What LWP Tri-Annual Retreat Attendees Are Getting Today

June 13, 2014

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Coaching & Implementation Legal Marketing Team Building

Today is Day 3 of the Lawyers With Purpose Members Tri-Annual Retreat. We have the priviledge of guest speaker Christine Kane speaking and we want to share with you a little sneak peek of her agenda for the day.

It actually shows very little of what's actually going to happen in the room. Estate Planning Attorneys nationally, together with their teams talking about growing personally and professionally. Transforming themselves and their team. It's just a little peek of the agenda from 10-2:30 but they've all been together for almost 3 full days!

Why do we set goals? Why don't we achieve them? Limiting beliefs, etc.
Breaking limiting patterns

Aspiration (motivation/goal/dream)
Awareness
Action (mindset and energy included)

You can’t run away from yourself!

What’s in the way of your goals?
Exercise
Set your goal – pick your number $ for the year or 3 years

Describe your environment – 3 words
Describe your time – 5 core activities you spend bulk of time doing
Doing things outside of what you’re being called to do costs energy
The more you start doing things you’re good at, the more money you’ll make (hiring people to take the chores off you)

Partner up, share your vision.

Name the vision

Camp Scarcity (fear): not enough, loss, competition, limits, well is dry, constriction/contraction, not deserving, hard, cold, alone, isolated, familiar, struggle, envy, martyr, victim, guilt, judgment, perfectionism, greed, lust, experiences deplete us
Planet Abundance: in the flow, effortless, ease, clarity, creative, innovative, community, collaboration, gratitude, love, appreciation, joy, happiness, presence, compassion
Worksheet prep (Becoming 360)

10 areas of work and life, in terms of your dream
5 core beliefs of the person you want to become
Rate truth – never, fairly, sometimes, always
Partner, share your 5 beliefs and rating

Create one affirmation statement for one of these beliefs
Create one action step that locks in the affirmation
Recurring thoughts, positive and negative
Write 5 beneficial recurring thoughts in journal

Rate truth – never, fairly, sometimes, always

Partner, share the beliefs and rating
Create one action step for these recurring thoughts
Worksheet

Fill in sections 1-2, “Becoming 360”

Daily activities (present)
WWOD – What Would Oprah Do?

Are your daily activities in line with the vision you? What can you offload?

Cross off anything on list that your vision self would no longer do

Start small if you need to, major drains
There is no recipe or formula, it’s your own experience
Protect your confidence, cross off anything negative

Partner up, share list and what’s going away

Create one action step for worksheet
Tell Me Later and Text Minder – apps for future reminders
Task Rabbit or Angie’s List to find help

Habits
Recurring patterns vs. activities
Partner; share new habit you will implement for next 90 days to bring this vision

Health & Energy

Holistic model, don’t compartmentalize – business and health are interrelated
3-5 places in health (mental, mindset, physical, etc.) that are draining you
Action step: 1 thing you can do to begin process of healing what’s draining you. Something do-able. Set the intention to see what can open up – be open to miracles.
Partner, share your action.

Environment
What can you clean up?

Partner and share who you’ll have on your team

Products & Offers

What needs to change to get you to your income goal?
Books leading into program (create back-end first)
3 things your vision self offers, and how they’re priced
Stand and partner, share
Free Time
Schedule your time
How often does your vision self take vacation?
What does free time look like?
Partner – current free time, one action step to boost it this year

Best Relationships

5 common, important traits of the people your vision self most spends time with
5 people you currently hang out with the most
How do these 5 people measure up to the 5 vision traits? Do these people serve you?
Action step to build better, more supportive relationships

You don't want to miss Pheonix in October. Block October 22nd – 24th on your calendar now and join in the conversation if you weren't able to make it this time. I can't wait to hop on my implementation calls next week and hear what the members came up with for their firm Money Plan and Becoming 360!

Roslyn Drotar – Coaching, Consulting & Implementation, Lawyers With Purpose

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Start Where You Are

June 5, 2014

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Coaching & Implementation Systems & Processes Team Building

Sounds pretty obvious, doesn’t it? But how often do we really give ourselves that gift? How often do we stop and tell ourselves, wherever we’re headed, this is where we start? It means being willing to let go of the past. It means resisting the need to race ahead. It means controlling the stories of why we can’t get started.

It may be creating a marketing plan when you only have $500 a month to realistically dedicate to the project. It may be finally firing that employee who “knows everything” when you don’t have the rehire in place. It may be making the unyielding commitment to hardwire five hours into your calendar for marketing when you have to answer the phones, draft trusts and greet clients who arrive 20 minutes early so they can tell you all about their grandbabies.

Sometimes the simplest truths are the most slippery. We convince ourselves that it “isn’t that bad” or that we might be “overreacting” or have “unrelenting standards.” These are all especially true if you lead with responsibility and/or harmony on the strength-finder assessment. But if we simply allow ourselves to start from where we are today, that is often more than enough.

Last week I was working with a firm, and the focus of our Coaching, Consulting & Implementation (CC&I) call was “getting the right people in the right roles.” They had just hired two new people within the past four weeks and had let go of a “lifer” employee. They were trying to train the two new hires for the role of “Legal Assistant,” i.e. “please do it all and take the pain and pressure away.” The attorney went into explaining about how the firm can't do Y until X and when A is up and running they can implement B. I listened intently to the mental download and then started with “I've got all that. But we are here and let’s start from exactly where we are. Because in my experience, the have, do, be method never works out to your advantage. (When we have A, then we can do B so we can be the law firm I have always envisioned.) That's because I have never met a firm that woke up one day and all the missing pieces were finally in place (i.e., people, time and money). We’re going to take a different approach.”

The approach of starting where you are: It allows you to originate from a clean slate so you can get to the root and cultivate a deeper understanding of what you need, right here, right now! It gets to the heart of the matter – which eliminates all opportunities to create a bigger-than-necessary project. The approach of start where you are allows for one small step at a time. This may sound hokey, but this approach allows us to get down and dirty and take a look at our distractions – the things that tend to get between you and your optimal success.

We'll see you next week at the Members Tri Annual Retreat in Chicago and begin working on your next quarter Money Plan (and yes, we'll be starting right where you are). In which areas of your practice do you need to start where you are?

Molly L. Hall, Co-Founder, Lawyers with Purpose, LLC, and author of Don’t Be a Yes Chick: How to Stop Babysitting Your Boss, Transform Your Job and Work with a Dream Team Without Losing Your Sanity or Your Spirit in the Process.

Congratulations To Michael Cohen, LWP Member Of The Month

June 3, 2014

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Legal Marketing Systems & Processes Team Building

What is the greatest success you’ve had since joining LWP?

I have been able shift my practice from being primarily “crisis” planning to planning that is more encompassing with more options than I what I previously was aware. We now tell potential clients that we are “Baskin-Robbins” – you just tell us what flavor you like, and we will design your plan to meet your flavor. I also see LWP as a way to approach the practice more like a business (i.e. with focusers, steadier cash flow, etc.).

What is your favorite LWP tool?

Although I mentioned the focusers in my answer above, my favorite tool (if you can call it a” tool” ) is having monthly workshops. As LWP members know, the “stories” in the workshop simplify the complex area of planning and allow us to help so many more people (and I can leverage my time even if an attendee doesn’t become a client) in addition to an increase in bottom line. In addition, the workshop design allows us to have fun (with my personal stamp or story) with prospective clients while showing them our knowledge and their need to take care of the ones they love.

How has being part of LWP impacted your team and your practice?

First, LWP has increased communications in our office. Second, although we are small, our “team” has grown as a result of LWP. Third, the focus of our practice has changed as indicated in my answer to no. 1 above. Fourth, I have expanded my horizon in legal-technical knowledge. Finally, I see a roadmap for a journey that (although I am not sure where it will end or what weather lies before me) I expect to have a rainbow at the end. A special thanks to Molly for keeping us on the right path.

Becoming 360 With Christine Kane of UpLevel You

June 2, 2014

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Coaching & Implementation Legal Marketing Systems & Processes Team Building

We've had some phenominal ~ and passionate ~ conversations about the content we want to bring to the members at the retreat. Meet Christine Kane of UpLevel You who will be sharing her "Becoming 360" on Day 3 of the members only Tri-Annual Retreat in Chicago – June 11-13th, just two weeks from now! What is "Becoming 360" you ask???

and a more compassionate (and passionate!) perspective on you, your life, your future, and how you want to design your success.

In Becoming 360. You’ll dive deeper into your goals, your purpose and your WHY.

You’ll understand and celebrate the real reason we set goals at all.

HINT: It’s NOT about the achievement. It’s about WHO WE BECOME as we get there.

The day will be devoted to that process of setting the goal, and then examining – through conversation, clarity work and training – the 10 areas of your life that drive (or drain) your energy, and who you must BECOME in order to reach and manifest the goals you set.

This is the path of the leader and the entrepreneur. And it gives greater meaning and clarity to our work, our surroundings, our desires, and our relationships.

The LWP team can’t wait to do this work with you! Safe travels and we'll be seeing you all in the Windy City! There are still just a few seats left so if you're interested in attending the Tri-Annual Retreat, pick up the phone and reach out to Angela (acrowther@lawywerswithpurpose.com) TODAY don't wait!

Roslyn Drotar, Coaching, Consulting & Implementation, Lawyers With Purpose

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Compassion Fatigue

May 30, 2014

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Coaching & Implementation Team Building

“You have a clean slate every day you wake up. You have a chance every single morning to make that change and be the person you want to be. You just have to decide to do it. Decide today’s the day. Say it; this is going to be my day.” ~ Brendon Burchard 

The emotional, physical and financial needs of our world can be undoubtedly overwhelming. As we become more and more comfortable with the vision, design and signing meetings, we then begin to move fully into and embrace the counseling side of serving in the estate and elder law industry. With this comes the journey of compassion:

We will feel for people in pain – even people we don’t know personally.
We will want people to be encouraged and hopeful – even people we don’t know personally.
We will seek to help people practically – even people we don’t know personally.

Beyond the "conference room," you will begin to find that you are naturally feeling this and wanting to do it. Once you gain knowledge in the tools, competency in the legal technical and confidence in your team, you will begin to lead and guide from a place of compassion. And this is how you attract people to your office, without even trying. Your ability to actively listen and solve problems is utterly absent from your competition. And everyone sees it. So your calendar begins to fill up with potential money appointments: Initial contacts increase (yay!), vision meetings increase (yay x2!), your hire rate increases (yay x3!).

But if there is not time in your calendar to “empty your backpack” of all compassion – stories, grief, troubles and struggles that you get to solve all day (not to mention the employees waiting at your door in-between all these fantastic meetings) – you will be burdened. Imagine a backpack filled with the heaviest cinderblocks you can imagine. At some point, you have to put the backpack down or else you’ll break your back. That's compassion fatigue.

In an unrelenting world of constant giving and solving, filled with back-to-back appointments and very little breathing space, it eventually becomes impossible to “muscle through” week in and week out. Then we start to see our initial/vision and hire rates decrease because that bountiful compassion has turned into resentment and frustration. And we might tell ourselves, “The lucky streak has ended,” but as humans we are just not conditioned to continue at that pace without operating at a deficit.

We have to refill our tireless giving “compassion account.” When your reserves are in deficit, you can’t truly give. Here are some quick suggestions for how to refuel your compassion account, “empty your backpack” and let go of all the emotional stuff you picked up throughout the day. This should take no more than five minutes at the end of each day to allow you to hit the ground running the next day with a full account:

Get a journal or notebook and keep it at your bedside.
At the end of your day, download all the stories you picked up from the day: prospective clients, existing clients, referral sources, client complaints, employee issues, even whatever may have hit you personally at home, because all compassion and heartache are created equal.
Jot down the NAME (Smith case, Sally the receptionist, my son Timmy.)
What the story/situation was. Keep it simple and don’t make it into a dissertation. Just brain dump the emotionality of what occurred. This part is important: Connect and dump the emotional compassion that occurred in order for you to truly unload the backpack.
What did you provide in regards to coaching, conflict resolution, counseling, etc. to provide value? It is equally important for you to get the WIN in it, to know you were part of holding a safe space for X to have a breakthrough in that moment with the resources you had.
Then detach and let it go, and write down, “My job is not to rescue. My expertise in helping X was more than enough for today. I am not responsible for the circumstance, only for coaching the person. This is no longer mine to carry.”
Celebrate the victories and share them with the team. Acknowledge what you have done as a huge accomplishment. Give yourself kudos – don’t minimize what you’ve done.
Pretend you’re a duck! When you are in a leadership role – and you are as an entrepreneur and intrapreneur – you will take hits. You've got to let them roll off your skin, just like a duck lets water roll off its feathers. Work this muscle until you see the results.
Build “pause” time in your calendar to reframe yourself between appointments. Use that time to do something for yourself, to make deposits into your compassion account. Doing this will allow you to always “show up” genuine and prepared, with your clients feeling heard and you feeling confident.

You will begin to notice how much compassion was actually turning to clenching for your clients, which is a circumstance that creates undue pressure on us to “deliver.” Yes, you have to deliver on your promises (planning, etc.), but when the delivery becomes all about the person's circumstance vs. about the person, which we all do day in and day out, that blocks the unpacking of the backpack to eliminate the compassion fatigue.

If your interested in joining us in Chicago, book your flights now! There are still just a few seats left so register today and be in the room to experience what the Practice With Purpose Program is about and what we have to offer.

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The Rules of Engagement

May 23, 2014

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Coaching & Implementation Systems & Processes Team Building

At Lawyers with Purpose we feel very passionately about our unrelenting standards around consistently operating by our Rules of Engagement. On our weekly CCI call this week, we discussed how easily the expectations set within the Rules of Engagement can be pushed aside in the day-to-day of our “busy” world. How we give each other permission to let each other off the hook with no operation by set standard.

It's those times that we allow The Rules of Engagement to be part of our consistent daily practice that there is very rarely ever a need for sporadic reactive “sit downs” about to what's going on with X (team, projects, cash flow etc.). And in our experience the work that has to go into repairing, redirecting and/or retooling doesn’t have to occur this way. If you make it part of your standards, the consistency in all facets of your business begin to happen.

Your Rules of Engagement should, in essence, say that as a team we agree to operate under the following rules – day in and day out – to allow us to grow and eliminate any unnecessary dividedness.

SAMPLE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

1. To refrain from holding on to “stories and stuff” – always clarify and verify what is being ask of you and always operate with honest while respectful mentality; (A) If you ask me, I will tell you; (B) If I ask you – it’s because I “need” to know to be sure my needs are being met

2. Lead and operate every meeting with:

Declaration of the purpose and intended outcome
Printed Agenda with the team leader running
Next specific actions and deadlinesEvery person is absolutely required to hold each other accountable and be accountable for their our own actions

3. Every person is absolutely required to hold each other accountable and to be accountable for their own actions.

4. EVERYTHING is ALWAYS “on the table” with a “CAN DO” approach

5. We agree to always engage in Healthy Conflict to solve real problems quickly and to put critical topics on the table for discussion. If there is something that someone is doing and behavior that is a constant roadblock YOU need to conduct a STOP and identify the behavior that is occurring in that moment so we can identify and breakthrough.

6. We agree to refrain from gossip. Do not say something out loud that you would not say if you knew it was to be repeated. If a statement starts with “Don’t tell….” It’s gossip

7. We agree as a team to always be willing to FAIL FORWARD. United we stand, divided we fall.

If you're interested in learning more about how Lawyers With Purpose could support your estate planning / elder law practice, please join us in Chicago June 9th – 11th for our Asset Protection, Medicaid & VA Practice With Purpose Program. Register today as we are filling fast. The hotel is almost sold out so grab your seat today!

Molly Hall, Co-Founder, Lawyers With Purpose, LLC, and author of Don't Be a Yes Chick: How to Stop Babysitting Your Boss, Transform Your Job and Work With A Dream Team Without Losing Your Sanity or Your Spirit in the Process

Making Your Strengths Work For You

May 15, 2014

by David Zumpano with No Comment Coaching & Implementation Systems & Processes Team Building

You’re probably familiar with the concept of IQ…maybe you’ve even taken a quick IQ test online or in the back of an in-flight magazine.

Many years ago, it was believed that IQ and intelligence were synonymous — that there is some sort of magic number that everyone has that can be determined by the right test, and that that number is a reflection of how intelligent they are. Even today, if you ask the average person on the street what intelligence is, the term “IQ” is going to come up more often than not.

Fortunately, these days we know better…as far back as 1983, a psychologist at Harvard named Howard Gardner proposed his theory of “multiple intelligences.” The idea behind Gardner’s framework is simple — namely that intelligence takes many different forms, and that everyone’s “intelligence” is actually a unique combination of their strengths across many different categories. Currently, Gardner has advocated for nine different forms of intelligence:

● Musical – Rhythmic and Harmonic

● Visual – Spatial

● Verbal – Linguistic

● Logical – Mathematical

● Bodily – Kinesthetic

● Interpersonal

● Intrapersonal

● Naturalistic

● Existential

When you look at the list above, it’s not difficult to come up with examples of what Gardner was talking about — history is full of people who achieved at the highest levels in their field, independent of what they may have scored on a traditional IQ test.

IQ wasn’t related to Beethoven’s successes…it was his musical intelligence. Michael Jordan’s IQ had nothing to do with his ability to drive the lane or hit a jump shot — but he absolutely is gifted in the realm of bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. Margaret Thatcher would likely have scored well on a traditional IQ test, but you can also make the case that it was her inter- and intra-personal intelligence that helped her ascend to the top of her field.

So by now you might be wondering why I’m talking about intelligence here. It’s a fair question, and the answer is actually pretty simple…

When you think about the examples I’ve given above, and the others that surely came to your mind as you read through Gardner’s list, what do they have in common? They all benefited from an extraordinary fit between their gifts and the endeavors they chose to pursue.

In my law firm, we’ve taken this philosophy to heart – working in our strengths (ie., whose doing what to reach goal).

So often you’ve heard me discuss the idea of systems, and how having the right system in place makes all the difference in your practice. Well, an important component in that is making sure that the people — the most important part of any business system — are a good fit with the responsibilities they have.

Take a minute now and think about your team — who is particularly gifted verbally? They have a way with words — are they getting the opportunity to leverage that talent for the benefit of your whole firm? What about your analytical thinkers? Are they getting the opportunity to solve problems and help things run more smoothly on a day-to-day basis?

Next month, LWP is hosting a three day event in Chicago where we’ll be talking systems automation and how you can leverage the right tools, systems, and the natural talents of your staff to exceed your revenue goals! And the beauty is your freed up to focus on the people (i.e. meeting with clients and power partners).

The next Practice with Purpose Program is June 9-11. There will not be another one until October. Yikes, that’s closer to “year end” than “New Year”.

We’ll provide you with the road map — we’ll teach you how you can use your natural gifts (and those of your team) to get more done at the office and get more time at home as well!

That doesn’t meant that it’s going to be easy, though…one of the benefits of attending an event like this with some of your most successful and forward-thinking peers from around the country is that we're going to challenge you to break through the roadblocks you’re currently facing…to focus on what's really important in your practice…and to eliminate the distractions that take away from your time and focus.

That's our promise to you…that you'll return home with a clear vision for taking your practice to the next level. Taking the all-important first step is up to you – click here to register now. We fully expect that the program will sell out, and you don't want to be left without a seat!

David J. Zumpano, Esq, CPA, Co-founder Lawyers With Purpose, Founder and Senior Partner of Estate Planning Law Center

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Controlled Growth

April 14, 2014

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Coaching & Implementation Systems & Processes Team Building

Sometimes just showing up is more than enough. There’s a quote that says, “90% of life is showing up.” I couldn’t agree more. Our last LWP Practice Enhancement Retreat brought home a powerful message: The Power of Community. The groundswell of last February's retreat was interest in “controlled growth.” I have personally attended all 10 of our Practice Enhancement Retreats, and February's was life-changing and practice-changing for over 150 estate planning professionals from across the nation. We were sharing values and goals with other like-minded entrepreneurs, law students, paralegals, client service coordinators, marketing coordinators – all of these different roles joined together to create a plan where there is controlled growth.

The ongoing conversation about controlled growth played a big role in the success firms are seeing today, a little over two months since the last retreat. Some of the goals set in February have been met, some are on course to be met and some simply are not – and will not. Does that make those unmet goals a miserable failure? I would say no, quite the opposite. Those firms showed up and put pen to paper to create a path and a plan, and that alone is a success. The fact that they have the guidance system to know when to embark on the goal journey, and when it doesn’t necessarily fit and/or is no longer important, is success enough. They chose short-term pain over long-term pain and gave themselves permission to re-choose in real time.

Being there means you hear things from other members – we call them your Board of Directors – like “You have to slow down and manage that growth,” or “You just need the faith. It will work if you do X, Y and Z because we have a tried, tested and proven track record.” It means you can share what has worked and what hasn’t. One of our members declared in the room that he would be launching consistent workshops starting in a few months. His Board of Directors responded, “You can’t wait! You’ve got to do it now to leverage your time!”

These conversations with others support you with controlled and consistent growth. Most people are afraid of growth and success. It’s scary. They don’t know if they are doing it right. They are afraid they are going to blow up what is working right now. Community can be the antidote for those fears.

The 150 folks leaving Orlando after retreat week were on a high – but we are seeing now that people are beginning to gap out. June is just around the corner, and they’ll be back in the room for the next Practice Enhancement Retreat. That will bring accountability. Collaboration. Meeting with their Board of Directors. And there will be over 12 breakout sessions geared toward legal technical, practice efficiency, confidence building, creating a financial and client advisory board, a complete system for an annual client maintenance program and much, much more.

It’s hard to believe there are two short months remaining until the June Practice Enhancement Retreat. After the second week of June, most people start summer “break.” And next thing you know, Labor Day turns the corner and we are fast and furious into the holidays and the year-end wrap-up. Where does the time GO??! We were going to do X, Y and possibly Z, but…….

Sometimes we talk – but we don’t plan. Sometimes we plan, but we don’t pick the path. If every business owner were to achieve everything they’ve declared they’re going to do, we would have a bazillion fulfilled entrepreneurs, team and clients. Right about now some folks may have seven valid reasons why they are going to take a break from this retreat and join the next one so they can catch up on what they said they were going to do in February. They should consider the words of Victor Hugo, the author of “Les Misérables” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” who said:

“He who every morning plans the transaction of the day and follows out that plan, carries a thread that will guide him through the maze of the most busy life. But where no plan is laid, where the disposal of time is surrendered merely to the chance of incidence, chaos will soon reign.”

The way to avoid chaos and lack in your life and in the lives of those you serve is to plan your work, work your plan, revise your plan, repeat cycle. And that is how you create controlled growth. Most of us just don’t know how to do it on our own. Reserve your seat for your firm at the June Tri-Annual Retreat now. In the words of Yoda, “Do or do not. There is no Try.”

If you not a member and are interested in experiencing what Lawyers With Purpose has to offer, join us at our Practice With Purpose program June 9th, 10th & 11th. But don't hesitate – register today, spots are filling up fast! We'll see you there!

Why I’m Here

April 1, 2014

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Coaching & Implementation Team Building

Every Friday we have a meeting with all members of our team. We start the meeting with personal wins, professional wins and one thank you to someone you would like to acknowledge for the week (doesn't have to be someone on the team/in the room). This week the head of our Member Services Department, Angela, shared her personal win, which was also her professional win. And, I have to say, for so many reasons, it turned into a win for many of us.

Here's what Angela excitedly shared: “My win this week was our weekly CCI Meeting. Marci and Molly coaching to the entire CCI team helped me personally on so many levels. I was struggling with many things in my life, and after that call I walked away with not only a whole new perspective but excitement about how I could turn some things that were not working into a win. I never really understood why you had me sitting in these various meetings that didn’t necessarily pertain to my direct job. Now I get it, WOW!”

Our teams are often unclear as to why they are attending many of the meetings we have them in. Sometimes we hear those exact words – “Why am I here, what am I doing sitting in on this meeting, why do I need to be sitting in on this meeting.” Or, if we are paying close attention, we “hear” it visually with the eye rolling, disengagement, lack of note taking, lack of clarifying questions and/or input, that they have no idea why they are there.

Angela’s win this week reminded me that we all should take a few seconds and clarify our intention for having our team sit in on certain meetings, teleconferences or whatever we are trying to enroll them in. A simple “locker room huddle” prior to the event:

In prep: “The reason I want you to attend is to ______ (observe or plan to propose something afterwards)”;
During: “And what I expect to you to do during the meeting is ______ (take notes, just be present, present x afterwards)”;
After the event: “And I would like you to or expect for you and I to _____ ( spend 10 minutes immediately after to debrief, schedule a one-hour strategy meeting after maybe four or five weeks of these calls so you can get as much info as possible, and then we can see where you stand in your current role.

Angela’s “simple” win was so very powerful, as it reminded me to let people know the intentions of an invite vs. allowing them to flounder in “why am I here?” Angela is now not only excited for next week's CCI Meeting but also definitely sees the endless opportunities available for her personally. But if we didn’t have the weekly team meeting “WINS” format, I'm not certain we would have know what an impact it made on the member services team, and we would also have missed a great reminder to answer the question of “why am I here” prior to each meeting.

If you are not having weekly team meetings and would like a suggested agenda, please email me at mhall@lawyerswithpurpose.com to receive a complimentary agenda.

Can This Wait?

March 12, 2014

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Team Building

We are all humans, so human things will occur. And sometimes our knee-jerk reaction is to run and tell someone. We try to solve it, or get it off of us, right then and there.

For example, we get a client complaint or emergency – when the attorney is getting ready to do a workshop presentation. What do you do? Do you hit the attorney with the problem, right then and there? Preempting the hurried restroom break before the workshop?

There is an ideal time and place for front-stage and back-stage activities. And this is one of those situations where we need to have a back-stage conversation with the attorney AFTER the workshop. Doing anything less is dumping on someone who needs to have a front-stage presence – cool, calm, confident and collected – when they can’t do anything with the information you dumped on them anyway. It sucks the life out of them before the lights are on them and they are presenting.

Throughout our day, things come to us that are time-sensitive and important. But is it necessary to have the conversation right then? A lot of times, when we have the opportunity to have a conversation, we always hit what is most important for US. Here are some questions to ask the mirror when you're wondering, “Can this wait?”

(1) Does the person need to know this information RIGHT NOW?

(2) Does their livelihood depend on the information?

(3) What can they do with the information?

(4) Is their house on fire? Has there been an accident? Are the kids OK? Are you canceling the workshop because of the news/information?

As team, the greatest role we have is to protect our attorney's confidence. It's one of the “Confidence Builders”. Attorneys are in back-to-back meetings most of the time. The weight of the world is on them as entrepreneurs. We see their calendars, and many times they don’t take time to eat – on their best day. And many times our only opportunity is to communicate in a hallway conversation, so we're tempted to lunge at the chance even when the issue is not crucial. If we feel it is very important for the attorney to know, we need to stop and ask “What can they do with this information right now” before we proceed.

Using the “Confidence Builders,” it may not be so important to let them know at that very moment that we got fired by a client. Although this information needs attention, we can talk about it more effectively in our team meeting later, and address “what worked / what didn’t work.” Hold anything that needs to be addressed until our next meeting or daily huddle.

Ultimately, when running a small boutique business it becomes more necessary to protect those responsible for generating revenue. And we do that by protecting their confidence and being mindful of what they are walking into. It’s not always about them protecting us. It can go both ways – which we will blog about later – but we don’t have to be on the front stage as much as they do. It is our job to protect them when they need to be ON.

Molly L. Hall, Co-Founder, Lawyers with Purpose, LLC, and author of Don’t Be a Yes Chick: How to Stop Babysitting Your Boss, Transform Your Job and Work with a Dream Team Without Losing Your Sanity or Your Spirit in the Process.