What kinds of training do you have available at your law firm? When I ask this question of lawyers, I am often told that there is no real training at their firms. New employees are given an orientation of sorts and taught how to use the firm’s systems, but this training is minimal, and there …
What are the consequences when you don’t communicate with the people in your firm about what it takes to move to the next level? In my last video in this series on retaining your best employees, I talked about being transparent about what it takes for them to get to the next level. Today, I’d …
What does it take to get ahead at your law firm? If you want to retain your best employees, you need to be transparent with them about what it takes to get ahead at your firm. What happens if an employee wants a promotion? How does an associate become a partner in the firm? What skills, activities, or behaviors are required for advancement? Employees get restless when they don’t know where they stand. In my experience, law firms are really good at communicating things like how many billable hours are required or conducting performance reviews that talk about past performance, but they’re not necessarily so good at talking about the future and what an employee wants to get out of their career, what opportunities there are for advancement at the firm and what an employee needs to do to get there. Instead of just focusing on billable hours and past performance, talk to your employees about what they want out of their careers. Help them to set goals that will help them to advance in your firm. If becoming a partner means that you have to bring in business, make sure that your associates know that. Encourage them to get involved in their local community or their bar association. If trial experience is required for partnership, make sure that your associates know that as well and help them to find opportunities to get that experience. If you can’t become a partner unless you’ve had a certain number of years as a lawyer, make sure that people in your firm know that as well. Remember, what might be obvious to you isn’t necessarily so obvious to your employees. More articles and videos like this:
Do you know what the total cost of hiring a new employee is? Hiring employees costs money and takes time. Aside from all of the time it takes to review resumes, interview candidates and make hiring decisions, a new employee has to learn all of your office’s procedures and systems, and needs to be able …
Are you a control freak? Are you overwhelmed with work because you think you are the only one who can do everything, and do it right? As lawyers, we are perfectionists – we’re over-achievers, so if this sounds like you, you’re not alone. But you’re doing yourself, your staff, and your clients a disservice. And …
Do you have a don’t do list? What the heck is a “don’t do list?” Find out in this video – or scroll down to read more. A don’t do list is the opposite of a to-do list. A to-do list contains all of the items or tasks you want to complete – all of …
Hi, I’m Allison Johs, President of Legal Ease Consulting, where I help lawyers create more productive, more profitable, and more enjoyable law practices. In my last video, I talked about using a technique called time blocking to schedule time on your calendar to get important work done. I have found time blocking to be effective …
“Yard by yard, life is hard, but inch by inch, life’s a cinch.” I’m sure you’ve heard this saying before. But it’s a good reminder that when we focus on only one thing at a time, it’s much easier to see our progress and to stay motivated to keep going. Watch this short video or …
Do you know where your best clients are coming from? Do you keep track, or are you just relying on your memory? Do you know how many of your inquiries or initial consultations became paying clients last year? If you’re like many of the solo and small firm lawyers I talk to, your answer to …
Are you a visual person? If so, today’s productivity tip is for you! Color coding important appointments and email messages in Outlook to help you manage your calendar and that mountain of email messages we all receive every day. Watch the video, or scroll down to read more. I don’t know about you, but when …
Do you have the wrong clients in your law practice? Watch the video below to see what you should do if you have the wrong clients in your law practice, and keep reading for more detail. It’s the start of the second quarter of 2021 as I record this video, so it’s a good time …
Actually, there’s no such thing as multi-tasking. Author Dave Crenshaw, in his book, The Myth of Multi-tasking, says that (with very few exceptions) you really can’t perform two separate tasks at the same time. What you are really doing when you think you’re “multi-tasking” is switchtasking – you’re rapidly switching back and forth between two …
Between pandemics, and elections and riots and crazy ice storms, there’s a lot to be stressed about these days, and it can be hard to get in a productive mood and stay focused. I’ve been doing a series of videos on motivation, and how to pull yourself out of a funk if you’re just not …
Do You Have Problem Clients? Maybe Your Free Consultation is to blame. Are you wasting your time offering free consultations? I’m Allison Shields Johs, President of Legal Ease Consulting, where I help lawyers create more productive, more profitable, and more enjoyable law practices. I can’t tell you how many lawyers I’ve worked with who complain …
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