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.

I’m retained by professional firms to serve as their investigator, coach, consultant or temporary administrator.  My mission is to help them do a firm-wide “health check” regarding what’s working, what’s not, teach simplified strategic planning so their goals are reached sooner than later, help them minimize malpractice and other risks, enhance client services and retention, improve staff morale, efficiency and productive and a wide range of other things.

What does my work with law and other professional firms have to do with scooping the poop on our farm?   Regardless what assortment of services clients may opt for me to provide, I must always be on the lookout to identify and help them scoop up any poop lurking within their offices (a/k/a office BS).  We all know, however, that real poop is far easier, quicker and faster to spot and avoid.  Office BS can be extremely subtle and shrewdly dished out.  Cover-up disguises for BS’ers are also plentiful and may include chronic fake smiles, empty promises, excessive excuses and those oh-so-smooth talking big mouths.

The good news, however, is that once identified, office BS (as well as other office negatives) can often be turned around and nurtured into great success stories….just ask any experienced gardener and they will tell you what great fertilizer horse and donkey poop makes if “seasoned” and applied appropriately.  Ditto re law office poop which is one of the best parts of my work…not the poop, of course, but watching these success stories evolve from …well…office poop piles.  And, the credit for this goes to a firm’s excellent leadership, resourcefulness and perseverance.

Read on for a starter list of repeatedly proven and highly recommended suggestions for turning office poop into fertilizers that yield successful, profitable “crops:”

SHORT VERSION

1. Our actions speak our truths. Chronic BS in the office  must be stopped in its tracks or we must at least quit griping about the crap that piles up because of it (e.g. unkept promises, procrastination, unmet goals, lowering of other employees’ morale and so much more!).
2.Getting rid of one employee’s BS is great.  As we all know, however, it does not make us immune to others’ BS.  Be on guard.  Act wisely and quickly when you smell it.
3. Be the kind of boss and mentor you’d want for yourself when you goof up or otherwise need reining in…fair, timely, thorough, clear, resourceful, patient but decisive too……
4. Monitor the employee’s actions carefully and regularly, ensure they have the “tools” and guidance needed to turn things around successfully.  Be patient. Making great fertilizer from poop is not an overnighter, but in more situations than not, it can indeed be done.
5. Recognize and celebrate your success stories, big and small. Review how you did in handling each situation, repeat the good and avoid things you learn you should/could have done differently.

A BIT LONGER VERSION

• ACTIONS = TRUTHS & POOP = POOP = POOP We all know our actual actions – not our words – reflect our value systems, priorities, work ethic and so much more. Yet, how often do firm leaders ignore the very things needing attention including the chronic BS’ers of the firm? Why…perhaps they don’t like confrontation or don’t know how to deal forthrightly with challenges without being combative. Or, perhaps the perpetrator is a big rainmaker for the firm…hmmm…now there’s an often seen “put-our-heads-in-the-sand” situation.  Bottom line: Chronic means CHRONIC — the BS won’t stop until exposed and no longer tolerated by leadership.  Why should it if there are no consequences – no accountability whatsoever – for one’s BS, bullying, ignoring of office policy and procedure, etc.?

• ALWAYS BE ON GUARD FOR IT Be on guard and wide-eyed alert to any existing or potential unfertilized donkey dung being spread around your office.  Identify it and act quickly to end it.  It’s really that simple.

• HANDLE POOPERS WISELY Once BS (or any other unproductive, toxic or morale killing situation) is confirmed, deal with employees privately, professionally and swiftly.  This means crystal clear explanations of what behavior will no longer be tolerated and what the consequences will be if the behavior continues.  Plan such meetings for a time when you can give it your full, undivided and unhurried attention allowing time for the employee to respond to the issues fairly.  Don’t talk yourself into thinking it’s not as important as your casework.  Of course, we all must set (and frequently reset) our priorities wisely, however, to put these types of discomforting supervisory tasks on hold or worse, never to address them at all, has a huge negative effect on your firm.  This includes leadership’s implied permission that it’s okay for any other employee to act in the same negative and unaccountable manner.  And, as any procrastinator has learned, most problems will not disappear as we wished they would.  Instead, they grow into far bigger issues which means the resulting negative fallout increases as well.

• MAKING GREAT FERTILIZER FROM POOP If you want the best fertilizer, then equine poop must be properly composted.  This includes an attentive monitoring process, time and patience.  Ditto re constructive changes we or our employees need to make.  Leaders must not think their job is done after identifying harmful behaviors and talking with the responsible employees.  There are multiple key steps to successfully evolve a problem employee into a productive, highly valued one.  This includes an improvement plan that is custom designed for each employee taking into consideration their strengths, weaknesses, learning styles and more.  Other critical steps  include: persistent and consistent follow up supervision; additional training if needed; and a positive attitude by leadership that there will indeed be a successful outcome.  More harm is done when leaders let employees know they must make improvements, but then fail to follow up on whether or not they are complying or to offer the “tools” needed for him or her to be successful (e.g. classes/coaching on specific substantive topics, communications, anger management, organization, time or stress management, etc.).  When we fail to recognize the essentials of the proper and well-planned fertilization process, an opportunity is missed to create a success story.  And the damages don’t stop there because such failures send out yet another “Don’t take us seriously” message to all employees from the powers that be.

A GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING Just as the horses’ and donkeys’ poop on our ranch is a non-stop occurrence, the same is true for the BS in our lives and offices.  While we can’t totally eliminate BS, disingenuous people and other office management “challenges,” we can become better and quicker at identifying and exposing the poop and its carriers.  We should definitely not be too busy to recognize and celebrate our success stories – small or big – and we must also take time to heed the lessons learned from them.  This means de-briefing ourselves on how we made lemonade from lemons or fertilizer from poop.  In other words, it’s well worth our time to conduct self-audits to ask ourselves, what could we have done better, what should we continue doing, what have we learned not to try again, etc.  The extra time taken to analyze our successes increases the value of all rewards gained.

Same re our failures … heeding lessons learned creates invaluable fertilizer from the poop in our lives.

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.

(Note: No Order of Priority Intended….I Consider All These Red Flags as Needing ASAP Attention!)

(c) Nancy Byerly Jones 2010 

• Excessive/chronic telephone & email message pileups
• Regular client/customer complaints about unreturned telephone calls
• Trying to keep up with it all without short hot list (“cheat sheet” or “road map”) re highest priorities for each day or week
• Keeping clients waiting for service/meetings too long (and too often!)
• Refusing to change outdated, inefficient habits, systems, policies
• Holding irregular or non-productive employee/staff meetings
• Offering too little or no effective training
• Treating employees arrogantly, disrespectfully, rudely
• Chronic disorganization, do-it-at-the-last minute chaos
• Failing to assign priorities to employees’ tasks/cases/projects
• Unclear or incomplete instructions to employees/customers
• Failure to properly supervise fairly, consistently, resourcefully
• Insufficient file documentation (e.g. no client engagement agreements, signed customer contracts)
• Disorganized, sloppy files and paper management (or lack thereof!)
• Failing to keep clients/customers/employees timely informed
• Unexplained and excessive absences
• Refusal to learn and use appropriate technology tools
• Not teaching all employees how to be effective (and willing!) marketers 24/7
• Failure to realize receptionists are Marketers of First & Last Impression
• No long range plan for office/business/firm
• Poor personal care (e.g. no exercise, unhealthy diet, no vacations)
• Excessive reliance on employees for things only supervisors should do
• Too many personal calls, Twittering, Facebooking and/or emails
• Failing to maintain own work and personal calendars
• Poor team player (e.g. “What’s in it for me?” attitudes)
• Failure to show every employee he or she is valued and needed team member (or worse, not purging team of unnecessary, improperly placed employees
• Competitive attitude with partners/other managers/principals/everyone!
• Behind-the-back talker about other employees
• Sloppy time manager
• Failing to talk fully and clearly about costs/charges/fees with clients/customers
• Excessive drinking or other substance abuse
• Flirting or otherwise sexual harassment
• Allowing personal relationships to influence business decisions
• Rubber-stamping employee’s work product without careful review
• Angry, hostile attitudes – bullying of any kind
• Inconsistent and/or unfair enforcement of policy & procedures
• Works with “cloud” overhead; brings and leaves trails of negativity
• Stretches the truth, frequently misleads or outright liar

DANGER SIGNALS – EMPLOYEES

(Note: No Order of Priority Intended….I Consider All These Red Flags as Needing ASAP Attention!)

 (c) Nancy Byerly Jones 2010

• “I’m here just for a paycheck” attitudes
• “It’s not my office/business so why should I worry about mistakes, sloppy work, disgruntled customers/clients, etc.”
• Unprofessional, rude or otherwise improper telephone manners
• Chronic, excessive complaining
• Trouble sticking to task
• Refusal to learn and use appropriate technology tools
• Talks spirit of cooperation with co-workers, learning new systems/procedures while actions prove otherwise
• High-schoolish behind-the-back gossiping re co-workers and others to other employees
• Frequent bad moods (e.g. brings and leaves behind a negative aura in the workplace)
• Poor team player (e.g. “What’s in it for me?” attitude)
• Overly defensive with constructive criticism or mistakes made
• Chronically messy, disorganized work area
• Poor personal care (e.g. no exercise, unhealthy diet, no vacations)
• Excessive, repeated errors
• Frequent absences
• No interest in continuing education or self-improvement opportunities
• Flirtatious behaviors, sexual harassment
• Personal relationships with customers/clients
• Sloppy work product
• Failure or refusal to follow directions
• Disregard for protecting confidential client/customer information (e.g. loudly discussing client matters within earshot of other clients, third parties, carelessly leaving confidential materials in common areas)
• Frequent filing errors and/or habit of allowing documents needing to be filed to pile up
• Never willing to “go the extra mile” for company/firm
• Frequent delays, endless excuses in completing assignments
• Failing to create and follow priority task lists
• Treating customers/clients as unwelcome interruptions to their work
• Failure to follow through (i.e. ensuring all enclosures in envelope, keeping supervisors properly updated, etc.)
• Unprofessional, sloppy or otherwise inappropriate attire for office
• Excessive visiting with other employees during working hours
• Too many personal calls, Twittering, Facebooking and/or emails
• Frequent tardiness including extended breaks and lunch hours
• Chronic “It’s 5:00 I’m out of here” attitudes
• Repeated refusal to follow company/firm policies & procedures

If multiple danger signals are being ignored by the powers- that-be, then there’s no doubt that productivity and resulting profits, a positive workplace morale and quality control and risk management efforts have a high potential of becoming as frozen as the 7′ icicle shared here.  This 2010 granddaddy of an icicle finally succumbed to warmer temps and overdue sunshine.  We all need to ensure the timely and complete meltdown of any repetitive negative behaviors in our offices…putting our heads in the sand dilutes our efforts to build solid and lasting success stories for our clients/customers, our firms/businesses and ourselves.

Please add to these starter lists via your comments and as always, many thanks for visiting LawBusinessTips.com.  Wishing you a great rest of the day in spite of any jerks or lousy situations that try to mess it up!

Nancy

Tips on office sharing and executive suites  (from chapter in ABA/Law Practice Management’s Flying Solo, Edition 4 Publication)

Other questions?  Either leave a comment or email me at nbj@nbjconsulting.com and I will be happy to respond as soon as possible. You may optionally use the Contact Nancy Byerly Jones form.

1. An ongoing effort to improve management and leadership skills including having the most qualified (vs. most senior, etc.) leaders at the helm
2. Creating written action plans, monitoring them regularly and holding everyone timely accountable to do their part
3. Taking the need to market the firm seriously and doing it in ways right for the firm and its goals
4. Treating all employees and partners respectfully at all times (including treating/training/renaming receptionists as your primary “Marketers of First & Last Impression”)
5. Being decisive and avoiding the poisons of sticking our heads in the sand and/or procrastination
6. Offering adequate, timely and quality training, performance and attitude evaluations and coaching wherever needed (e.g. new software/equipment, stress or anger management, organizational skills, associate development, substantive law skills, etc.)
7. Defining success by what’s best/right for firm, its people, goals and culture vs. merely adopting society’s or traditional legal system definitions
8. Treating each client as if they were their only and/or best client & giving them multiple ways to offer their feedback and recommendations
9. Embracing technology with foresight, ethics, resourcefulness, creativity and perseverance for the learning curves
10. Diversification in areas of practice, clients, mindsets and employees

Sampling Characteristics of Not-So- Successful Firms in 2009:

1. Not doing one or more of the top ten success steps above
2. Failing to quickly put an end to office bullying, harassment and other ongoing negative behaviors/attitudes
3. Leaders in name only (e.g. with lousy leadership characteristics and skills)
4. Surviving day by day instead of charting, implementing and sticking with a plan for achieving long range goals
5. Failing to make timely, tough and wise changes needed in light of economic and other changing circumstances
6. Allowing negative attitudes and talking behind backs
7. Poor hiring/interviewing/training skills and systems
8. Lousy risk management systems or a failure to mandate compliance by all employees
9. Lousier stress management and office morale
10. Poor/sloppy client selection

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

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!)

And so we must cherish all the good moments of our holidays and give them the highest priority in our memory banks. Better yet, after duly noting any lessons to be learned from our unpleasant life experiences, we benefit tremendously (mentally and physically) from assigning  our bad memories a permanent “time out” status.  In fact, deep breathing myself back into the present moment and living each one fully are among my most valuable stress management “tools.”  I count on these “tools” when I get stuck dwelling on painful past memories or unproductively worrying about the future.  Don’t get me wrong …. planning ahead wisely is a worthwhile endeavor….unproductive worrying, however, is costly.  It costs us the moments at hand, stress and usually resolves nothing … unproductive.

This familiar quote rings so true with me …..”We don’t remember days…we remember moments.” So with another holiday season upon us, I will be looking for and cherishing all the good moments that occur with family and friends and I will refuse to let the not-so-good ones dampen my spirits. How about you?

Nancy

With all that said, my husband and I do pretty good at making room for mini-breaks in our lives even if only for a fleeting few minutes or hours.  Still, we allowed  too many years to slip by before we took our an extended break from the world.  We tried to get away in 2008 but our house sitter fell through at the last minute (which meant a painful vacation rental deposit forfeiture in addition to the disappointment of it all…Grrrrrr).

Back to our recent “escape” from reality…. for 11 days, it was just the two of us…no work travels, no client calls, no horses, donkeys, dogs, cats to feed, tend to, no tense or toxic communications to survive…in other words, none of the normal twists and turns of our busy lives (Okay..I admit I did a little bit of twittering and email replying but it was truly a very little for me!).  And our vacation was truly wonderful from start to finish…perhaps the vacation life style we lived would be boring to many people as we didn’t run ourselves to death trying to see the sights, try out new restaurants or other typical vacation activities for many……we just stayed put as “they” say.  With the ocean as our backdrop, we hunkered down with plenty of food, books, good music, rocking chairs and movies.  TV was an option but was rarely turned on.  Ditto re my laptop.  It was quiet, restful, healing, uplifting and basically like one long, slow 11-day deep breath! Excuse the redundancy, but it truly was a rare and greatly appreciated “time off for good behavior” for both of us.

My wish for you — If you’re like us, you have a zillion excuses of why you can’t take an extended vacation.  I encourage you to re-ponder this one.  I admit it can be a pain in the ol’ wazoo making all the decisions regarding just HOW you’ll pull it off, where and when to go, finding a way to do it within tight budgets, coordinating house sitters, if needed, for  indoor pets, (and barn sitters for horse and donkey nuts like us), planning ahead work-wise, packing,loading, unpacking, unloading, etc., etc….but as we again learned, it is SO worth the effort.

For 11 blissful days, we were able to reacquaint and renew our bonds with ourselves and each other without the normal interruptions and diversions of our busy lives…. we had un-rushed moments to better reflect upon this wonderful journey on earth called life, the good and not-so-good people relationships in our lives,  important decisions-t0-be-made that were on our plate….to read books some of which had been in our to-be-read piles for years….to talk and walk together in conversation or silence…..to just be still.

One of my recent posts about the potential consequence of health care procrastination coupled with this one reflects my personal efforts during 2009 at ending at least some of my unwise procrastination habits.  Most of us are experts when it comes to procrastination from years of honing our delay tactic skills.  By the way, a great book on this subject was written many years ago by Dr. Linda Sapadin…while I haven’t read any of her newer books (again, procrastination’s my only excuse), I suspect they are as worthwhile to read as her first book, It’s About Time
The 6 Styles of Procrastination and How to Overcome Them. To this day, I recommend this book to my clients and seminar groups.  It is well written and as an aside, I decided I was guilty of practicing all 6 style of procrastination as described by Dr. Sapadin…I read it initially merely as an additional resource for my clients and workshop groups…and as many of these folks would tell you how it did indeed help them…however, it ended up being a very wise book for me to read for personal reasons and I highly recommend it to you.

I encourage you to do a private self-audit of any areas of your professional and personal life where your delayed health, relationship and/or stress management procrastination may be playing with fire so to speak.  We know when we are about to hit bottom or are in the midst of burnout whether we admit it to others or not or worse, we try to deny it ourselves.  And we know when we are flirting dangerously with ignored health matters and/or vacation deprivation.  I love being with family and friends, I am blessed with a career and business nurtured from my passions, I find peace  and comfort from the outside world within the loving arms of family and the joys of living on a small ranch with our sweet herd of 4-legged family members …BUT…still my husband and I needed a break – big time!  We all do…..breaks from all the good things in our lives and certainly from the not-s0-good …. time to de-stress, be still, play …. time to renew ourselves, our attitudes and our souls.

If this is an area of your life that might need more attention and less procrastination, then I wish you all the best as you make “it” happen.

With wishes for  plenty of “rocking chair” moments,

Nancy

What's Your Brand?

Below are the initial sentences of a succinct and excellent blog post at www.biziboom.com by attorney Scott Gibson.  I encourage all my readers and clients to read and reread this well-written post on such a critical subject for us all.  If you’re on Twitter, don’t miss Mr. Gibson’s great tweets as well (@tradesecretlaw).

Everybody Has a Brand. What’s Yours?

Marketing experts talk about the need to develop your brand.  The process often sounds daunting, and you may wonder whether you should spend the time and money to brand your business.

Wonder no more.  You already have a brand…..(click here for Mr. Gibson’s full blog post…worthwhile reading that you will be glad you did!)

Thanks for stopping by and please give me and our readers the benefit of your comments, ideas and valued input.

All the Best,

Nancy

Far too many business and law firm partnerships go the same route unfortunately.   We must never underestimate the dark side of the greenback (e.g. greed and/or desperation) or longstanding unresolved disputes both of which seem to raise their devastatingly destructive heads even more often in the midst of  tough economic times.  It is indeed tragedy over tragedy when partners or families experience the ugliness and wide-ranging “costs” (financial and otherwise) generated by plain ol’ greed or the failure to timely and civilly settle our disagreements or misunderstandings.

Listed below are a few tips regarding family or partner disputes that are on my mind as I write this late night blog:

(1) if you have an “issue” or disagreement with a partner or family member, talk it over sooner rather than later AND with your imaginary “thick skin” on so as to minimize emotional eruptions and progress stoppers.  In other words, go directly to the source vs. depending on often malicious rumors or incorrect/false information.  Give these discussions your undivided attention and commit to acting with class and respect as you work through the painful issues that must be addressed.

(2) if you don’t have the emotional stability or necessary communication skills to work toward resolution with all concerned parties then hire a third party neutral such as a mediator to help you navigate through the waters of awkwardness, miscommunications, false impressions, the pain of conflict and/or points of strong disagreement; and

(3)if you choose to handle family or partner conflicts disrespectfully, hastily or harshly (without first trying to do really get to the truth of the matter or to resolve things in a fair and respectful manner) then brace yourself.  There will be consequences and fallout for there WILL be long lasting consequences as a result of your choices and actions. many of which you may never have anticipated.

I address this subject from my perspective as a mediator, former practicing attorney, and southern gal who has seen firsthand what runaway greed and unresolved conflicts can do to a  law firm, family or business.  It’s never pretty, always costly and there are no winners.

All the Best,

Nancy

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!

Just thinking today about  easy it is some times to take our closest friends for granted.  If you’re guilty of doing that, make a commitment to change things pronto before it’s too late.  Like all worthwhile and beautiful things in our lives, friendships need nurturing and attention.  And if we just don’t have the time to take care of them, then we sure can’t act shocked or hurt when they eventually fade slowly out of our lives.  True friends lost because of being too busy to take care of these rare, precious “treasures” in our lives remind me of  a quote of a  Norman Cousins’ quote:

On a brighter note, let’s make it a point to call a close friend today…not email, not text…a real, live phone call.  Our day and theirs will be brighter for it and we’ll have a bit more energy in our steps when we return to the busyness of our days.

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

RT@TulsaBankruptcy Wishing you a happy & safe 4th of July. How about some Recession Fireworks? http://tinyurl.com/lbzqqo

Great cartoon although the painful truth behind it is sad.  I wish you and yours a 4th of July weekend that’s full of fun, good times with family and friends and a safe one.  Also hope we all take time to reflect on why we celebrate this special day in the history of our great country.  And, as we enjoy the surprise, beauty and excitement of all the firework shows this weekend, I for one am going to make some quiet time to think about any “fireworks” that I may be creating within my office and family….even if they are relatively small ones, I am committed to defusing it (or them) asap.  We can create personal fireworks in as many ways as pyrotechniciams can design exciting firework shows for us.  Some examples would be:

• blowing a gasket before we have all the facts about a situation;
• assuming the worse as only a true drama king or queen knows how to do;
• talking excessively loud in a restaurant or other public place;
• raising a ruckus over a really minor event in the big scheme of things;
• taking the most extreme, formal steps to settle a conflict with a colleague, family member, another individual or entity before trying to resolve the matter via alternative dispute options (e.g. plain old fashion sit down and talk session; mediation, etc.)
• last minute chaos at work or home due to our own lack of planning;
• yelling at our kids or spouses for small “stuff” after being professionally polite all day those certifiably real bullies in our workplace;
• being the office troublemaker….you know the type…they LOVE to keep trouble stirred up among the troops, they relish look for the failings of others and are almost always the ones who are super defensive whenever their mistakes are duly noted;
• publicly reacting to what employees did wrong, but rarely acknowledging all they’ve done right (When I’m right, who remembers and when I’m wrong, who the heck forgets?!); and
• overreacting to any hint of a problem, challenge or unexpected change in plans.

This is, of course, just a starter list off the top of my head so I encourage all of us to make a list of the destructive kind of “fireworks” that we personally may be imposing upon those around us.  If we are being brutally honest with ourselves and discover a few “explosive” habits that could stand some changing, let’s  fix it…..we can’t control a lot of the things that happen in our lives, but we can ensure that the only fireworks in our lives are those we enjoy on the 4th of July, New Year’s Eve, and other international celebrations.

Have a super, safe and fantastic weekend ahead and as always, thanks for stopping in for a few minutes…your comments and input are always welcome and enjoyed!

Nancy

The End(s!)

• (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.

Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time.  You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”

(H. Jackson Brown, Jr., Author…including Life’s Little Instructions Books)

1.It’s too early to tell whether it is a smart marketing tool for lawyers from a financial perspective.  Yes, Twitter’s been around several years, but for the most part, attorneys/firm are just now really taking notice and becoming active in the twittering world.

2.Yes, Twitter can be used as yet another excuse for resourceful procrastinators who want to avoid their “to do” lists.  As with any tempting distraction, self-discipline is the key as in plain ol’ common sense. This doesn’t mean, however, that it’s a waste of time for everyone.  Far from it in fact!

3.  IMHO twittering can benefit our marketing plan, but the word “plan” is the key one here….in other words, Twitter used as just one aspect of our comprehensive marketing plan may prove to be very profitable.  With that said, crystal clear guidelines should be established by the firm’s leadership as to how and what to “Tweet” as a representative of the firm.

4. Often we think marketing is not successful without clear evidence of a decent financial return from our efforts.  I believe, however, that Twitter– when and if structured smartly in tune with your goals– is a huge resource of quick information, leads and tips for folks.  I almost see it as a fast-moving, free, mini-continuing education course that never ends assuming, of course, that you’ve wisely structured who you’re following and who’s following you, etc.  This type of educational resource in itself makes individuals more marketable because they will be sharing worthwhile things learned on Twitter with their clients and prospective clients.  It would be hard if not impossible to quantify how much knowledge you may be gaining from your twittering time, but you will know very quickly if you are or are not learning things you may not have known otherwise. 

5. Finally, I would advise larger firms and legal departments that have decided to be on Twitter to designate just a few attorneys to be their reps on Twitter…perhaps only 2-4 individuals.   Establish clear guidelines and appoint one of the partners to monitor their Twitter activities.  Non-designated attorneys and staff should also be advised of the firm’s Twitter (and other social media) guidelines and most importantly, everyone must be held accountable to live within the guidelines established.  Without accountability and enforcement, why bother to create any guidelines or rules in the first place?

6.  In small firms, I suggest limiting time on Twitter to a designated amount of time each day or week.  This means, of course, that the small firm lawyer must also commit the necessary amount of self-discipline to stick to such a plan.  Twittering is fun, informative and entertaining.  Much, however, remains to be seen as to Twitter’s future, usefulness and value to lawyers and other businesses.  I personally think it’s too early to deem it of little value to a lawyer’s or firm’s marketing efforts.  We should, however, be re-assessing its value to our firms often to ensure it is indeed earning (and re-earning) its right to be a part of our comprehensive marketing plans.

Okay…those are my thoughts re Twitter’s place in marketing a law firm.  What about yours?