Personnel Smarts (starter checklist)
Hold regular, uninterrupted meetings with employees (i.e. We should never multitask during these meetings…employees like clients/customer deserve our full, undivided attention!) Enforce (or ignore!)...
View ArticlePrivacy In Today’s World? Nun!
A nun, badly needing to use to the restroom, walked into a local Hooters. The place was hopping with music and loud conversation and every once in a while the lights would turn off. Each time the...
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Dear Hubby …. FYI
To My Darling Husband, Before you return from your overseas trip I just want to email and let you know about the small accident I had with the pick-up truck when I turned into the driveway....
View Article“Yes, I Know You!”
In a trial, a Southern small-town prosecuting attorney called his first witness, a grandmotherly, elderly woman to the stand. He approached her and asked, “Mrs. Jones, do you know me?” She responded,...
View ArticleSuccessful Law & Other Professional Firms: Shared Characteristics
Successful law firms — and actually all professional firms and successful businesses — seem to share many common characteristics regardless of their size, areas of practice or location. A few months...
View ArticleHow to Stay Young (checklist by George Carlin)
HOW TO STAY YOUNG (George Carlin) 1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay him/her. 2. Keep only cheerful friends....
View ArticleIdentifying Engineers and Managers
A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended a bit more and shouted, “Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an...
View ArticleEnhancing & Maintaining the Value of Paralegals
How can paralegals maintain their profession’s highly valued niche within the legal system? How do paralegals enhance their individual value to law firms and legal departments? What behaviors decrease...
View ArticleQuick Self-Audit: What Kind of Employee Are You?
1. Looking back over the past 12 months, what contributions have you made to your workplace that are not in your job description (e.g. cost-saving ideas, helping co-workers in need of an extra hand...
View ArticleA Lemon with Legs
A man, quite drunk, at a party signals for the hostess. As she approaches the man he belches, hicks, and asks if her lemons have legs on them. The hostess, astounded, replies curtly that, “no her...
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Quick Attorney Self-Audit: Supervising Staff
Most of us are pretty good at judging others…actually we’re downright expert at doing so IF we’re being brutally honest that is…..whether inwardly or out loud to others, we judge others’ looks, their...
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Women Talk More Than Men?
A husband, looking through the newspaper, came upon a study that said women use more words than men. Excited to prove to his wife his long-held contention that women in general, and his wife in...
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Client Feedback Scares Many Attorneys
I often teach workshops on how to get your clients’ feedback on a shoestring budget (e.g. telephone and email surveys, etc). In preparing for a similar program recently, I ran across one of my 2002...
View ArticleWormy Minister?
A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon. Four worms were placed into four separate jars. The first worm was put into a container of alcohol. The second...
View ArticleTough Times? Abandoned Katrina Pony Sets Great Example of a “Serious Survival...
Trying to survive some tough times in your business, at home, otherwise? Then this amazing story is a must read for inspiration from a determined, courageous pony called “Molly.” Even if you read about...
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If Airlines Sold Paint …..
Customer: Hi, How much is your paint? Clerk: Well, sir, that all depends. Customer: On what? Clerk: Actually, a lot of things. Customer: How about giving me an average price? Clerk: Wow, that’s too...
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Making Fertilizer from Office Poop
As our awesome grandkids would tell you, we scoop lots of poop on our mountainside horse and donkey ranch. If we had a nickel for all our scoopings through the years, we’d likely be more than...
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Are You Zaftig?
Thanks to Top of Texas Gazette’s 7/24/10 blog post (http://bit.ly/d95Q3q) for this one….instead of calling myself”fluffy” now, think I’ll switch to “juicy” zaftig zaftig \ ZAHF-tik \ , adjective; 1....
View ArticleAttorneys: Tips for Reconnecting with Disgruntled Clients
The best way to make clients happy isn’t rocket science. Heck, we learned that one in kindergarten…be kind to others, unselfish, helpful and respectful. In our great profession this translates into:...
View ArticleExercise Tidbits
1. It is well documented that for every mile that you jog, you add one minute to your life. This enables you, at age 85, to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at $5,000 per month. 2....
View ArticleStaff Meeting Success: Must Do & Definitely Don’t!
#1 “Must Do!” Hold regular, pre-planned and productive staff meetings. #1 “Definitely Don’t!” Without adequate preparation and the right facilitator to ensure employee meetings are productive, positive...
View ArticleThank You, Elizabeth
Rest in peace, Elizabeth Edwards…if anyone earned eternal peace from the pain of runaway cancer or worse, torn-apart relationships whether from death or human screw-ups, you did. I write this post...
View ArticleStress Diet That You’ll Like
STRESS REDUCTION DIET This diet is designed to help you cope with the stress that builds up during the day….and will reduce overeating ! Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit 1 slice whole wheat toast 8 oz. skim...
View ArticleTrue Friends Heal, Fill and Empty Our Hearts
I’m driving solo out of history-drenched Savannah. Thanks to one of my dearest of friends, my heart feels full, healed and yet painfully empty too. Blessed with an unstoppable 28-year friendship, we...
View ArticleAttorneys: Rethinking Your Networking & Relationship Building Efforts:...
Do you regularly spend time networking and more importantly, building relationships? If not, why not? Perhaps one of your reasons is listed below: Hate mingling, marketing and all things associated!...
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Emotional Violence
There is much violence in our world from terrorism to violent crimes and many things in-between. There is also an internal violence threatening all too many of today’s law firms. It is what I call...
View ArticleWho Will Guard The Guards
Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodies? Doing the Right Thing. Sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Its message reeks with common sense, morality, compassion and fairness. Heck, it’s how we’d like and expect others...
View ArticleShared Characteristics of Successful Professional Firms
By Nancy Byerly Jones Seminar attendees and clients alike often ask me, “What are the characteristics of successful law firms?” It’s a great question as there are indeed shared traits among firms who...
View ArticleWould You Like A Boss Like Yourself?
Why or Why Not? This is a great question to ask yourself often if you are “da boss man or lady.” It provides a quick self-audit for you regarding things you’d be wise to keep doing or to stop doing...
View ArticleAre We In Control Of Stress…
…Or Is Stress In Control Of Us?! How does your current stress level and mental health compare with 3 months ago? 6 months? A year ago? Is it okay if the same stresses on your plate (and shoulders)...
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Complimentary Client Extras: Are Yours the Same-Old-Same‐Old?
When it comes to client servicing, we should always be looking for creative and helpful resources to offer our clients at no additional charge. These Client Extras should be outside of their legal...
View ArticleDoes Your Employee Evaulation System Need a Boost?
Too many law offices have sloppily put together employee evaluation systems. These mostly ineffective systems are typically used haphazardly, inconsistently and hurriedly. This means that they result...
View ArticleThe Italian Funeral
An Italian woman was leaving a convenience store with her espresso when she noticed a most unusual Italian funeral procession approaching the nearby cemetery. A black hearse was followed by a second...
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Employee Terminations: Self-Auditing Tips from Hiring to Firing
Would you rather walk over hot coals or have a root canal sans Novocain than terminate an employee? If so, you’re in excellent company, for most of us dread even the thought of having to fire someone....
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Problem Partners
Short Version Law firm (and other professional) partners sometimes disappoint each other as in any relationship involving we human beings. Often our not rushing to conclusions too quickly is the the...
View ArticleHidden Dangers Within Law Firms
By Nancy Byerly Jones (Re-published by many CLE programs and Lawyers USA) There are a number of all-too-well-known malpractice and grievance traps and other hidden dangers: conflicts of interest,...
View ArticleMy First Heart-Wrenching Goodbye
Funny how the “stuff” of life keeps intersecting with memories from our pasts. April is my brother’s birthday month and that’s when I ran across a 1986 first year law school assignment of mine…yep,...
View ArticleDoctor Dave’s Guilt
Doctor Dave had slept with one of his patients and had felt guilty all day long. No matter how much he tried to forget about it, he couldn’t. The guilt and sense of betrayal was overwhelming. But...
View ArticleAvoiding New Years’ Resolutions?
Well….the first month of 2017 has officially flown past so it’s probably a good time to ask ourselves, “How are we doing with our New Year’s Resolutions?” For too many, the answer would likely be, “Not...
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#$Q%_#*@ – Put Your Dang Phone DOWN!!!
Nothing new with this gripe…most of us have voiced it. What is it? Well “it” is the blatant thoughtlessness and rudeness of people checking texts or taking a call while talking to someone else. Yes, I...
View ArticleTop 5 Things Attorneys Do That Their Staff Do & Don’t Appreciate
The big question of the day is: Would you work for you? Why or why not? It’s a great question to ask yourself—often—if you supervise others. The question itself offers you a quick self-audit and help...
View ArticleTop 5 Attorney Do’s and Don’ts About Staff
How do you think your supervising attorneys would evaluate your work quality, attitude and productivity? Would they describe you and your work as: Excellent work, upbeat/can-do attitude, helpful to...
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Are We Listening To The Right Decision-Making “Shoulds”?
Choices. Decisions. Life seems to forever be bombarding us with the need to make yet another decision and another and…..well, you know! And the choices we make indeed weave the very fabric of our...
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What Are The “Must Haves” In Your Jerk Tool Box?
Do you ever have one of those days that you seem to be hit with an overabundance of jerks crossing your path? Some days unfortunately can bring multiple jerks our way. Other days, it only takes one...
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Chronic Whiners – Arrrrrghhhhhh!
Do the chronic whiners (a/k/a pouters) in your life totally exhaust you with even the mere thought of them? They do me. Instantly exhausting to be around. De-energizing no matter how much we try to...
View ArticleWorkplace Personality – It Matters!
Let’s assume that your law firm has decided to quit calling everyone by their names. Instead, they will call each person by a title that describes their dominant office personality. Which one of the...
View ArticleWhy Are They So Successful and Not Us?!?!
Common Traits of “Successful” Law Firms What characteristics do successful firms share? I am asked this question often and while some new “must do’s” necessarily evolve with changing times, many of the...
View ArticleAre You Exposed To Emotional Violence At Work?
It is the understatement of understatements to say there is way too much violence in our world — terrorism, violent crimes and the all-too-many horrors in-between. There is also far too much emotional...
View ArticleOur Dogs Know How to Start a New Day Off Gently, Playfully and Lovingly!
When you wake up, what are your first few minutes like most days? Anything you would like to change? If you abruptly leap into a multitasking kind of day, would you prefer easing into things a bit more...
View ArticleSloppy Broken Promises – Aaarrrghhhh!
Most of us must break promises made occasionally but, hopefully, it is only on the rare occasion that we must do so. Being trustworthy means folks have peace of mind when dealing with us — they trust...
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