PracticingLawSucks.com

Showing appreciation in difficult times

These are difficult times, to say the least.

Talk about "crisis management" !

The nation is experiencing a "financial crisis."  Once rock-solid financial institutions have, and continue to, collapse.

The housing industry has, and still is, experiencing a "crisis."  Neighbors cannot sell their houses - - assuming their houses have not already been foreclosed.

Deals cannot close because of a "credit crunch" - - which we prefer to call a "credit crisis."

A continual topic of conversation in social gatherings is our "leadership crisis" (both National and State) - - depending on your political persuasion.

Times are TOUGH.  Strike that.  Times are CHAOTIC.

HOWEVER, lawyers we talk to are not having it that bad.  Sure, their caseload may be down; clients are angry; and, collections are slow.  But, for the most part, we are still a "happy bunch."

So, the question is this: Amidst all this chaos, what are we lawyers (who are still having it quite good) doing to express our appreciation for our good fortune?

There is an old adage that says, "there is a price to pay for everything."  If this is true, then there is a "price" to pay in return for the good fortune that most of us (lawyers) continue to experience.

What would that "price" be for YOU?

Always being right

What is it about us lawyers that so many of us have come to believe that we are always right (never wrong) or, at least, never admit that we are wrong (even when we are)?

In court, many of us take positions and argue sides in which (in our hearts) we do not truly believe to be correct - - but, we do it anyway.

How many of us are willing to openly admit to a client that they are right, and we are wrong, when that is the case?

...and, even in friendly social gatherings, arguing with a lawyer (even when the non-lawyer is correct) can be exasperating.

So many lawyers tend to "get up on their haunches" and take a position from which they will refuse to retreat or, heaven forbid, admit that they are wrong (when they are).

Is this what we were taught in Law School?  Certainly, most of us did not learn this at an early age from our parents.

Then what is it that makes so many lawyers feel superior and infallible - - particularly in situations when they are not?

Is this a trait to be admired?  Or, is this a trait to be wary of?

Lessons learned !

There wasn't a week that went by in the 39 years of my law practice that I did not learn something new - - not only something new, but something new and valuable.

These were little hints, suggestions and tidbits that they did not teach in law school, or that I did not learn from my associates.  These were lessons learned from the "school of hard knocks."  I learned them the "hard way" - - through personal experience - - sometimes at a "cost" (to me, not a client).

To avoid learning the same "lesson" twice, early on in my practice, I created a notebook which I labeled "Lessons Learned."  Hardly a week went by that I did not enter something new in that special notebook.  It was not that I was so ignorant that I had a lot to learn; rather, it was just that - in the practice of law - there are continually lessons to be learned and things to continually keep in mind.

As the years went on - - 39 of them for me, that notebook got thicker and thicker.  I kept it close at hand.  I glanced through that notebook every week.  Several time each year, I would take the time to read it thoroughly cover-to-cover.

That notebook was not for others to read; it was personal to ME.  It contained lessons that I felt I had to learn, and continually remember.

That notebook not only helped be to become a better lawyer, but kept me out of problems - - pproblems that could have resulted in the type of difficulties that I continually discuss with my lawyer coaching clients today.

The practice of law is very unforgiving.  Errors and mistakes have no place in today's practice and will weed out the bad from the good lawyers - - oftentimes at great expense to the former.

The "Virtual Assistant"

There is a little-known secret out there for those who seek administrative help, but don't know where to find it - - it is, the "Virtual Assistant."

According to Wikipedia, Virtual Assistants are business owners who provide professional administrative, technical or creative assistance to clients - - usually to other independent entrepreneurs, professionals, and/or consultancy small businesses.  Virtual Assistants work from their own offices (frequently, from their own homes) - - hence the term "virtual."

Virtual Assistants are rarely located in or near the vicinity of your place of business.  It is not uncommon for a Virtual Assistant to be located many hundreds, or even thousands, of miles from where your office is located.  But, distance does not matter in the case of Virtual Assistants.  That is because Virtual Assistants commonly communicate with their clients through the Internet, email and by phone - - rarely, if at all, in person.

According to the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce (yes, there is such an organization), many people call themselves Virtual Assistants when, in fact, they aren't Virtual Assistants at all. For example:

• There are those who provide line-item administrative services on one-off, project-based, transactions - - that is a secretarial/clerical service;
• There are those who farm workers out to clients and may or may not work in ongoing, retained collaboration - - that is a staffing agency;
• There are those who focus on personal services and errand running - - that is a concierge service;
• There are those who specialize in bookkeeping - - that is a bookkeeper;
• There are those who do web and/or graphic design - - those are designers;
• There are those who specialize in typing and transcribing - - those are transcriptionists; and,
• There are those who do not provide administrative support at all, but instead focus on business and marketing advice and strategies - - those are consultants.

In contrast to the above, a true Virtual Assistant is NOT about occasional repeat business.  Rather, the concept of Virtual Assistance is about providing ongoing, continuous support and working in a collaborative relationship with their clients. That is because administrative work isn't "an event."  It is not something that is done once in a while, or just once and never has to be performed again.  Administration is ongoing throughout the life of every business.

So, a true Virtual Assistant doesn't sell one-off, individual services.  A true Virtual Assistant sells the relationship itself - - the opportunity for a professional or business owner to have an administrative right-hand person which could include any number of administrative roles or service areas depending on the client and their needs.

According to the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commence, a Virtual Assistant sells a package of ongoing support - a relationship - which uniquely offers clients the ability to achieve an entirely different, higher body of knowledge, forward growth and results that will not just get tasks done, but build upon the foundation of both their, and their clients, professional practices and businesses.

This type of relationship may be a real boom to your law practice if you are lacking in administrative areas.