Andrew McDermott

It’s impossible. There’s no way.

There’s no way to 2x, 5x or 10x your productivity. It’s absolutely impossible. That’s the approach many professionals take towards productivity.

It makes sense.

There’s a lot of generic advice online. Most of it isn’t practical. It’s often not clear what you’re supposed to do with the advice you receive. It’s no wonder then that productivity is a struggle for most.

Here’s the surprising truth.

Exponential productivity can be your default

This isn’t just you getting a little bit more done each day.

No.

I’m talking about a massive increase in productivity, 2x, 5x or 10x better than your performance on an ideal day where everything flows well.

Is that possible?

Not only is it possible, it’s something you can begin to accomplish in a few short weeks. Add the right ingredients, make the right choices and your productivity skyrockets naturally, automatically.

This sounds like nonsense.

No scratch that. This sounds like it’s too good to be true, which based on experience, means it is too good to be true. Here’s the reality. You can achieve exponential productivity because others have done it.

How’d they do it?

Step #1: Begin with Halt

What is halt and why should you care? Halt is something many of us choose to ignore. It’s an acronym that stands for hungry, angry, lonely or tired.

•  If you’re hungry you need to eat. Research shows thinking makes you hungry. Deep intellectual work stimulates an increase in appetite. This makes sense when you realize your brain consumes a whopping 20 percent of the energy you consume.

Research also shows that hunger, in the form of low blood sugar, leads to mental and emotional instability.

You’ll experience confusion, drowsiness, difficulty concentrating and a plethora of negative side effects. If you want to win consistently, eat consistently.

•  What about anger? The scientific and medical literature validates this again and again and again. Stress, in the form of fear, anxiety and anger decreases your cognitive abilities. It affects your ability to concentrate, impacting working memory (recall + recognition), sensory processing functions, your ability to pay attention and more.
• Then there’s loneliness.  Dr. John Cacioppo states loneliness is actually like hunger. Loneliness raises the levels of stress hormones in the body. It destroys the quality and efficiency of sleep so it’s much less restorative. Lonely people sleep more but they get much less rest. Loneliness slowly erodes your ability to cope with stress. In addition to producing all of the same effects I mentioned above, it’s contagious.

What’s more horrifying about loneliness is that 1 in 4 people are struggling with it. Twenty-five percent of Americans said they had no one to confide in.

• What about when you’re tired? Research shows tired people are prone to overreacting. Researchers found activity levels in the amygdala were as much as 60 percent higher than levels in those who were rested. It’s difficult for the tired to concentrate. To focus. It increases (dangerous) risk taking behavior. It dramatically decreases cognitive function. It also makes you easy to manipulate.   

You see where I’m going with this right?

You already know all of this. You already know it’s important to eat, sleep, rest and have good relationships. The problem is, you’re under a tremendous amount of pressure to do otherwise.

Want to win?

To routinely outperform your peers? You have to fight this pressure. You have to make sure your needs are met. When they’re not met, you’re automatically underperforming. Neglect one of these areas and your performance suffers. Neglect two or more and your failure compounds.

Ignore these areas and you kill your ability to act on any of the other productivity strategies I’ve listed below.   

Step #2: Discover what focus actually is

Focus is defined as:

“The center of interest or activity“

If you’re like most people, you think this means you have to pay close attention to a very specific thing. If you’re focused on contracts, you have to exert a tremendous amount of willpower to force yourself to focus on drafting contracts.

This is miserable.

This approach to focus is dysfunctional. There’s a much healthier way to approach focus. When it’s viewed appropriately it produces peace, joy and yes, productivity. It’s starts with a question. What is focus?

Focus is the ability to say No.

And what are you doing when you say No? You’re creating a non-negotiable anchor point. If you’re focused on drafting a contract you should say No to…

•  Phone calls
•  Consults from other partners or associates
•  Visits from advice seekers
•  Emails, meetings and events
•  Matter management (administrative tasks and busy work)
•  Some good things and some bad things

This creates focus automatically.

You say Yes to the details that work with your focus (e.g. eating, sleeping, relaxing a bit, etc.) and you say No to details that take you away from your focus. You don’t have to say No ahead of time either. Just say No as you need to.

Focus is decision making.

It’s you drawing a line in the sand about the one thing that matters to you right now.

One thing.

Not three, or four, or ten.

One.

Contrary to popular belief, the vast majority of us are terrible at multitasking. The scientific, experiential and anecdotal evidence all back this up.

Take a look.

Say No, to focus on one thing.

Here’s the problem. You have bosses, partners and clients. Nothing upsets them as much as hearing the word No. There are times when you need to use that word specifically or directly. What about the other times? When you need to let them down gently?

Get them to say No for you.

How?

Here’s how Adam Grant, Wharton professor and author of Give and Take, does it:

1. The deferral. I’m completely swamped right now. Would you follow up with me after 4:45 today?
2. The delay. Would it be alright if I did this after I finished here? The deadline for this contract is today. I don’t want to let [our client] down.
3. The introduction. I’m completely in the dark about these easement and environmental issues. Geoffrey is the in-house expert. Would it be alright for him to take the lead on this?
4. The bridge. Alison is already working on the brief for tomorrow. Should I reach out to her?
5. The relational account. If I do this for you I’d be letting [client] down. He was counting on me to finish drafting this contract by the end of business today.

Another simple solution?

Make yourself scarce. Find a private and quiet place to do your work where you won’t be disturbed. It sounds obvious until you realize how many attorneys aren’t doing this.

Want to focus? Learn to say No.

Step #3: Leverage those around you with 80/20

You know the 80/20 rule, right?

That roughly 80 percent of the effects come from 20 percent of the causes? Yeah, that’s the one. This rule deserves your obsessive and undivided attention.

Here’s why.

Attorneys, on average, lose 6 hours daily to non-billable tasks. In fact, only 2.3 hours are spent on billable tasks. If you’re able to save an additional 2.3 hours, you double your incoming billables!

Think about that. 80/20 can save you.

How?

• Use legal practice management software to automate or semi-automate your administrative tasks.
• Outsource your work to people, apps or tools.
• Hire new, trustworthy law school graduates on a freelance basis. Have them handle your busy work at a lower rate.  This gives them the experience they desperately need, you get the work you need done.
• Use people and tools to screen out interruptions and undesirables (e.g. salespeople).

Focus 80 percent of your time and attention on the 20 percent that produces results. Make a consistent and systematic effort to remove yourself from non-essential tasks. Remove…

•  Busywork
•  Timewasters
•  Interruptions
•  Knowledge vampires
•  Freeloaders
•  Dysfunctional peers
•  and users…

From your professional life. Then, once they’re out, work to keep them out. Show support staff how to be an efficient gatekeeper.

Then focus.

If you’re looking to gain freedom, power, opportunity and rewards from your work, say No to what you don’t want.

Step #4: Resist the inevitable “labor creep”

Trouble is coming.

If you take the time to implement the first three strategies I’ve covered you’ll notice some interesting things.

First, things will get harder.

Your productivity will actually go down at first. Which is insane. Doesn’t this defeat the purpose of this article?

Not at all.

This is actually how things are supposed to be. This is the part most “life hacks” and productivity experts leave out. Change, in the short term, is uncomfortable and unpleasant.  

Why?

Your basal ganglia is to blame. Your habits, routines, rituals and traditions (repeatables) are formed in the basal ganglia, in your brain. We use this part of our brain to store our thoughts, memories and the functions we perform repeatedly. We reinforce these repeatables whenever we think, feel or behave as we did in the past.

When we make a change it’s physiologically painful.

Our brains are comfortable with the way things are. It’s not pleased with the fact that we’re trying to make a change. If you’re looking to overcome that you can (a.) make your productivity changes pleasant (e.g. with a reward) and (b.) structure them around a trigger and (c.) repeat them consistently.

Stick with it, and the payoff is enormous.

Second, If you’ve followed steps 1 – 4, you’ll begin to notice you have a newfound resource.

Time.

You’ll accomplish far more work in far less time. You’ll easily outperform your peers and partners. You’ll also have a large amount of free time on your hands. Here’s why that’s bad news. Your co-workers have a plan for your free time.

To claim it as their own.

You’ll suddenly be inundated with more requests from those around you. “Can you help me with this? What do you think about those briefs I sent you? Do you know where I can find these docs?“

You’ll need to rely on step #2.

You’ll need to protect your newfound free time. Focus, on saying No. At this point you’re faced with a choice. Determine what you’re going to do with your free time or watch as others decide for you.

You can…

• Use it to recoup and recharge
• Spend it with family and friends
• Use it to boost your career or earnings
• Build your career outside of your practice
• Work on projects and cases you choose

It’s completely up to you.

Step #5: Learn how to learn.

Have you learned how to learn?

Most professionals believe they can learn well. They made it through law school after all. And they’re right for the most part. But they don’t hold a candle to those who’ve learned how to learn.  These aren’t the same things.

I’ll explain.

Imagine being able to memorize long complex forms of data. To be able to triple or quadruple the amount of information you’re able to consume, learning four to five times faster and remember it all?

It sounds impossible doesn’t it?

And that’s the problem. Remember the Henry Ford quote? “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t -you’re right.” It’s the same with learning.

Your peers are suffering.

They’re suffering from digital dementia. That’s a technical term, believe it or not. It was coined by German neuroscientist, Manfred Spitzer in 2012. A large section of the developed world is struggling with digital dementia.

The suffering is real.

We’re experiencing a fundamental breakdown of cognitive abilities in a way that’s similar to people who have suffered a head injury or major psychiatric illness. Spitzer argues we’re all getting dumber.

Here’s how he explains it.

An overuse of digital technology results in the breakdown of cognitive abilities. Short-term memory pathways will start to deteriorate from underuse if we overuse technology.

We’ve lost the ability to make simple calculations in our head. The ability to remember phone numbers like we used to when we were young. We don’t learn as fast as we used to. And we tell ourselves a story (e.g. we’re getting old) as a way to explain it away.

But it’s not true.

How do I know? Jim Kwik. Kwik was once known as the boy with the “broken brain.” After a childhood accident left him struggling in school, he learned how to trick his brain to overcome mental limitations.

He’s defied what’s possible.

He’s able to learn 10x faster than top performers, memorizing (and recalling) long and complex pieces of information. He’s taken his “broken brain” and he’s turned it into a super power. A tool he uses to dramatically outperform those around him.

Here’s how he does it.

Want to win?

To permanently surpass your co-workers, peers and those around you? Learn how to learn. Do it and you’ll be able to out learn, out think and outperform your peers. You’ll have the training you need to use your mind the way you’ve always wanted to.

Exponential productivity is your default…

If you’re properly trained.

It seems impossible but, as we’ve seen, it really isn’t. It’s possible to 2x, 5x or even 10x your productivity. A massive increase in productivity can be simple and enjoyable, if you have training and a plan to follow. Add the right ingredients, make the right choices and the productivity at your practice will skyrocket.

Sounds too good to be true.

It’s all true, if you follow the steps I’ve outlined. Do the work, learn to learn and you’ll have everything you need to boost your productivity to legendary levels.

A disorganized attorney was a must-have.

That’s the mantra many firms used to subscribe to. For a long time, a disorganized lawyer was a good lawyer. It was seen by many as a sign of a brilliant, scatterbrained professional.

Not anymore.

These days disorganization is seen for what it is. A liability and expense for the firm. Research shows that the top performing attorneys are organized and lethally efficient.

Why does that matter?

Organized attorneys defeat the disorganized

An attorney that’s organized is one that’s difficult to keep up with. They routinely outperform those they compete with. They’re able to achieve far more than the average attorney, simply because they’re organized.

On the other hand disorganized attorneys…

• Miss deadlines.
• Ask for extensions.
• Lose documents.
• Fill documents out incorrectly.
• Ask clients to repeat tasks.
• Display poor attention to detail.

Here’s the problem with all of this.

They know.

These disorganized attorneys know their behavior is a problem. When they let their co-workers down they’re embarrassed and ashamed.

They don’t want to talk about it.

Because shame tells them to hide. This creates a serious problem for firms. Attorneys are highly educated professionals. Any attempts to help them manage simple or routine behaviors will be seen as patronizing.

How do you change the situation?

Is there anything you can do to get the results you’re looking for in your firm? What happens if these disorganized attorneys resist your attempts to help?

Step #1: Begin with the end in mind

This starts from day one.

If you’re responsible for hiring associates at your law firm it’s a good idea to look for people that meet all of the criteria you’ve set out (e.g. experience, values, character, track record, etc.).

There’s more.

It’s common for many firms to neglect several other key areas. I’m talking about personality. You need a clear way to assess prospective attorneys. You’ll need to identify where they fall on the big five personality traits.

1. Openness is a trait that governs curiosity, variety, aesthetic sensitivity and a variety of other sub-traits. Professionals who are higher in trait openness tend to be more intelligent, curious and more interested in answers to their questions.
2. Conscientiousness is the personality trait that describes caution or vigilance. It trends towards orderliness (e.g. everything in its proper place, traditionalism, etc.) which is idea for organization, or industriousness (e.g. achievers, utilitarians) which often describes ambitious people.
3. Extraversion is something most of us are familiar with. It’s a trait that defines extraversion, ambiversion and introversion.
4. Agreeableness describes qualities that are generally perceived as kind, sympathetic, cooperative, warm and considerate. Agreeableness refers to sub-traits like altruism, compliance, modesty, straightforwardness, and tender-mindedness and trust. The higher you are in agreeableness, the easier you are to get along with.
5. Neuroticism refers to emotional stability. Individuals who score high on neuroticism tend to experience a greater amount of anxiety, worry, fear, anger, frustration and other negative emotions. They’re also at risk for a variety of mental disorders.

Why does this matter?

You’ll need to choose the right people at your firm. If you’re looking to help your colleagues, employees improve their organizational skills, you’ll need to know two things.

1. Who you’re dealing with which tells you…
2. How to approach them.

For best results, your approach should be tailored to the individual.

What does that mean exactly?

• Attorneys who score higher on neuroticism will need more reassurance than other attorneys.
• Those who score high on openness typically have lots of questions, which will require more patience from you.
• Conscientious attorneys who are orderly, “get it” already. If they’re not organized something is wrong. You need to find out why.
• Attorneys who are industrious are ambitious and eager to work. Positioning is key here. Frame the discussion about their organization skills from the standpoint of promotion. If they’re organized they’ll get better results, which means faster promotion.

See what I mean?

A one-size fits all approach won’t work here. You’ll need to meet your colleagues where they are. It’s the only way you’ll be able to move them to where you’d like them to go.

Which means you’re ready for…

Step #2: Ownership or they’re out

Many firms tyrannize their staff.

They lay out a set of demands. Then, they brutally enforce those demands, punishing anyone that fails to measure up. They lambast unhappy attorneys with instructions to “get over it.”

Here’s the problem.

This takes law firms further away from their ultimate goal. To win. There’s always a threat to your organization. Another attorney that’s willing to run themselves into the ground to steal business from your firm. Headhunters looking to poach your star associates.

You’re under attack. (Whether you realize it or not.)

The good news? You’re strong, you’ve made it through law school, through work at a firm. You push through the daily grind of getting things done.

You had a gift.

Ownership. You took ownership of your path in life. You went after your goals. You’re doing what needs to be done. Others depend on you.

Give your team ownership.

When a new employee (regardless of role) joins the team, require them to own their choices and the path they follow. You might be wondering, “How am I supposed to do that?“

With an individual development plan.

The individual development plan is a plan your employees create. In their plan, they lay out the work and results they plan on accomplishing, with guidance from you, for the upcoming year.  You establish a few non-negotiables (e.g. results should be quantifiable, meet a minimum standard, must challenge them, etc.).

They create the plan.

Then, both of you choose the consequences. What happens if they meet or exceed the plan? What happens if they fail to meet most of the criteria in the plan? You go over it with them, then once you both agree on the ins and outs of the plan, they get to work.

At the end of the quarter/year, you reassess.

The consequences take their course. For example, if they fail to meet 50 percent of the items in their plan they’re fired.  Why do it this way?

There are three modes of relationship.

• Tyrant. You do what I say, when I say, how I say, or else.
• Slave. I’ll do whatever you want just don’t leave/fire me, please!
• Negotiator. Let’s find a win/win scenario. Here’s what I need. What do you need?

A few firms operate as tyrants. They enslave their employees, making it difficult to attract and retain A player associates. The first two options obviously aren’t ideal. What about negotiating?

Here’s the thing with negotiators.

Many firms avoid negotiating because they feel they’ll lose their power. That their attorneys will walk all over them. Which isn’t true. If you’ve allowed attorneys to walk over you, you’ve become a slave.

Don’t want that to happen?

Make sure your firm has good boundaries. Know what you’re willing and not willing to accept. Then follow through.

Step #3: Make organization automatic

Make it easy to win.

Create the right systems and procedures for your firm. Add the right software tools to minimize busy work and manual entry. Use the right behavioral models to automate the behavior you want from your team.

It’s hard work, at first.

But the work is front loaded. Once you’ve laid the foundation, organization is simple. Use task management tools and workflows.

It’s tough for everyone at first but it’s absolutely worth it. Why? Easy gets done. The easier it is for your employees to do what you’d like them to do, the more likely they are to do it.

How?

1. Find the right motivator. We’re motivated by two things pain or pleasure. Use both and you’ll maximize the results you receive.
2. Give staff the ability. Make sure your colleagues (a.) understand what you’re asking (b.) know how to do what you’re asking and (c.) are willing to do what you’re asking.
3. Create triggers to activate behavior. When X happens, I do Y. When clients ask for A, I send them B. Don’t overwhelm staff with a massive set of rules. Just offer the trigger at key decision points.

Lay your expectations out ahead of time.

Then, give your team the education, tools and resources they need to make those things happen. Do it well and you’ll help your colleagues improve their organizational skills, without patronizing them.

An organized attorney is a must-have

That’s the mantra your firm needs to win. The legal landscape is hyper competitive and fierce. You’ll need every advantage if your firm will survive. A disorganized lawyer isn’t the telltale sign of a brilliant, scatterbrained professional.

It’s a sign of failure.

These days disorganization is seen for what it is. A liability, a major expense for the firm. A player attorneys are organized and lethally efficient. Share the secrets of organization with your teammates and you’ll find your firm is the must-have clients need.

 

Most attorneys are competitive.

They want to win. As it turns out, there’s a subtle strategy you can use to beat your competitors. This strategy compounds rapidly, paying huge dividends over time. It’s a strategy you can use to beat internal and external competitors.

I’m talking about continuing education.

Education enables you to find creative and innovative strategies for each of the problems your clients face. Most attorneys do their best to stay up-to-date. Most aren’t sure who to turn to for the data they need.

It’s not their fault.

As a result, many attorneys struggle to achieve the results and outcomes they want.

You deserve better.

Here’s a list of legal blogs and publications you can use to win.

Take a look.

Federal and state legislation and regulations

1. Congress.gov and GovTrack.us for proposed, pending and recently enacted federal legislation
2. OpenStates.org for proposed, pending and recently enacted state legislation
3. FederalRegister.gov for proposed/final regulations
4. USA.gov for regulatory data from specific federal agencies
5. NCSL.org a resource for tracking states’ proposed, pending or final rules

General

1. The ABA Journal Blawg Directory, a comprehensive listing of more than 4,500 legal blogs broken down by practice area. If you’re looking for a specific practice area that’s not covered in this post this is a great place to start.
2. The In-House Blog focuses on the issues that come with in-house legal jobs. They include helpful posts like “how to get promoted, salary surveys, what it’s like to go in-house” and more.
3. beSpacific provides a searchable database of more than 44,000 posts on a variety of subjects including: federal documents, privacy, law and technology, intellectual property, energy, the economy, tech related litigation and libraries.
4. Above the Law takes a behind-the-scenes look at the world of law. The site provides news and insights about the profession’s most colorful personalities and powerful institutions, as well as original commentary on breaking legal developments.
5. Law 360, a LexisNexis company, covers all things legal.  It’s touted as a one-stop source for legal news and analysis. It’s comprehensive, timely and detailed, covering a wide variety of practice areas and industries.

Litigation

1. LexBlog is a worldwide publishing network that has over 25,000 bloggers within their network. Half of the nearly 1,000 blogs from the United States’ top 200 law firms. They have a variety of channels including civil litigation and class action and mass torts. firms.
2. The Red Well is an aggregator that covers litigation, persuasion and advocacy.
3. The Jury Expert, a publication that’s focused on litigation advocacy.
4. JHA.com is written by Joseph Hage Aaronson, a New York attorney who specializes in commercial litigation and arbitration.
5. JAMS, is one of the largest private alternative dispute resolution (ADR) providers in the world.  Their publication covers mediation, arbitration and ADR. Their panel of experts includes 350 retired judges, attorneys and employee associates.
6. The MassTort litigation blog covers mass tort and civil litigation issues from the perspective of several law professors.
7. Innovative Science Solutions covers litigation topics focusing specifically on scientific subjects (e.g. how much caffeine is safe to ingest?)
8. Settlement Perspectives offers a vast amount of helpful information on structuring and negotiating settlements, with practical advice on negotiating.
9. Minc Law describes itself as the nation’s #1 internet defamation law firm. They provide helpful information on defamation oriented litigation topics. Their blog and legal resource center is a consumer-facing resource for topics like extortion, blackmail, reputation management and more.

Intellectual property

1. Patently O is the nation’s leading patent law blog. It’s published by two authors: Dennis Crouch, associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Law and Jason Rantanen Professor, University of Iowa College of Law.
2. IP Newsflash offers current and trending news related to patents, trademarks and other intellectual property issues.
3. Law 360, a LexisNexis company, has a vibrant section on intellectual property law. This content is hidden behind a subscription/pay wall but it’s worth it. Payment creates obligation and that means readers are far more likely to get value out of it.
4. IP Watch is a non-profit news source that’s focused exclusively on intellectual property law from an international perspective.
5. Patent Docs is a publication that focuses on patents primarily as well as other forms of intellectual property. Patent Docs is written by patent attorneys and agents, many of whom hold doctorates in a diverse array of disciplines.
6. JD Supra provides intellectual property law updates, alerts, news, and legal analysis from leading lawyers and law firms.
7. Trademark and copyright law blog is published by Foley and Hoag LLP. This site offers fresh perspectives on legal developments including trademarks, copyrights, domain disputes, unfair competition and more.
8. Foss patents covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers).
9. Trading Secrets covers trade secrets and non-competes. If protecting trade secrets is part of your responsibility Trade Secrets is for you.
10. Trade Secrets Watch offers the latest in trade secret news and analysis from the US and across the globe.

Criminal law

1. Crime and consequences is sponsored by the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, covering all aspects of criminal law across the country.
2. The ABA’s Criminal Justice Magazine is intended for a national audience of defense lawyers, prosecutors, judges, academics, and other criminal justice professionals with a focus on the practice and policy issues of the criminal justice system.
3. Bankruptcy Beat, a subscription only service/publication offered exclusively by the Wall Street Journal
4. Finance & Bankruptcy Law Blog offers trending news, advice, tips and strategies presented specifically for financial institutions. This site is published by Sheppard Mullin, a 480-attorney law firm with offices in California, New York, Shanghai and Washington, D.C.
5. Bankruptcy-RealEstate-Insights.com is published by Vicki R. Harding. She handles commercial transactions with an emphasis on real estate and bankruptcy issues.

Employment law

1. BT Currents  is managed by the attorneys in Barnes & Thornburg’s Labor & Employment Law Department. It’s designed to be your resource on employment law developments across the country.
2. Orrick employment law and litigation and the equal pay pulse covers various aspects of employment law developments across the country and internationally.
3. Employment law worldview is published by Squire, Patton Boggs. They aim to provide attorneys with a unique global insight into the practical and legal HR issues relevant to employers.
4. Employment and Labor Insider, published by Robin Shea, covers employment litigation, including Title VII and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (including the Amendments Act).
5. Screw You Guys, I’m Going Home covers employment law from an employee perspective. It’s irreverent and brash outlining “What You Need To Know Before You Scream ‘I Quit,’ Get Fired, Or Decide to Sue the Bastards.“

Legal tech

1. Giga Tech is a publication from the GigaLaw Firm. This publication covers technology law with an emphasis on cybersquatting, counterfeiters and intellectual property law.
2. Future Lawyer is published by attorney Richard “Rick” M. Georges. He discusses the technology of today and tomorrow—with a legal spin.

Contracts

1. Adams on Contract Drafting. This blog is written by Ken Adams, a leading authority on the building blocks of contract language and contract automation.
2. The contracts guy focuses on contract law with an emphasis on drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts.
3. Bryan Garner on Words is an ABA columnist who focuses on helping attorneys improve their legal writing skills. He also runs the blog LawProse.

Here’s the thing about this list.

It’s not comprehensive. There’s also no reason for you to read every single blog on this list. It’s meant to be used as a reference. Identify the blogs that work for you, in your practice areas.

Save what’s useful.

Don’t see your practice areas on the list? Head to the sites listed in the general category. Feeling overwhelmed or unsure about where to start?

Just click one link.

Don’t enjoy reading these? You can listen to these blogs using helpful plugins and apps like Voice Aloud or Read Aloud.

You’re a professional. You’re incredibly busy.

Staying up-to-date is a superpower. It’s a helpful way to open doors. Feel you have a significant amount to say? Guest post on other noteworthy publications to build powerful relationships and raise your profile.

Need advice on a particular problem?

Search through blogs in your practice area for specific strategies, tactics and advice you can use. If you want to surpass the attorneys inside and outside your firm you need more knowledge. Blogs are an informal way for you to get ahead. To win, to stand on the shoulders of giants.

Make education a consistent part of your routine and you may become an industry giant yourself.

Are you the best attorney for the job?

If you’re handling a case or project that’s based around your practice area, the answer is most likely yes.  Here’s the problem with that question. It’s not the whole story.

You know you’re not the best attorney for every task.

Why is it so hard for attorneys to delegate tasks then? It seems like a fairly straightforward problem. You delegate tasks, your firm grows and you bring in more revenue.

It’s not rocket science.

Delegating tasks is a trust problem

It’s not a performance or intelligence problem. But even if it was, it wouldn’t matter. You’re a legal professional which means you’re part of the most intelligent segment of the population.

The problem is trust.

Many attorneys don’t want to delegate important cases and projects to their subordinates. They feel it’s a terrible idea which makes sense when you realize they struggle with these specific problems.

• Delegate and nothing is done right. It’s a horrible situation to find yourself in. You trust your subordinates to get work done on your behalf, only to find it isn’t done. What’s worse, your workload has now doubled. You have to undo your subordinate’s mess, then complete the tasks you would have done yourself.
• Delegating takes more time than doing the work yourself. This still takes more work, even if your subordinates and support staff get things right on the first try. You have to (a.) explain what needs to be done then (b.) discuss how things should be done then (c.) outline what shouldn’t be done and then finally (d.) confirm that things have been done properly and that you’ve received the results you’re looking for.
• Delegating means a loss of control. As an attorney, this is a frightening ordeal to go through. A loss of control comes with all sorts of unpleasant surprises. Unhappy clients, incomplete work, poor quality work, or no work. A loss of control could mean that your quality of work is inconsistent and irregular. The worst part about all of this is…
• You’re still accountable for failure when you delegate. If subordinates make mistakes the results could mean fines, disciplinary action, lawsuits or disbarment for you. Sure, subordinates will experience the consequences of their actions, but so will you. When you delegate, you’re still responsible, good or bad, for the outcome.
• Delegate and subordinates may show me up. Maybe subordinates use bragging to improve their career prospects. Or they decide to share data inappropriately with the wrong person, at the wrong time. Maybe they portray you as incompetent and foolish. Whatever the case, this creates a whole new set of headaches you’re now forced to deal with.
• I’ll delegate myself right out of a job. There’s an irrational fear some attorneys have. If they delegate too much, they’ll encourage their subordinates to strike out on their own. If they’re associates or partners at a firm, the fear is that they’ll encourage competition and poaching from others in their firm. As you’ll see later, there’s a simple and straightforward way to eliminate this problem.
• Delegating means I lose the tasks I enjoy. This problem seems like it’s entirely outside of your control. But the opposite is true here. If you’d like to continue doing the tasks you enjoy, you’ll need focus. This sounds like trite, generic advice until you realize that most people don’t know what focus actually is. Focus is saying No to the things you don’t want so you’re ready to receive what you do want.

Makes sense, doesn’t it?

The rationale behind these concerns isn’t unreasonable. It’s clear and based in reality for the most part. Here’s the part that isn’t so clear.

Why.

Why do you, as an attorney, need to delegate?

Delegating tasks is a catalyst for success

or failure.

It’s entirely up to you.

Small law firms rely on a certain kind of do-it-yourself mentality. Which works well… at first. You’re able to rely on a few select employees and you’re able to grind out a respectable living.

A living that’s entirely dependent on you.

If you’re the main driver of your firm’s success you own a (potentially lucrative) job, not a business. Walk away from that business for three months and you won’t have a business to come back to. What does this mean for you?  

Endless work.

Delegating tasks is the only way to free yourself from the hamster wheel of forced productivity.

But why?

Here’s the answer: What got you here won’t get you there.

Marshall Goldsmith, renowned leadership coach and management expert, makes a compelling case for growth in his book. He outlines some deceptively simple details that produce growth.

It’s so simple it’s easy to ignore.  

Behavioral problems, not head knowledge or technical skills, are what separates the greats from the not-greats. You can achieve incredible results from incredibly basic behaviors. Saying please and thank you. Thinking before you speak. Active listening. Owning and apologizing for your mistakes.

Common decency, right?

His book is filled with not-so-obvious truisms that produce the kind of results your firm needs to grow.

• We resist change due to delusional self-confidence
• Getting praise is dangerous. Praise makes it easy to delude yourself when all you hear are positives
• The higher your status in an organization the more your suggestions are viewed as orders
• The four fundamental drivers of self-interest are money, power, status and popularity
• Give away all the credit
• Simply accept compliments and say “thank you” more often
• We tend to focus on shortsighted goals and aimless to-dos.
• “How do you feel about me?” isn’t as important as “how can I get better?“
•  We can’t make long-term change if we don’t follow up. Following up shows our co-workers that we care
• When making a hurtful or critical comment the question you should ask isn’t “is it true?” it needs to be “is it worth it?“
• When you apologize say “I’m sorry I’ll try to do better.” Then be quiet.
• Feedback is vital. When you receive positive or negative feedback accept it from a neutral place. Say thank you without judgment, argument or complaint.
• and more…

Blech!

This sounds like soft skills!

Gross.

Only it isn’t gross. Delegation is a trust problem, remember? If you’re going to delegate successfully you’ll need to trust your subordinates. Your subordinates will need to trust you. What do you need to make that happen?

Relationship.

You’ll need a good/great relationship with your peers and subordinates. These interpersonal niceties may seem like a waste of time but it’s actually the opposite. They’re the grease that lubricates the relationship and daily interactions in your firm.

Does this matter?

Absolutely. It’s a consistent way to attract the right of results when you delegate. Which you’ll have to do to grow. Firms that grow to the million+ mark must delegate.

Can you delegate successfully?

Delegating isn’t as simple as handing out orders to subordinates.

It’s about the goal.

Sure, you may be the best attorney to handle a particular task. But that’s not really why clients reach out to you for help. No, your job is to win for your client.

So how do you do that?

1. Prepare to delegate. Take the time to determine (a.) the tasks you’ll need to complete (b.) the professionals you’ll need to complete said tasks and (c.) what needs to be done and how to do it.
2. Delegate the right tasks. There are several tasks that can and should be delegated regularly. Repetitive and non-essential tasks. Delegate tasks that don’t have an immediate deadline. Tasks that are favored by specific subordinates. Delegate tasks to subordinates who need growth in a particular area.
3. Make sure subordinates understand. Confirm that the professionals on your team understand items A and C. Ask them to summarize or repeat the items back to you. Make sure they’re fully aware of the outcomes you expect including to-dos, milestones and deliverables.
4. Prepare to fail. Your subordinates will make mistakes. If you’re truly the best, the work won’t be done as well. Work to minimize mistakes and maximize outcomes. Focus on outcomes. Avoid getting bogged down by minutiae or the process.
5. Set an agenda. Create an agenda outlining: the tasks to be completed, the deadlines for each task and the budget required. Provide your team with the necessary authority and permissions required to complete each task. Then set a date to meet the following week to go over the previous week’s results.
6. Get criticized, seek out feedback. Give your teammates the forum they need to ask questions. Make it safe for them share feedback, problems and concerns. Assess the wins and defeats of the previous week, then work to improve.

Your job is to win.

Delegating tasks is an essential component for success. Delegating requires preparation. There’s more to it than simply handing out orders. Delegation needs relationship and a system.

Delegating tasks is a trust problem

It’s not rocket science.

Want your firm to grow? Delegating tasks isn’t optional. While it may be difficult for attorneys in general it doesn’t have to be difficult for you. Many attorneys don’t want to delegate important cases and projects to their subordinates. They feel it’s a terrible idea.

But delegation is a catalyst for success.

Small law firms are scrappy. They pride themselves on a certain kind of do-it-yourself mentality. This works well if you’re looking to own a job. It’s the fast track to endless work.

You have the recipe for freedom.

What got you here won’t get you there. Delegating tasks is the only way to free yourself from the hamster wheel of forced productivity.

Can you delegate successfully?

You can and you will, if you follow the steps I’ve laid out. You’re the best attorney for the job. But you know what your clients are looking for. They’re looking for a win. Continue to win and you’ll quickly become the best attorney in their book.