Crushing Law Firm Chaos with Allison Williams
Time
Time is so precious to us, but are we doing everything we can to maximize it?
We can maximize our time in two ways:
- Strategy
- Mindset
Maximizing Time Through Strategy
- Your best asset is your calendar. Schedule everything into your calendar. Of course meetings and events go on the calendar, but the regular day to day work needs to go on there as well. Otherwise the time we thought we had gets drowned in the interruptions and random things that usually come up. Make a time for everything. Decide on a time that you’re available to talk and tell your employees that you can answer questions between this and this time. By doing that, you can answer everyone’s questions and not have to deal with interruptions for the rest of the day.
- Take an inventory of how you spend your time. If you are aware of how long you spend on each task, you can then see if that time is being used correctly. If you time how long you use your email throughout the day, you may find out you’re spending a lot more time on it than you thought you were. It’s likely you don’t need that much time and that’s something you can use your calendar for. Make a specific time each day to check and respond to emails.
- Use the DAD method - delete, automate, delegate. Take anything you do and ask yourself, is this necessary? Can I delete it? If it’s not necessary, delete it. If it is, find out if there is a tool out there that can automate it. If there’s nothing to automate it, then see if you can delegate it to someone else. You don’t have to be the one to do everything.
The main thing is to systemize everything. When everything has a system in place your law firm will run more smoothly.
Maximizing Time Through Mindset
There is a lot of power in the mind. How we view ourselves creates who we are.
If you see yourself as a procrastinator, as someone who isn’t productive, then that is what you’ll be. But if you change your mindset and start to think about yourself as someone who is productive, uses their time well and gets things done, you will become that person.
Another thing is to know your weaknesses. We all have them and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Identify what your weak areas are and then get your team, even people lower on the chain, to push you in that area. If you know there is something you’re going to push off, then tell them to push you to do it, so you get it done.
Culture
You want to create a problem solving culture in your firm. Empower you team to own their job because once they have that responsibility and they are proud of the work they do, they will constantly try to do better and find their own solutions.
When you create this type of environment where you give your team power and build them up to value their part in your team, they will solve any problems that come up instead of constantly going to you to fix them.
There also needs to be oversight, mentors training your employees and guiding them. But be aware that micromanaging is not oversight. They need guidance, not commands.
Marketing
There are many different ways to market and sell and none are right or wrong. Different methods work for different people, but you can’t just use one method. In order to get the most out of marketing you have to use multiple methods.
When you have a marketing event, take advantage of every opportunity.
For example:
If you’re speaking on stage, take pictures and videos to post on your website and social media. Write a blog post about the speech you made.
There are many different types of stages and platforms to use. If you’re not comfortable standing on a stage in front of an audience you can use a different platform like,
- Facebook Live
- Blog Posts
- Podcasts
The main thing is to just put yourself out there.
Zone of Genius
Your zone of genius is the thing you’re good at, the thing that lights you up. It’s the work you love to do.
Once you figure out what yours is, you need to focus on making that what you’re primarily doing. Any other work or mundane tasks that don’t really require you specifically, should be handed off to other employees.
When you’re doing the work you love, it gets done fast and time just flies by. But when you’re stuck doing something you don’t like, it will drag on and waste your time and money.
Being the Owner
As the owner, you’re on top. That means you work less and are paid more. When you start working more than your employees you are hurting yourself, your employees and your firm.
You’re the example to your team, so when you work ten hour days, they will too.
The problem with that is,
- They won’t be as productive and it will be a waste of their time and your money.
- You will hurt the employee - employer relationship.
According to Parkinson’s Law, when your employees work ten hours because they feel obligated to, they’ll find a way to fill that time. However, If you tell them that they can only work until five, then they will find a way to get everything done in that time.
Rewiring the Mind
Many times we take something we believe is true and make it an established truth. The problem is that a lot of the time those truths are false and they hurt us and our businesses.
What you have to do is take all your beliefs and truths and dig deep to see what caused them and if they really are in fact true.
Once you do that you can reshape your identity to one that is based on the real truth.
Digging Deep and Reestablishing Your Beliefs Will Be the Key to Your Success
Resources
Timeular
https://timeular.com/
Endless Referrals by Bob Burg
https://www.amazon.com/Endless-Referrals-Third-Bob-Burg/dp/0071462074
Episode 16
https://www.profitwithlaw.com/016
No B.S. Ruthless Management of People and Profits by Dan S. Kennedy
https://www.amazon.com/Ruthless-Management-People-Profits-Take-No-Prisoners/dp/1599181657
Atomic Habits by James Clear
https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
Law Firm Mentor
https://lawfirmmentor.net
Sales Retreat Aug. 3-4
https://lawfirmmentor.net/legal-sales-live-retreat/
Stay connected with news and updates!
Author
Moshe Amsel
Author
Moshe Amsel the host of the Profit with Law podcast is not an attorney. As the owner of a successful accounting firm DreamBuilder Financial and Law Firm Growth coaching organization Profit with Law, Moshe has proven that there are better and different ways for a law firm to do business and be successful.
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