|
What Should You Get
Out of Coaching?
The foundation of what I do as a professional coach is to combine the right mix of experience and questions to help lawyers access their own wisdom and unique abilities and use them to improve their practices. I've often written that lawyers should look at coaching, not as an expense, but as an investment in themselves and their practices. These days every investment is viewed in terms of the return it provides, and coaching should be no exception. If you want to make the decision to engage a coach, these are the three dividends that you should expect from your investment of time and money.
1) Direction. As a board certified coach to the legal profession, I show attorneys how to make their practices better and more effective, providing advice based on years of experience and years "in the field," as a practicing lawyer. Working with a coach who understands what you face provides an outlet to discuss and explore problems and offers a resource to resolve them. A coach does not need to have all the answers - rather, an experienced coach will involve you in the coaching process such that, as you gain more experience, you can give feedback to the coach, participate in the dialog, and create an active process for improvement.
2) Accountability. Acting as your own conscience for improving your practice is difficult. The more practical way is to work with a coach and have the coach provide accountability. No one wants to look foolish or unreliable before an authority figure, and failure to adhere to your own goals is failure to be reliable. Adding accountability to the role of a coach creates a major incentive. If you don't achieve priorities, the coach will show you your own unreliability and its consequences. By working with a coach, and being held accountable, priorities can be defined and achieved on an ongoing basis.
3) A colleague. The concept of accountability does not make a coach an adversary. On the contrary, a good coach, even while challenging you, should be an ally. Especially for sole practitioners, isolation and lack of camaraderie with other attorneys can be a barrier to personal fulfillment. By nature, we humans are a gregarious species and need to be connected with others. An outside perspective, from a coach can be a critical ingredient in career happiness by helping you define what you really want and working with you to achieve it. The right coach will take the experience honed by working with other successful people and use it to guide you in defining your target - and helping you hit it.
|
|
Following the worst economic crisis since the Great
Depression, and facing a sea change in clients' demands
and expectations, law firms must respond and adapt
quickly and effectively. Law firms must choose the kind of
law practice they will be; the marketing and business
development tactics they will use; the overhead that is
critical to their functioning; how to price, bill and collect
for services; and how to manage the cash flow cycle.
Success lies in identifying and capturing the right kinds of
clients, providing the services those clients need in ways
that add value, and ensuring prompt payment and the
ability to grow profits. This book, based on the
experiences of Ed and his clients over 20 years of
coaching and consulting, provides the keys to
successfully thriving in the new era.
Now Available
Special New Release Price: $79
Regular Price: $120
Call or Order Online at:
1-800-837-5880
www.lawbiz.com
|
|
|
|
Personal Commentary
As I write this, I am actually dictating this message. Today, with a
brand-new computer, Windows 7 and all the accoutrements thereto, Dragon
11 was installed on my machine. I am absolutely astounded at how good
this system is. I am excited beyond words, and my voice is a little bit
hoarse. In past editions, the time spent "training" the system was spent
mostly on educating the software. Now, my training time is spent
learning the varied commands that are available to me. In other words,
it is I that needs the training, not the machine. I will keep you posted on
my progress, however, I can say that this clearly is worth the
investment. Just another technology gadget, however, one that helps make life easier.
Ed Poll
lawbiz.com
lawbizblog.com
www.LawBizForum.com
800-837-5880
Please use the URL below to link to this issue:
www.lawbiz.com/nlimages/tip-1-18-11.html
|
|
What Readers Are Saying...
"No matter how you slice it, there is
no substitute for wisdom and
experience. Ed Poll has
demonstrated both in this eyeopening
book about the essential
elements of running a profitable law
practice. He provides practical
wisdom along with simple ways to
adopt and incorporate best practices
for each. After explaining the pros
and cons of every decision, he makes
recommendations and provides
useful guides disguised as key
principles. Buy the book so you too
can access Ed's wisdom and
experience. It's worth much more
than the investment."
STEWART L. LEVINE. ESQ.,
FOUNDER, RESOLUTIONWORKS
AUTHOR, GETTING TO RESOLUTION;
THE BOOK OF AGREEMENT AND
COLLABORATION 2.0
|
|
|
