One of the nice things about writing is that sometimes people pick up on your ideas and keep them going.    A recent blog post with my Professor hat on just got picked up in the EHS Blog.

You can read it here:  http://blog.ehstoday.com/out-loud-blog/2012/05/11/making-time-to-take-time-off/

“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things”

 - Peter Drucker

We are all managers, leaders and individual contributors – and often at the same time!    As leaders we want to get the most out of our team, so

this month we’ll look at what employees want from their leaders.  These tips apply even if you are a solo practitioner and don’t have “employees”.  For each one of these ideas – ask yourself whether you are doing these things with yourself or with your team.

1.            Be a good coach.   People want challenging, meaningful work and the opportunity for growth, development and learning.  Research shows that these factors are more important to people than compensation (so long as the compensation is perceived as fair).    This is good news in a bad economy.  It means that we can improve performance without writing bigger paychecks.  But it must be done in the right way.    Think of the great coaches you’ve known in your life.  What do they have in common?  They have probably been good at giving constructive feedback that balances the positive and the negative – and they do so in a regular way that is genuine.

2.            Give specific goals; don’t micromanage.   Employees want to know what success looks like:  they have to know the goal in enough detail so they can paint a picture in their minds.  Employees don’t necessarily want or need a roadmap to get there.   As an attorney you are responsible for the team’s work – but that doesn’t mean they cannot find their own way to reach the goal.  You will be there to provide concrete guidance, support and encouragement.  Yet a certain level of learning comes from “acceptable” levels of failure.  Allow enough latitude for the employees to learn and develop an approach that works.  This learning process prepares them for more independence and competence down the road.

3.            Take an interest.   The professional relationship you build with your employees is very important to their success – and yours.  Take an appropriate interest in our employees as people and their lives outside of work.  After all, the reason most people work is for something other than the work itself – whether it’s to take care of themselves or their families.  Sometimes it’s as simple as having a conversation or rolling up your sleeves and working side by side.  You may be surprised at what you learn and how your working relationship and productivity improves.

4.            Actively listen.   Really listening to someone is the ultimate way you can show them respect.   This is a learned skill – and not something that comes naturally in our multi-tasking society.  To actively listen you need to set aside all other distractions (turn your computer screen off, put your smartphone on the desk – upside down with notifications turned off).   You need to think about what the person is saying, and what they are not saying rather than formulating your response.  You must not judge or interrupt.   You can ask clarifying questions to ensure understanding and convey that they are being heard.

5.            Be consistent and have a clear vision.   Especially in these turbulent times your team needs you to be consistent and to understand your vision for the future.  Of course, the more you lead your team to feel co-ownership of that vision the more successful you’ll all be.

To learn more:  See Google’s Quest to Build a Better Boss, New York Times, March, 12, 2011.

4 Steps to Continuous Improvement.

“Follow effective action with quiet reflection.  From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action” – James Levin

Quiet reflection.   That’s not something many of us make time for in our busy lives.  This month I share a simple, fast and effective process that you can learn to improve your practices.   The technique even works to improve client relationships and develop more business.

The After Action Review (AAR) is a protocol used by the United States Army to evaluate activities and improve performance.   The AAR turns each engagement into a learning process by focusing on tasks and goals to discover why things happen.  The AAR is never about judging success or failure.  It is always about learning and improvement.

This powerful tool encourages all stakeholders to share and learn in the name of continuous improvement.  The AAR can be: (i) a formal, facilitated process at the conclusion of a case or complex transaction; (ii) a simple informal review after an every-day event, or (iii) a personal review by an individual attorney. In this column we’ll look at the simple AAR.

The After Action Review focuses on 4 essential questions.

1.            What was supposed to happen?

2.            What actually did happen?

3            What were the differences and why?

4.            What will we do differently next time?

Perform an AAR as soon as possible after an event such as a call to a prospective client, a court hearing, a negotiation session, a deposition, a partner’s meeting or even after you’ve completed a contract or court document.   Include all of the participants – including those key to helping you prepare.

What was supposed to happen?  Be clear about what you really intended to accomplish during the event.  Of course, it is very helpful if you’ve thought about this clearly in advance.   It’s even better if you’ve committed the objectives to writing. The more specific your objective the greater chance of success, and the better this process will be.

What actually did happen?   Participants have to agree on what actually happened during the event.  This may be more difficult than you think. The most important part of the AAR is adopting the right mindset.  It is not about pronouncing judgment or assessing blame.  It isn’t a place to gripe.  Instead it is an honest and unbiased assessment the sole purpose of which is preparation for the next situation.   Emotions can sometimes cloud the picture.  Take the time to have an objective conversation.   Don’t rush ahead to diagnosis yet.  These first two steps should take about 25% of the time during the review.

Was there a difference and why?   This is the diagnosis phase to determine cause and effect.   Brainstorm possible explanations and explore alternatives.  Use open-ended questions and let people respond in their own words.  Good questions can include:  How do you think we succeeded in accomplishing our goal?  Did we have the resources we needed?  Was there confusion?  What kind of preparation, resources or approach would help next time?   This phase should take another 25% of the review time.

What will we do differently?  Focus on things within your control rather than forces outside of your control.  We have the ability to influence more events than we realize.  Think critically about what can be done to improve for the next event.  But don’t forget – you should do this for successful events too.  Conduct an AAR after you win the next case or exceed your client’s expectations.   This is where you should spend the majority (50%) of your review time.

In my practice, I have successfully implemented this process in a variety of business settings.  It was so effective that I included it the courses I teach to adult learners in the MBA Program at Post University.   It’s easy to use consistently by yourself, with your colleagues and even with your clients.

As attorneys we can use simple tools like this to help our clients avoid problems, survive and ultimately thrive in business.   By going this extra mile with your client you will improve the relationship, help them succeed and grow your practice.

Sometimes you just need to start a project.   In a firm run by committee you may find yourself stuck in a legal version of red tape.  Don’t fight it.  Consider two ways to get going:

Get an early win.   Define what you want to do in concrete terms.  Identify the first win that will lead to others – and prove the worth of what you want to do.

Use what you’ve got.   Use the people you know, the budget you have, and the resources you can muster. Once you’ve got some momentum it will be easier to garner support.

Secure only what you need for the next step. Don’t try to get everyone on board. Just ask for permission to take the next action. Some people will want to know the end goal, but get the least amount of commitment you need to push the project forward.

Read More on Harvard Business Review’s Website

Establish genuine relationships, advises Doug Brown, academic program manager of the Post University MBA program and director of the Post University Business Institute. “The first thing to remember is that people prefer to buy from those they know and trust, and trust is built by establishing genuine relationships—not business transactions,” he says.

Identify your target market, making sure not to overlook existing customers. Understand very specifically who your buying community is and why they buy from you, Brown emphasizes. There may be multiple answers to the latter question, but that’s okay. You can use them as a basis for building a relationship strategy.

Engage effectively. Understand how your prospects and customers communicate; focus on that, not on how you want to communicate with them. “People are tired of being talked at. The communications they listen to are the ones they think add value to them in their lives,” Brown says. Leverage media opportunities to engage both your direct buyers and those who influence them.

Go beyond the sales pitch. Use an email service such as Constant Contact to provide regular communications that include relevant information and expertise rather than solely focusing on sales pitches. Also keep in mind that traditional PR techniques such as donating time, money, and expertise to community groups still work in the new media world.

Finally, be consistent with your communications, which is something many SMBs seem to have a problem with, Brown observes. “Break a communication strategy into chunks that you can actually do,” he suggests. “Don’t fall victim to the myth of the do-it-all-myself entrepreneur. You have a team that supports you. Use it.”