Everybody’s Swimming Upstream

During our weekly marketing meeting recently, our social media strategist shared that she was having problems getting information from one of our vendors; “They say they can’t give us access because….” Without skipping a beat, our CRM extraordinaire blurts out, “So sad, everybody’s swimming upstream.”  Living in a world of scarcity = if I give you access to X, then you may no longer need me.

Once I got involved, it was like magic – we had the information we needed in less than 15 minutes. I couldn’t help but incessantly think about this over dinner and, honestly, well into the night. OK, I lost sleep over it. How could a vendor we are doing business with (paying) not give us what we are paying for? 

One of my favorite authors, Brené Brown, sums it up beautifully: “We each have a choice in any setting to step back and let go of the mind-set of scarcity. Once you let go of the scarcity mind-set, we discover the surprising truth of sufficiency. Sufficiency is an experience, a context we generate, a declaration, a knowing that there is enough and that we are enough.”

It got me thinking about the law firms I work with every day.  From the first implementation call, we are pumped to get on the team’s side because “here we are to save the day,” we have systems and processes to make your life so much easier and efficient. Over the past 17 years, fewer and fewer teams are stoked about the promise of systemization. They fear they will become irrelevant, that they will eventually be out of a job. They think, I’d rather swim upstream day in and day out than gamble with the possibility of becoming unnecessary.

We all want to be needed. Scarcity creeps in when it comes time to give up that special X that only you do or have.  But the honest truth is that people will continue to pay you over and over, and never think twice about it, if they feelsafe, heard and appreciated.  Integrity, compassion and character cannot be systemized or replaced – especially in the personal services industry.

So the next time you feel that bit of panic when someone asks you to systemize what you do or train so and so to do what you do or provide us with the passwords to X, dig deep. Check in, and if your integrity, compassion and character are in place, nothing but opportunity and growth is waiting on the horizon for you. If you lead with creating a safe environment where people feel heard and appreciated, you have nothing to worry about.  Those “job functions” are few and far between.

One of the first homework assignments we give to our members and their team is listenting to "The Attorney / Team Mindset To Create An Extraordinary Practice."  We highly recommend you carve out 1 hour of time – with your team – and give it a listen.  We promise, it WILL change your mindset day in and day out and the way you all communicatea nd function as a team moving forward.

If you want to learn more about Lawyers With Purpose join us at our Asset Protection, Medicaid & VA Practice With Purpose Program October 20-22nd in Phoenix, AZ.  Register now.  Seats are filling up quickly. If you are already a member and want to attend Practice With Purpose, contact Angela in Member Services at acrowther@lawyerswithpurpose.com