How many hours a week do you work?

September 3, 2015 by
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If you’re like me, and you are, when someone asks you, “How many hours a week do you work?” you usually say, “It depends”. We say that because we’re lawyers and everything depends.

How many hours we work depends on how one defines “work”. Do we count being at our workplace as working?

Do we count thinking time? Reading time? What about driving time?

I’m guessing that most people who put in a “full” day spend only 25% of that time actually working. Show up for eight hours, you do about two hours of work. (Actually, I recall reading that the average person only works 90 minutes a day, but we’re not average, are we?)

And don’t get me started on billable hours.

So when I read about the notion that working more than 40 hours a week makes us less productive, I have to wonder what they mean by work. And while we’re on the subject, what do they mean by “less productive”?

We might get more done in less time working 40 hours a week, but so what? If we’re getting things done after 40 hours, we’re still getting things done.

And maybe we like what we do. Maybe it doesn’t feel like work. Maybe we don’t have hobbies or other things to occupy our time and, given the choice, we would prefer to keep working instead of resting or playing.

When someone tells us we’re working too hard, we should smile and nod and tell them they’re right, even if we disagree. Hard work never killed anyone, right? Yes, but what do we say when they tell us we’re not working hard enough?

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Filed Under: Personal development, Productivity, Time Management

Your doctor doesn’t use an away message so why do you?

September 2, 2015 by
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I saw an article this morning about how to write a good out-of-office email and reminded myself that I’ve never used one. I don’t want to tell anyone that I am in or out of the office. I don’t want a leash.

Why do your clients need to know where you are? And why does it matter if you’re out? Do you need to be “in the office” to receive or reply to an email?

No, you don’t.

“What about when I’m out of town and cannot be “reached” (i.e., on vacation?) I won’t even look at their email for two weeks. Don’t I need to tell them that?”

No. Nobody needs to know where you are, or for how long, or when you might read or reply to their email.

Yes, you do need to be accessible. Clients need to know that when they need help, they can count on you. But that doesn’t mean they should expect a personal reply to every email or phone call. You have staff to do that for you.

In fact, why are you even giving your clients your email? Do you have your doctor’s email? If he provides one at all, it’s for his office, and if you write to him, someone in the office will reply. You don’t know whether your doctor is in the office, at the hospital, or on the golf course. If it’s an emergency, someone will be able to reach him.

And that’s how it should work for you.

If you are a lone wolf, have one email for your office, another for you in your capacity as a lawyer, and another for personal matters. Don’t give everyone your lawyer email. Give them the official office email, and make sure they know that someone else will be reading it.

Don’t give everyone your cell number, either. Get an answering service who can call you if it’s an emergency, and take messages if it is not.

When I started practicing, in the days before email and cell phones, I had a secretary, an answering service, and a pager. A client could reach my “office” at midnight if they wanted to, but unless it was a true emergency, nobody called them back until the morning.

I was accessible, but on my terms. I served my clients, but I wasn’t at their beck and call.

 

 

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Filed Under: Client relations, Communication, Law office management, Time Management Tagged With: , ,

What should I have my virtual assistant do for me?

August 21, 2015 by
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I got an e-mail from attorney who uses a virtual assistant “to write and edit letters to prospective clients”. He asked me what else he could have her do.

Great question.

To answer it, I’ll share a (slightly edited) email I received in response to a post I did about justifying the cost of hiring outside assistants:

I have a full-time VA in the Philippines. She costs me about $75 per WEEK (full time). I gladly pay this even though I often don’t have 40 hours’ worth of stuff for her to do. I don’t let her handle much for my law practice. Her English grammar is a bit off sometimes, but she updates websites, edits video, does show notes for my podcast, handles blog posting, social media promotion of my stuff, etc. She’s been invaluable in getting my courses and info products created and published. This frees up some time for marketing, client service, and for ME… I get to have dinner with my kids almost every night.

Letting go of control is my big challenge, but I’m working on it, and Managing a VA is a skill set that needs to be developed, too… the time/distance and cultural differences require some finesse… But I’m glad to have Joanna on my team. I encourage everyone to find a VA to help out with things.

So, here’s what I would do.

Make a list of every task that is performed in your practice, by you or anyone on your behalf. Write down everything, from opening the mail, opening and closing files, meeting with clients, writing articles, and everything in between.

Then, look at that list and put a check mark next to every task that can only be done by YOU.

You probably do a lot of things that someone else could do. They may not do it as well, but as long as they can do it at an acceptable level, you should let them do it.

Make sure break down the tasks that only you can do into sub-tasks that others can do.  You may be the one who conducts the trial, but you can have others assemble documents and write (the first draft) of motions.

Now, what about the tasks that nobody is doing? What could you have a VA or employee do to help you with marketing, for example? That depends on your objectives and what you’re willing to do to accomplish them.

If you want to do Facebook advertising, you can have an assistant find keywords, create the ad graphics and copy (or co-ordinate with freelancers), and manage the campaigns.

If you have my new course on getting referrals from lawyers, you would have your assistant find other lawyers that you can contact to discuss referrals and joint ventures. The VA can compile details about what they do, make the initial contact on your behalf, and follow-up with those who respond affirmatively.

Do only those things that only you can do and delegate everything else. But first you have to figure out what needs to be done.

Get more referrals from other lawyers: click here

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Filed Under: Increase your income, Law office management, Marketing legal services, Productivity, Time Management Tagged With: , , ,

Voice to text dictation with Dragon Naturally Speaking

August 19, 2015 by
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A long time ago, my colleagues and I dictated most of our letters, pleadings and other work product into a recording device, to be transcribed by a legal secretary. At first, we recorded onto a magnetic belt or tape. Later, we used cassette tapes (micro and regular size).

I could type, but this was before computers, and correcting typos, even on a Selectric with built in correction tape, was not the best use of my time.

Today, I type. But in my never-ending quest to increase my writing output, I have lately been experimenting with voice to text (speech to text) apps, including an old version of Dragon Naturally Speaking which I’ve had on my hard drive for several years.

I’ve tinkered with it in the past, but never used it consistently, mainly because of the learning curve and concomitant time it always seemed to require.

That, plus I am a quick typist.

And yet, I know that voice dictation is quicker, and if I can master DNS, I will increase my productivity.

This post wasn’t dictated with the software, but I have started using it daily. I’m learning the program’s commands, practicing my old dictation habits, and things are coming along. Period. Paragraph.

Nuance, which makes the software, just announced a new app for mobile, Dragon Anywhere, coming this fall. This looks amazing for those who are frequently away from their computer. When I’m out, I use Siri to dictate on my phone, but you have to stop and re-set every 30 seconds. Dragon Anywhere offers unlimited dictation time.

Nuance also announced a new Professional version for individuals. I couldn’t resist the price so I upgraded. (If you have DNS, go to Help on the menu and “check for upgrades”.

One thing I like about the upgrade (that I don’t have on my old version) is the ability to import an audio file for transcription. If I don’t subscribe to Dragon Anywhere (it will be a monthly subscription), this will be a big help.

If you read reviews about DNS, you find a mixed bag. A lot of people have had problems with installation and use of their products. Other reviews sing their praises.

If you use voice dictation in your work, or you have done so in the past, I’d love to hear your experiences. What do you use? How has it helped to improve your work flow? Do you have any tips to share?

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Filed Under: Productivity, Technology, Time Management, Writing Tagged With: , , , ,

How I beat the clock and became more productive

June 10, 2015 by
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I was a clock watcher in school. I watched the clock and waited for it to tell me I could go to recess or lunch or to another class I hated less. When it got close to the end of the school day, I watched the seconds tick by until the bell rang out and I was set free.

I was bored and frustrated that I had to be somewhere I didn’t want to be, doing things I didn’t want to do.

Maybe you can relate.

Today, I make my own schedule and do the work I want to do. But I am still haunted by that clock.

I’m working on a big project right now. Even though I enjoy the work, as I see the end of the day approaching, as my stomach tells me it’s getting close to dinner time, I mentally start winding down and find myself going into evening mode.

I’m not making as much progress on the project as I want to. I know I could do much more.

It’s the clock, damn it. I worshiped it in school and now it owns my soul. It knows that I don’t have a deadline for this project and it plays with my mind. Sometimes I can hear it laughing at me.

I listen to music, to drown out distractions and keep me from looking at the clock. But my inner clock seems to have synchronized with the external clock-god and as the end of the day approaches, I know it and I start losing steam.

The clock-god wants to control me, but I refuse to bow down to it’s evil ways. Thankfully, I’ve found a way to banish the clock-god from my life.

I found a new clock.

It’s just as tough and demanding on me, but I obey this new clock because it is benevolent and wants me to succeed.

The new clock-god has a name. It’s called a countdown timer.

I decide in advance how much work I want to do each day on the project. Right now, that’s four hours. Before, I probably worked no more than a couple of hours a day on it, and not every day, either.

I know that if I put in four hours a day, I will reach my goal.

I found a site with a simple countdown timer on it. When I start work, I set the timer for four hours and click the start button.

Now, it doesn’t matter if I get distracted. It doesn’t matter what my inner clock tells me. I’ve got four hours to do and I’m not going to call it a day until I’ve put in my time.

When I take a break, I pause the timer. When I get back to work, I start it again. I enjoy watching the timer count down and seeing how much time is left before I’ve hit my daily goal.

Sometimes, if it’s time for dinner and I haven’t put in the full four hours, I go back to work after dinner. Before the countdown timer, I usually didn’t do that. I’d tell myself I was tired and that I would pick things up tomorrow.

Not anymore. The day isn’t over until I’ve put in my time.

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Filed Under: Productivity, Time Management

Get more work done by doing it in batches

June 5, 2015 by
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I just saw a video by a very successful Internet marketer who says he works an average of four to eight hours per week. Mondays is work day. He writes his blog posts, records and edits his videos, and does everything else he needs to do for the week. Then he takes the rest of the week off.

This might not work for everyone, he acknowledges, but it works for him. It allows him to finish things more quickly because he gets into the flow of whatever he’s doing, and keeps at it until it’s done.

Could a lawyer do something like this? Probably not, at least to this extent. For one thing, most attorneys put in many more hours than this fellow. We couldn’t get everything done in a day. In addition, much of our work is dictated by other people’s schedules and agendas.

We could use the concept of “batching” our tasks, however, to get certain things done in less time.

For example, we could dedicate a day (or a half day) for all of our writing. We could write a week’s or a month’s worth of blog posts and articles in one stretch of time and have the rest of the week or month for other things.

I haven’t tried this. I typically write a new post each week day and I don’t know what I’m going to write about until I sit down to do it. But I like the idea of cranking out a week’s worth of work in a few contiguous hours. I might give this a try.

I found another Internet marketer who works a full week. He is prodigious, producing tens of thousands of words each week, and claims batching as a key to getting so much done.

How about you? Do you think you might get more done if you designate two afternoons a week for client meetings instead of spreading them throughout the week? Could you block out Tuesday mornings for file review and get most of your week’s dictation done in one or session?

Something to think about?

Now if I can just figure out how to get a year’s worth of work done in a week. . . let me get back to you on that.

Need more clients? Get this

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Filed Under: Productivity, Time Management Tagged With:

How to beat procrastination without really trying

May 21, 2015 by
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There are hundreds of tips and strategies on how to beat procrastination floating around. That’s too many, if you ask me.

Instead of giving you a laundry list of ideas I want to share with you just three.

(1) DON’T DO IT

Not everything on your task list needs to be done. Many tasks aren’t that important, at least in comparison to other things on your list. After all, being productive isn’t about getting everything done it’s about getting the most important things done.

So ask yourself, “Do I really need to do this?” and if the answer is anything but an unqualified yes, either cross it off the list or put it on a “someday/maybe” list and look at it at some future date.

If a task does need to be done, ask yourself, “Who else could do this?” If you can delegate the task to someone else, you should.

(2) CREATE A DEADLINE

If something needs to be done (by you), and you don’t already have a deadline, give yourself one. Pick a date when the task will be done, or when a significant portion of the project will be done, and put this on your calendar.

You may be inclined to give yourself ample time but it’s usually better to do just the opposite. Shorter deadlines make it more likely that you will complete the task.

If you give yourself three weeks to complete something, you might not get started until a few days before the deadline. Or, as you see the deadline approaching you will extend it. So instead of three weeks, give yourself three days to complete the task, or even three hours.

Once you have a deadline, tell someone about it–your client, spouse, partner, or a workout buddy–and ask them to hold you accountable. When I tell my wife I will have the first draft of something done by a certain date, I am much more likely to do it.

(3) START

The most important part of any task is getting started. The first step in doing anything puts you one step closer to the second step.

Start with something small and easy. Make a list of everything you need to do, for example, or re-write the list you already wrote.

Tell yourself you’ll work on it for just five minutes. No matter how unpleasant the task might be you can do it for five minutes. The odds are that once you get started, you’ll feel compelled to continue.

These three strategies should help you beat procrastination most of the time. If you still find yourself procrastinating, however, ask yourself why you are resisting doing things you know you need to do.

The solution might be simple. If you don’t know how to do something, for example, schedule time to learn. If you’re afraid of doing a poor job, get some advice or ask someone with more experience to help you.

There is always a reason why you are procrastinating. Instead of ignoring that reason, embrace it. Your subconscious mind knows what you need and if you listen carefully, you will hear the solution.

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Filed Under: Personal development, Productivity, Time Management Tagged With: ,

If your mom managed your law practice

May 11, 2015 by
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If your mom managed your law practice I have no doubt she would make you eat a good breakfast before you show up for work. She would tell you that you can’t watch TV until you do get all your work done and cleaned up your desk.

No work, no play. That’s how mom rolls.

If your mom managed your law practice, she would also tell you that if you won your case, she would take you out for ice cream or make you your favorite dinner.

Reward and punishment. Carrot and stick.

Mom would offer the employees extra incentives for getting their work done on time. She would put a little extra spending money in their pay envelopes when they come up with a money-saving idea. And make them employee of the month when a client gives them a five star review.

You could take a lesson from mom. Figure out what you want your staff to do and offer them bribes for doing it.

While you’re at it, do the same thing for yourself.

Look at your list of tasks and goals–for the day, for the month, for the year–and promise yourself a reward for getting them done. Empty your email inbox today and you get to take off at noon on Friday. Bring in a new client this week and you get to buy the tablet you’ve had your eye on.

Isn’t this kind of bribery cheap and manipulative? Sure. But mom knew it worked and who are we to argue?

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Filed Under: Law office management, Personal development, Productivity, Time Management

Begin with the end in mind (and work backwards)

April 28, 2015 by
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Most people choose a goal and then start working towards it. They put one foot in front of the other and keep walking until they get to their destination.

If they choose the wrong step, however, they may get sidetracked and lose sight of their goal. If they do the steps in the wrong order, they may waste time and resources.

A better way, some say, is to begin with the end in mind and work backwards.

Let me give you an example of how it works.

Let’s say you have a goal of getting one additional referral each week.

Nice goal, yes?

Okay, now you have to ask yourself this question: Can I do this tomorrow? Can I get one additional referral per week starting tomorrow?

The odds are the answer is no. So you ask another question: What would have to have happen first?

Putting aside the idea of getting more referrals from your clients and existing contacts, let’s say the answer is, “I’d have to have twenty new professional contacts who know, like, and trust me. If each one of these twenty contacts sends me just one referral every five months, I would achieve my goal of getting one additional referral per week.”

That sounds doable. But can you do it tomorrow?

No.

What would have to happen first?

First (let’s say) you would need to connect with 100 new contacts (professionals, business owners, community leaders, centers of influence, etc.), in order to find twenty who are willing and able to send you one referral every five months.

Can you do this tomorrow? I’m guessing not.

What would have to happen first?

First you would have to identify (a) places where these people congregate, so you can go there and meet them, and/or (b) people you know who can introduce you to these people.

Can you do that tomorrow?

Yes you can. You can start anyway. You can do some research and find organizations comprised of people who fit the description of the people you want to meet who meet locally.

You can also comb through your current list of contacts to identify people who are likely to know these people. They have clients or colleagues or business contacts who fit the description. You know them well enough to ask for an introduction.

Finally, you have something you can do tomorrow. Now you can take the first steps towards your goal.

But if you do all of that, can you reach your goal tomorrow? No. What has to happen first?

You need to meet them and get to know them. You need to find out what they are looking for that you might be able to help them with. You need to show them what you do and how you can help their clients or contacts. And you have to build a relationship with them, earn their trust ,and eventually, their referrals.

Can you do this tomorrow? No. What would you have to do first?

You’d have to talk to them, get their contact information, and begin a dialog with them.

Can you do that tomorrow (if you meet them tomorrow)? Yes you can.

And now you have a plan.

You can’t “do” a goal, you can only do activities. Begin with the end in mind and work backwards. Identify the activities you need to do, and do them, and keep doing them until you reach your goal.

Marketing is easier when you know The Attorney Marketing Formula

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Filed Under: Goal Setting, Productivity, success, Time Management Tagged With:

Is working on weekends counterproductive?

April 20, 2015 by
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It’s Saturday morning (or Sunday) and you’re the only one in the office. You’ve wearing shorts and a teeshirt and haven’t shaved. That’s okay. You’re not going to see any clients today.

You put on a pot of coffee. It’s quiet. No phones ringing, no voices down the hall, and you can think. Maybe it’s too quiet, so you turn on the radio and get a background buzz of music or talk radio.

You’ve got a blizzard of files and papers on your desk. It’s been a busy week and you’re behind on a bunch of things. You push everything into one or two piles to clear some work space on the desk, and you dig in.

In a few hours, you’ve gone through most of the backlog. You’ve dictated letters and instructions to your secretary. You’ve dictated a declaration for a motion that needs to be filed next week. You’ve reviewed some older files and made notes about what needs to be done. You’ve reviewed and signed invoices that are ready to go out. You’ve signed checks to pay bills.

Finally, you filled your briefcase with files you need for court on Monday, turned off the coffee pot and radio, turned off the lights and went home.

Nicely done. It feels good. You’re looking forward to dinner and a relaxing evening with the family.

I remember this scenario well. I went through it often. Once every month or two I went to the office and got caught up and organized. I’d get a week’s worth of work done in a few hours.

But I knew guys who were in the office every weekend. They came in early and stayed late. Not just when they were prepping for trial–it was a regular work day for them. They would see clients and put in a full day.

That’s too much. You’ve got to recharge. You’ve got to have a life outside of work.

Apparently, what most of us intuitively understand has a scientific basis in fact. According to a study, “productivity per hour declines sharply when the workweek exceeds 50 hours, and productivity drops off so much after 55 hours that there’s no point in working any more.”

Working on weekends once in awhile is fine. If you’re working every weekend, however, you might want to consider whether it’s worth it because the odds are it’s not.

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Filed Under: Law office management, Personal development, Productivity, success, Time Management
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