March 09, 2007
Today I ran across a Law Practice Today article titled How to Be More User-Friendly, by Wendy L. Werner. The article lists reminders of what lawyers need to do, be, or think about “to not just be tolerated by the rest of the world, but to flourish.” Here’s the list, and I strongly encourage you to read the full article for amplification. Though I’m not crazy about the tone of the article (which comes across to me almost as a primer on “how lawyers can learn to masquerade as humans”), the advice is well-taken.
*Â Talk less, listen more.
*Â Sharing information with those around you is not a bad thing.
*Â Know what your colleagues are working on.
*Â Being rigorous doesn’t mean being a jerk.
*Â Risk is sometimes necessary to find new opportunities.
*Â If you only spend time with lawyers, you won’t know how to talk to juries or clients.
*Â Lawyers are frequently smart people — but lots of other people are smart too.
* Diversity is a fact of life. If you want a successful and smart organization, hire and promote a diverse work force.
*Â Seek opportunities for feedback.
*Â No matter what your level in the organization, find a mentor, coach or advisor.
*Â Having fun at work isn’t a crime.
*Â At the end of your life you probably won’t say — “I wish I had spent more time at the office.”
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I’m hosting a retreat this weekend for women who want to create a balance between their work and their personal lives and to be fully engaged in each. I’ve selected a poem to read at the beginning of the retreat, and I thought I’d share part of it here as well. It’s from When Death Comes, by Mary Oliver.
When it’s over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.
When it’s over, I don’t want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don’t want to find myself sighing and frightened,
or full of argument.
I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world.
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Have a good weekend.
Julie Fleming Brown coaches attorneys on professional development, career management, and client development issues. Please visit www.LifeAtTheBar.com for more information, or contact Julie at 800.758.6214.
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