Listening can be more important than having a solution

As lawyers, it’s absolutely essential that we meet our clients’ needs and desires. This should be obvious, but all too often lawyers forget to think about what the client really wants. Here’s a classic example: the general counsel of a large organization told me yesterday over lunch about a meeting she’d had the day before with her (previously!) favored law firm for a certain project. Apparently they began their pitch by telling her how the project would be run and who would run it, without displaying the smallest understanding of the in-house team, or, more importantly, the in-house politics that would have to be dealt with during the course of the deal. Their proposal was disappointing because they had failed to take this information into account.

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What distinguishes you from the competition?

Over the last few weeks, I have given various presentations to young lawyers about their career development. During the Q & A sessions, they have repetitively asked the same basic question: “How do I distinguish myself and get ahead?” So in my last presentation, I pre-empted the query by asking the audience what they thought was most important for success as a lawyer. Here’s their list:

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Practice makes perfect

I’ve recently reread Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers, in which he examines the factors that contribute to high levels of success. One of these factors is what he calls the "10,000-Hour Rule", which means that the key to success (in most fields, even the law!) depends upon practicing a specific task for a total of around 10,000 hours.

This reminded me of my blog post from last week: Avoid Being All Things to All People. It takes discipline to become an expert (discipline to stay on track, and discipline to “say no” to the things that don’t support your goal or distinct personal brand).

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Avoid attempting to be all things to all people

The other day I was helping a young lawyer with her search for a job after she was made redundant in a large City firm. As we reviewed her resume, I quickly realised that she was trying to sell herself as a "jack-of-all trades". Now this approach, especially in today’s economy, may feel like the safest route - an attempt to avoid missing out on any opportunity. But as I explained to this young lawyer, trying to be all things to all people can actually hurt you.

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There are no shortcuts to success; take initiative and invest in yourself

At the end of this month, I’ll be launching my new book, Juggling the Big 3 for Lawyers: A career-building plan to develop your personal brand, client business and leadership mindset.

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