David Maister is well-known for his articulation of the concept of “the trusted advisor” and his book by the same title is an absolute must-read for anyone who wishes to develop the closest possible relationship with his or her client. This book had a profound effect on my approach to my own clients, as it… Continue Reading
Monthly Archives: June 2006
The Right People Dissolve Complacency
Posted in Leadership and ManagementAs I noted in a post a couple of days ago, I had taken a respite from blogging for a few weeks. As I read posts that interested me, I saved them, thinking I would be able to go back and use them as fodder for future posts. One unexpected but interesting byproduct of this practice… Continue Reading
Be True To The Founding Fathers–Except When Inconvenient
Posted in GeneralThis is off topic, but I couldn’t resist. Ran across this quote from Thomas Jefferson: “I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.” Notwithstanding the proclaimed allegiance to the wishes of the founding fathers (and Jefferson qualifies, doesn’t he?), the war… Continue Reading
Tom Collins Hits Walk-off Home Run In Discussion About Obstacles To Law Firm Planning
Posted in Leadership and ManagementThe post is here. My only comment–”Amen.” The solution? Perhaps found in Gerry Riskin’s “The Seven Immutable Laws Of Change Management.” See my post on Gerry’s remarkable work here.
Clients, Globalization And The American Jury
Posted in Client CommunicationsThe title is a lie. There is no such thing as an “American jury.” There are juries from Cook County, Illinois or Los Angeles, California. From Dothan, Alabama to Union County, West Virginia. From Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon. From Seattle to New York. And everywhere in between. Okay, so we all know juries are… Continue Reading
The World Is Flat–Part Deux
Posted in Leadership and ManagementI had no more than blinked after finishing my post on Tom Friedman’s book when I ran across this post by Rob Millard, author of The Adventure of Strategy. Rob highlighted the findings of Accenture in an article called Making The Trend Your Friend. Among the key findings: 3. The Accelerating Pace of Globalization The… Continue Reading
If The World Is Flat, Law Firms Must [fill in blank] To Survive
Posted in Leadership and ManagementIf you haven’t read The World Is Flat by Thomas Friedman, run–don’t walk–to the nearest bookstore to get a copy. Friedman is a multiple winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his work columnist for the New York Times, and is immensely respected. This book focuses on the globalization of our economy and the impact this… Continue Reading
Gerry Riskin and The Seven Laws Of Change Management
Posted in Leadership and ManagementGerry Riskin is brilliant. He is a gifted thinker, but even more significantly, he has the uncanny ability to express important and bold thoughts with such clarity that even the most skeptical find themselves moving to precisely the conclusion Gerry has reached. I have seen him accomplish this with large audiences. I have seen… Continue Reading
When You Plan For The Worst, You’re Prepared For Everything
Posted in CommentaryGood trial lawyers always “war game” their trials. “If this happens, here’s what I’ll do.” I use “visioning” as a tool to prepare for cross examination, trying to imagine every answer to every question so I can “see” what I will do in response, or decide I don’t want to incur the risk of going… Continue Reading
I’m Back.
Posted in GeneralBut without the fanfare associated with Michael Jordan’s return to the Bulls on March 18, 1995. But still, I’ve been away from this blog for a while. For those interested, it was time for some introspection. So while I haven’t been writing, I have been thinking and reading, and thinking some more. I wonder where… Continue Reading