by Gary Mitchell | Sep 16, 2020 | On Trac
(September 9, 2020, 1:58 PM EDT) — COVID-19 is the largest global disruption in modern history. And what history tells us is that we are never going back to the way things were before, at least not completely.
Navigating disruption can be incredibly challenging. But it can also be exciting. It is not all bad. It forces us to become more innovative and creative. It forces us to make changes and do things differently that we would not likely have done on our own. Being ahead of the curve and creating new products and services helps us cope with our new reality.
Read the full article here.
by Gary Mitchell | Jul 16, 2020 | Business development, Growing your firm, Growing your practice
If you have been following this series, I’ve covered: When to hire, who to hire and getting your people in the right roles. This final column in the series will focus on communication and cash flow.
Read the full article here.
by Gary Mitchell | Jun 23, 2020 | Becoming more strategic, On Trac, Profitability
Check your ego at the door before reading this post. (Disclaimer) My clients do NOT fall into this trap.
Why is it that you try to be all things? Why not focus on your strengths? Be the best lawyer you can be and then surround yourself with a team of professionals that will help you reach your goals faster then if you try to do it all on your own?
In the 15 and more years I have been coaching lawyers, I run into this all the time during a consultation. You are building your own website. You are taking on tasks that can easily and more efficiently be delegated to another professional at a fraction of the cost to you, while freeing up more of your time for billables and getting more clients.
Frankly I am still surprised at how many people fall into this trap. It’s simple math really. Take your hourly rate and minus what you would pay a paralegal, or assistant, or IT professional. Guess what? That’s money (profits) you are leaving on the table. And if your not stealing time away from billable work to complete these tasks, you’re stealing it away from business development, growth and profitability.
How about for one day you be the lawyer, that’s it. Just be the lawyer.
by Gary Mitchell | Jun 4, 2020 | On Trac, Personal care, Thinking Positive
We are in unprecedented times. We are surrounded with negative. It’s become increasingly challenging to stay positive. Yet geting and remaining positive is perhaps the most important thing we can do for ourselves, our clients, our friends, our family, and our communities.
Here are some thoughts on how to focus on being happy.
- Spend time (virtually or in-person) with people that make you happy.
- Listen to your favorite music.
- Cook (or order in), your favorite food.
- Watch your favorite movies.
- Walk a little longer with your dog.
- Be grateful for everyone and everything in your life right now.
- Help someone else.
- Spend more time in nature.
- Tend to your garden.
- Bake your best goodies for your friends and neighbors.
- Get those old photo albums out, (or go through your phone), and spend some time reliving your favorite memories.
- Avoid the news, or at least keep it to a minimum, (10 minutes per day) just to stay informed.
- Make the decision that today you are going to be happy.
Happiness is a decision. Will you make the decision to be happy today? I did.
by Gary Mitchell | May 25, 2020 | Growing your firm, HR, Team Building
In part one of this series I covered when to hire and who to hire. In this column, I am going to focus on getting your people in the best roles and what to do when and if you are outgrowing your staff.
So, you’ve found the right people, great. Now, as Jim Collins says in his book, ‘Good to Great’, “make sure they’re in the right seats”. This means make sure everyone on your team is in the right place within your firm, doing the most valuable tasks that support you, your firm and your clients. Leverage their best skills.
Read the full article here.
This article was originally published by The Lawyer’s Daily (www.thelawyersdaily.ca), part of LexisNexis Canada Inc.
