-dated mindsets that push these types of problems under the rug, too embarrassing or sensitive to be discussed and certainly not shared with others. That traditional and naïve mode of thought feeds the destructive fires of denial and contributes to the damages caused by ignored mental health addictions and other impairments.

Do you personally have any problems with alcohol, other drug abuse or depression that you are not squarely facing? What about the quality of your diet, exercise regimen and sleep? Are there any exhausting stresses on your plate that have been there for a long time? Do you want those same stresses on your plate this time next year? If not, make a list today (for your eyes only) of what steps you can start taking to ensure they won’t be.

Is there anyone in your office showing signs of an existing mental impairment or at a high risk for developing an addiction? What is being done to help them, to ensure clients are not harmed in any manner, and to protect other employees?

Office Impairment Policies

Do you have a written impairment policy in your office? If so, is it current, followed, known and understood by all attorneys and staff?  How do you hold attorneys and staffs accountable if they fail to comply with your policy?

An effective mental impairment policy includes many basic components. First, it defines the mental impairment issues that the policy addresses. Second, it teaches about and explains the signs of mental impairment. Third, it tells employees how to handle a situation when they suspect or know of a co-worker’s or a client’s addiction or problem. Fourth, an office policy outlines how employees will be held accountable if they fail to report mental impairment incidents which could harm a client’s matter, another employee or do other damage. Fifth, the policy should include what resources, if any, the firm offers to employees with mental impairment challenges along with information on local external resources. Finally, the policy should address the firm’s confidentiality policy regarding these types of matters. Of course, the policy can be much broader than the minimal inclusions discussed above.

A written firm policy on mental impairment raises the awareness level of all employees, reflects the firm’s commitment to maintaining the highest level of legal services and ethics, acknowledges the firm’s intolerance for drug or alcohol abuse and the efforts and resources it offers employees needing assistance with mental impairment issues. Here’s just part of what a well written mental impairment policy says about your law firm: our integrity, commitment to clients and respect for them and our high standards for providing excellent services will not under any circumstances be compromised.

Plentiful Resources

The resources available for help with these matters are plentiful. From bar association programs to private therapists to online help and community outreach options, we have an endless number of resources from which to choose. A good place to start is with your local community, your state’s bar association and the ABA’s Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs (COLAP) at http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/colap/ or by calling 1-800-285-2221, Ext. 5359. Also, ask other attorneys how they handle these issues and if they would share a copy of their firm’s impairment policy.

Two More Reminders …..

(1) Firm leaders should consider making at least a portion of employees’ vacation time mandatory for all employees each year. Likewise, they need to set good examples of the importance of living balanced professional and personal lives.

(2) Firms should hold stress management/quality of life/mental health workshops at least twice a year for all employees or send them to quality programs offered by other groups. The firm will benefit tremendously from providing this type of education to employees (e.g. higher productivity, fewer absences, reduced stress and improved morale to name a few). In addition, your professional liability and medical insurance providers will applaud you and hopefully offer discounts for your efforts. And if not, check out their competition before applying for re-issuances of your policies.

Courage, fortitude, persistence, awareness, initiative, respectfulness and wisdom. By honing these characteristics in our own lives, we can be a part of the solution rather than keeping our heads in the sand or worse, our becoming one of the statistical nightmares.

Only some of our colleagues suffer from the more serious mental health challenges. But “some” is way too many. Each one of us is responsible for protecting ourselves, our employees and our great profession from the dangers of ignored mental health impairments. A great place to start is with the creation and implementation of a well thought out firm policy on mental health impairment. Equally essential is that we all take an honest, complete look in the mirror and that we get busy “fixin” whatever needs attention in our own lives and lifestyles.

An NBJ article on this same subject was published in 2008 by Lawyers USA

• (a) jealous;
• (b) always looking for new “stuff” to stir up trouble in the office:
• (c) don’t trust that your are REALLY working at home (often because they wouldn’t be if the situation were reversed!):
• (d) busy bodies since birth; or
• (e) don’t trust leadership to be making good decisions

Of course, there are other reasons co-employees may not like the situation, but if they were helpful, friendly and courteous to you prior to your telecommuting and then attitudes shift south…wellllll, my bet would be it’s directly linked to your new situation. Now keep in mind I am talking about the disgruntled co-worker who is that way in spite of the successful, productive and economically-wise use of telecommuters. I am not talking about co-workers who have legitimate reasons for disliking the acts of a telecommuter who is abusing the situation.

Soooo…how do telecommuters minimize the chances of alienation from in-office co-workers?  First, pre-telecommuting preventive steps are always better than having to fix and repair relationships later.   Here are a few recommendations to get you started:

• Ask your employer how your co-workers will be notified of the change….by your supervisor or should you do it?…;
• Next, once the word is out, I’d discuss (sooner rather than later) the anticipated changes that will occur with fellow employees ….ask them:

• what, if any, concerns they may have about your telecommuting,;
• what you can do to ensure your telecommuting is not a burden on them in any way;
• would they be agreeable to scheduling regular lunches together to help keep all the advantages of in-person communications alive and well?….; and
• make sure you initiate similar conversations down the road as well….someone that may have seemed OK with your telecommuting at the onset may have decided they don’t like it now for an assortment of reasons…the telecommuter should ensure these types of healthy, “how is this working for you” types of discussions occur along with frequent in-person meetings.

The above lists are by no means all-inclusive, but just some of my on-the-fly thoughts about telecommuting opportunities…..I for one am all for them IF structured, monitored and lived in a manner that’s truly good for the whole team.  And, even in spite of the best efforts by a telecommuter, there are always some folks that we just can’t and aren’t going to please no matter what.  Give it a try with them because miracles do happen daily, but don’t take it personally if they are just determined to whine about it (or at least until they have new material to gripe over)!

That’s it for today…it’s hump day and another weekend looms ahead…check out my posts are exploring the treasures in our own backyards and on ensuring we make time for those special things in our lives in the midst of our all-to0-short weekend moments.

Thanks for visiting my blog and I leave you for now with smiles from me and one of our miniature donkeys (Miz Star),

Nancy

Smiles from Our Burro, Miz Star

My distaste for the word goes way back to my years as a legal assistant/paralegal/law office mgr. prior to earning my law degree.  In those times I learned that more than a few attorneys treated support staff disrespectfully and like second class citizens.  And all these years later, I’m still very alert to anything and everything that shows disrespect to our staff support members.  I’ve been out of law school 21 years now, a law office management adviser for almost 20 and have practiced law as well….and yet sadly, I still see evidence in some offices of demeaning and demoralizing behavior toward staff (e.g. a/k/a office bullies).  In my consulting work, legal work, my role as a mediator and in my seminars, any one that knows me knows I have always been an outspoken and strong voice for the proper treatment of legal support personnel…bottom line is that I have been there – done that! And also because of my years as a staff member and because of those with whom I’ve had the pleasure to know and work beside since, I have the utmost respect and appreciation for the enormous roles they play in a lawyers’ and law firm’s success.  I will continue advocating for the respectful and professional treatment of support staff as long as there’s breath in this ol’ body.

The truth is – whether we like it or not – the old two tier structure is indeed alive and well in too many law offices (attorneys who see themselves way up “there” on a pedestal and all the “n-ls” waaaaay down the ladder beneath the lofty esquires and “esquettes”).  It’s in these toxic offices where those in authority falsely begin to think (and act) like they are some how better than their lowly underlings.  This form of arrogance and the “I’m better than you” attitudes wreak havoc for workplace morale, productivity and stability.

When we are talked down to or otherwise treated as inferior, we know it — even if we don’t show it or complain about it.  There’s absolutely no way that a law firm is getting maximum productivity and/or quality work out of employees looked down upon by those in authority.  The most productive, solid, high quality teams are those made up of team members who feel and know they are valued and appreciated by leadership.  It is made clear that every single employee plays a critical role – no matter how small or how low on the totem pole – in the firm’s success stories.

Okay – back to where I started with all this many paragraphs ago…that “n-l” word that irritates the heck out of me…..do we call people non-architects, non-doctors, non-social workers, non-coaches, etc.?!  Of course not so why in the world  is the “n-l” word so frequently used?  And, worst of all, it’s usually legal personnel (e.g. attorneys, staff, State Bar employees,etc.) that use it.  I’ve been guilty of doing so as well in years past because it was the easiest word at the moment to describe a situation…however, a good while back, I vowed to avoid the “n-l” word.  So although it’s certainly not every one who uses the “n-l” word with a negative intent, why use it at all when there are so many other more respectful words from which we can choose (e.g. legal or law office staff members, legal staff personnel, legal assistants, support staff, etc.!)?

So the point of taking the time to share my thoughts on this subject (and thank you for sticking with me!) is to ask you to join me in finding other words that are far more respectful when we are talking about folks who are not licensed to practice law.  Just think of the looks I’d get from the receptionist at an accountant’s office if I were to ask, “Are you the non-CPA?”  Or, when calling my doctor’s office I said, “Hi, I’d like to speak with a non-doctor.”  Then again, it may be serve me well the next time I get a nasty, cold reception from a store or service provider employee as I could say to him or her, “Hello….is there a non-grouch here with whom I could speak?!”

Thanks for “listening” and please share your comments and experiences back at me!

Do you suffer from ‘seminar syndrome shame’?

As Republished in: St. Louis Daily Record & St. Louis Countian ,  Oct 9, 2008 by Nancy Byerly Jones

Most of us have suffered from seminar syndrome shame (“SSS”) — the “lost opportunity disease” that occurs when we expend valuable time and money on educational seminars only to accumulate CLE hours and nothing more. But the nation’s current economic environment has forced us to search for new ways to further maximize our hard- earned paychecks.

// //

What steps does your firm take to ensure the maximization of CLE dollars and time spent? First, make a list of all CLE programs you’ve attended in the past one or two years. Then note beside each program the portions that were most useful and valuable to you and your firm.

The next column should reflect what changes you have implemented (or are still hoping to implement) as a result of attending each CLE program.

The final column is your “catch-all” spot for miscellaneous comments or deadline dates.

Why bother to do this when you’ve made a mental note at a program to make certain changes based on things you learned? To answer that question, we only have to think back to all the seminars we’ve attended throughout our careers, and ask ourselves how often were we motivated by innovative ideas shared by motivating speakers and went back to our offices with every intention of quickly implementing what we learned?

The reality for most of us is that we returned to our offices excited about what we could do differently, put our seminar materials in a safe place and then decided to tackle some of the catch-up work awaiting us before starting work on implementing our planned changes in the very near future.

Unfortunately, the “day in the future” almost never comes. Instead, our countless seminar books sit faithfully in the same spot they were put when we returned from each program.

Before we know it, a month passes, six months, a year — and still we haven’t gotten around to making any changes, and usually we haven’t even shared our ideas with anyone else in the office.

The bottom line: Our best intentions have been laid to rest right alongside our seminar manuals yet again.

So let’s go back to our extremely simple form above. If nothing else, we should use this or a similar “cheat sheet” to make note of changes desired and add a weekly recurring reminder to our computer calendars.

These simple steps will keep us mindful of our seminar enthusiasm and up the odds that we will indeed take steps to make the worthwhile new ideas and planned changes a reality. Otherwise, they remain just good ideas like any of our other good intentions that get lost in the chronic busyness of our days.

What else can we do to maximize the value of time and money spent on CLE programs and materials? Here’s a starter list:

- At least a few days ahead of each CLE program, make a list of questions regarding the topics to be taught. This kind of list helps remind you of the subjects of most interest to you and your firm and allows you to frame more specific (and better quality!) questions for the speakers;

- Take along post-it type self-sticking “flags” to mark key points of interest to you in the handout materials for easy referral post-program;

- When note-taking during the program, include in the right or left margins the relevant page numbers in the handout materials;

- Have a specific, separate place to note your questions or desired clarifications as they arise so that when Q&A moments arise with the various speakers, you will not forget anything;

- Make sure you obtain the speakers’ contact information in case future questions arise about their materials or presentations;

- Within 24 hours of the program, jot down all the highlights from the CLE and the ideas you think may work well in your office (see the simplistic form above);

- Calendar frequent reminders so that your great intentions and ideas don’t fall victim to your 90 mph days;

- Schedule a mini-workshop in-house for appropriate attorneys and/or staff members during which you share what you learned and make your suggestions for specific changes. Plan enough time for a short brainstorming session regarding potential new systems and other changes after you’ve shared the highlights of the CLE program;

- Set target deadlines for implementing ideas that are agreed upon; and

- Monitor your progress and hold yourself and others accountable to do their individual parts to better ensure successful (and lasting!) results.

This list is by no means all-inclusive, but it is a good place to start.

Avoiding the multiple losses caused by SSS is a great way to help maximize your firm’s investment in its people and to broaden and enhance continuing education efforts. I hope you remain “SSS-free” and that you refuse to settle for just CLE hours ever again.

Former practicing lawyer Nancy Byerly Jones is the author of “Easy Self-Audits for the Busy Law Office,” available from the American Bar Association.

Please visit her Web site

at www.nbjconsulting.com.

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