Category : Management
Why Elon Musk Is Wrong About the 100-Hour Work Week
Mar 28, 2019“Nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week.” –Elon Musk, founder of Space-X and Tesla “The way we measure productivity is flawed.” –Tim Ferriss, author of “The Four-Hour Work Week” Two nationally-recognized thought leaders. Two completely opposite opinions. One, Elon Musk, says we need to work longer hours; the other, Tim […]
The Dangers of Growing Your Law Firm Too Fast
Mar 14, 2019As an entrepreneurial attorney, you naturally want your law firm business to grow—and my own firm is built around providing law firms with the tools and techniques needed to cause tremendous growth. But when those tools and techniques actually start producing results—and they will—are you prepared for the growth? What happens if your business grows […]
Learning from Your Worst Client Experiences in the Best Possible Way
Feb 7, 2019“Turn your wounds into wisdom.” – Oprah Winfrey We’ve all had them. No matter how much we might love what we do, we can all usually think of one or two clients that made our job feel like a nightmare—far more trouble than they were worth. A bad experience with a client can steal […]
What Will You Do Differently for Your Law Firm Clients in 2019, and Why?
Jan 3, 2019Even as we celebrate the holiday season with family and friends, the end of the year offers us an excellent chance to reflect, closing a few chapters as we prepare to open new ones. Along that line, here’s a question you should already be asking yourself: What will I do differently for my clients in […]
Onboarding an Intern for Your Law Firm: Dos and Don’ts
Dec 6, 2018One particular advantage of running your own law firm: You’ll never have a shortage of eager law school students offering to help out as legal interns. When you do it thoughtfully and correctly, onboarding an intern for your law firm is a win-win situation. You get access to fairly cheap labor for those menial tasks […]
Common Sources of Attorney Frustration
Nov 16, 2018In almost every job or career—even the ones we love—there is usually some aspect of the job that we would rather not deal with, something that frustrates or annoys us. The same holds true with lawyers, even those who have their own firms. Fortunately, we can often find creative ways to mitigate those issues somewhat. […]
5 Things We’d Love to See Law Schools Start Teaching ASAP
Oct 20, 2018“Boy, they sure didn’t teach me this in law school.” How often do we hear these words from the mouths of rookie lawyers? Like so many other professions, the difference between law school and the “real world” is almost like being on two different planets. Most law schools train their focus so heavily on the […]
How to Learn Amazing Lessons from Your Unhappy Clients
Oct 7, 2018“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” –Bill Gates No one I know of particularly enjoys getting complaints. We much prefer the kudos—the pats on the back from clients who tell us we’re the best. But here’s the reality: We learn much more from our complaining clients than our satisfied ones—and for […]
Time Management 101 for Law Firm Owners
Sep 27, 2018In running your law firm, do you feel like you’re burning the candle at both ends? Do you feel like the harder you work, the less you get done? You’re not alone—a lot of overworked attorneys share your plight. But the fact that this problem is common doesn’t mean it’s right. Much of your stress […]
Getting “Buy In” From Your Family to Build the Law Firm of Your Dreams
Sep 6, 2018Life is not a solo act. It’s a huge collaboration, and we all need to assemble around us the people who care about us and support us in times of strife. –Tim Gunn No man is an island unto himself. –John Donne You can’t conduct business in a vacuum, and you won’t achieve […]
It’s Crazy That Lawyers Brag About How Hard They Work
Aug 22, 2018When you run into a colleague at a conference or networking event, how does the chit-chat generally go? Typically, it follows this basic pattern: “How are you doing?” “Super busy. You?” “Busy.” It’s not a myth. As the Chicago Tribune notes, the median work week for a lawyer is 50 hours, but over 40 percent […]
Building a Law Firm? Don’t Forget to Take Good Care of Your Vendors
Jul 26, 2018No man is an island, entire of itself. —John Donne As an entrepreneurial lawyer, the success you achieve in your law firm (or conversely, your failure) depends largely on the choices you make. However, no one achieves success alone. Without support of outside vendors, reliably supplying services and materials, a firm won’t survive—simple as […]
