tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83928729101196918172024-03-13T06:04:14.796+00:00A Pitch for Common SenseMar-aon Consulting BlogPeter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.comBlogger223125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-35181333171199545152015-11-16T12:27:00.001+00:002015-11-16T12:27:30.230+00:00Respect Under StressAs a consultant specialising in working with managers and staff in the areas of General Management and Communications, I am often brought in (a few months too late...) to very stressful situations.<br />
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I recently worked with a set of chambers where the relationship between clerks, support staff and members of chambers had degenerated into a series of shouting matches. In my usual way, I took the Senior Clerk out for lunch to talk about the situation. "You have no idea of the stress we are under. I haven't got time to be nice to people", he said. I wish that view was unusual...<br />
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In the first place, I have a very good understanding of the stress he and his staff are under. I was brought in to run an international law firm in 2008 just as Lehman Brothers crashed and the next nine months was rather horrible as all the plans we had discussed pre-appointment were thrown out to be replaced with a mass (and rather panicked) redundancy programme. I agreed to be the last man out in phase 1 - moving from a healthy salary to the joys of self-employment. I know what that sort of stress feels like.<br />
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Much more to the point - as I said to my Senior Clerk - now is always the time to be nice to people. There is never an excuse for shouting - or rather for treating people disrespectfully. Never (oh I've done it - but there was never a good excuse for it). <br />
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I spoke for a while with the Senior Clerk and then began the process of building respect back into the day-to-day life of chambers. It won't be easy - but it is necessary. Without that, nothing else will work, the sniping will continue and any change programme will fail - spectacularly.<br />
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When life is quiet in the field of consulting (that's the problem with dealing in the area of common sense - there are times when no-one thinks they need any help...) I work on film sets. Most businesses could learn a thing or two about leadership and management by watching how film sets work. There is tons of stress - imagine a business where the outgoings are huge and start immediately and the income is (a) uncertain and (b) about two years away. Each day of filming costs a fortune - I was on set last Sunday and if that one day cost less that £300,000 I'd be really surprised. Added to the stress is a huge group of people - crew, cast and extras - who may be on set for one day and may never have worked together. Imagine that your business is like that.<br />
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And yet it works - and it works because of the respect that is shown at every stage. Crew are trusted to know their jobs, are consulted and then thanked. Cast and extras are asked politely to "stand there and do that' and then thanked each time. Crowd Assistant Directors are brought in especially on large sets just to look after the extras. Yes, of course, that's partly to make sure they are in the right place at the right time - but I witnessed the Crowd AD (a wonderful young lady by the name of Georgie) make a special effort to come on set between takes with water for her people.<br />
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I do not believe that a set of chambers is a more stressful place to work than a film set - and yet one is characterised by calm, respect and politeness and the other, often, is characterised by shouting and blame. Which of the two do you think seems to work better..?Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-67441048724149242212015-10-16T12:17:00.003+01:002015-10-16T12:17:44.499+01:00Don't Work HarderSometimes all a person can do is to work harder. That's rarely the path to happiness for the organisation or the person concerned. In my experience it leads to frustration (from both) and exhaustion, and possibly illness.<br />
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This was brought to mind (again sadly) by a meeting with a Senior Clerk who will remain nameless, as will his chambers. A friend of a friend - another Senior Clerk that I had worked with - had suggested he speak to me (off the record, on the QT, and very hush hush...). Chambers weren't happy with his performance and nothing he was doing seemed to make them happier.<br />
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"I'm working all hours God sends", he told me, and it seemed to be true. He regularly got into the Clerks' room before 7:30am and was there past 7pm. He didn't go to lunch, instead having his Junior bring him a sandwich.<br />
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It was the understandable reaction of someone who has no training or support to do anything other than work harder.<br />
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Sadly, as he was finding out, doing more of the things that aren't working doesn't help very much. If at all.<br />
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More happily, he had done the most difficult thing already. He had realised that what he was doing wasn't working and he had asked for help. We spent a few hours working through a strategy for him, which included speaking to his Head of Chambers and beginning to develop a more focussed idea of marketing.<br />
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It's a small regional set, so there will be no funds from chambers to engage me on a formal basis, but I've agreed to chat with the Senior Clerk every so often to see how he is getting on - hopefully I can help him persuade chambers that some investment is needed in staff training and support. That would be a good first step to a more efficient, and successful, set of chambers.<br />
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It is tempting for us all to work harder in the face of difficulty. We all know that working smarter is the answer, but working harder is, paradoxically, easier.<br />
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We need to stop working harder and take the time to work out how to work smarter. It is always worth it in the end and delivers a better result for everyone.<br />
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Don't work harder.Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-86367293799069714532015-10-06T10:12:00.002+01:002015-10-06T10:12:14.652+01:00Happy StaffI speak with a lot of small business leaders (by which I mean the leaders of small businesses, not...) and in talking through their challenges and difficulties, I will often try to lead them towards a discussion about how happy or content their staff are. Quite often what I see is a shrug of the shoulders and something along the lines of "What? Keep the staff happy? Yeah - sure. Of course".<br />
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What they mean, of course, is "why on earth would I care about that?<br />
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Well - setting aside that the sort of person who really doesn't care at all about their staff's happiness is not a good person to be working with - there are so many reasons.<br />
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The most important, I think, is because it is quite simply the right thing to do. As a member of the same species, we should try, whenever possible and often when it's not possible, to treat fellow members with respect and dignity. Why not?<br />
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Then there are the more tangible benefits. Treating other people well makes you a little happier. We can benefit from other people's contentment. Not only that - if we treat other people well, then they might well treat others well too. And that includes us. Again - why not?<br />
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Finally - because some of the people I have this discussion with sometimes need a financial incentive - treat your staff well because happier people work harder. According to Oswald, Proto and Sgroi from the University of Warwick, businesses can see an increase in productivity of up to 12% when staff are happier. The <a href="http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/staff/eproto/workingpapers/happinessproductivity.pdf" target="_blank">full paper is here</a>.<br />
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So there you are. Trying to make your staff a little happier is the right thing to do because they will work harder, be more committed, treat fellow staff better - and, of course, because it is simply the right thing to do.Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-9149749566090494772015-09-30T09:49:00.001+01:002015-09-30T09:49:30.836+01:00The Temptation to TInkerSpeaking with a barrister earlier this week, we were discussing the nature of lawyer-led businesses and the difficulties that so many of them have in actually seeing themselves as a business, and so working in a very business-like manner.<br />
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I was reminded of one of my most difficult clients.<br />
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Not - it may surprise you to know - because they were dysfunctional, disorganised and chaotic. Quite the opposite. They had engaged me to examine their business structure and operation and to report on necessary changes. After a few weeks, it was apparent that there were no changes necessary - the business was working well, the leadership was well organised, professional and communicating hard. Junior members of staff knew what the strategy for the business was and seemed to be enthusiastic about it and about their impact on it.<br />
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I was faced with writing a report that, in effect, said "carry on doing what you're doing". The temptation to tinker was enormous. It's one of the most dangerous thing that a consultant (or a new executive coming into a business) can do - changing things so that they are seen to be changing things. The common perception is that consultants have a look at a business and if services are in-house, we suggest outsourcing - and if they are outsourced, we recommend bringing them in-house. In other words, we tinker.<br />
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It's the consulting equivalent of moving into a beautiful newly build apartment and ripping out the bathroom and replacing it. "Look", we shout, "I'm here".<br />
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It is, however, something that we must all - consultants and executives - work hard to avoid. There is a real value in acknowledging a good system rather than changing it. Change is not always necessary. Any system, no matter how good, will need to evolve - but that's a completely different matter.<br />
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When I delivered my report to my clients, they were delighted. They were such good managers of their business that, although they thought everything was going well, they wanted external audit and verification - and were pleased that I was willing to present a report without the need for change.<br />
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So - today's lesson is to avoid tinkering. If change is required, then start the process of change and work to introduce the new system. If, however, the business is working well, then join in with the process and enjoy nudging an efficient system along into the future.Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-77900748932742836642015-09-14T09:38:00.001+01:002015-09-14T09:38:19.215+01:00Selling Common SenseI speak about this a lot, so please forgive me if you've heard all this before. In my defence, if more businesses would do what they say is obvious, then I'd stop going on about it so much.<br />
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I'm talking about common sense.<br />
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Most of what I do is just common sense. Working with people in a corporate environment is common sense; developing a strategy is mostly common sense; running a business - common sense.<br />
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I sat in a meeting last week with a partner in a law firm. I won't give any more details except to say that it was a fair sized business. This partner had been given my contact details by a friend at another firm where I had helped to mediate peace in a partner fight a few years ago. My new potential client was having problems with some of his fee-earning team leaders and with the marketing department. I sat with him for an hour and asked a number of questions in order to understand the problem a bit more. After about 50 minutes he was clearly bored and finally snapped saying "There's no point in going on an on about what the problem is! What should we do about it?"<br />
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I sighed rather deeply and started to outline a project to get into the firm and to start talking to everyone concerned - to understand what the problem with the fee-earners is (no-one in a law firm does anything to get in the way of increasing revenues without a good reason) and to see if we couldn't get the marketing guys either working more effectively or demonstrating that they were working well (and probably both).<br />
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My client sat back after a few minutes and said "Is that it? Is that all you do for the money? Anyone could do that!"<br />
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I explained - politely and patiently I hope - that, yes almost anyone could do it, but for whatever reason, no-one in this firm <u>was</u> doing any of it. I was, as usual, trying to sell a doubtful client common sense.<br />
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General management is mostly common sense. Treat staff and colleagues well; look after the important numbers; report quickly and in plain English; treat everyone well. It's not rocket science.<br />
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Yes of course - when developing a strategy (whether for the whole business or a marketing strategy) or when starting a new enterprise - a flash of genius is a great thing. But actually getting the business involves common sense and hard work - and not much more.<br />
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I didn't manage to persuade my client that he needed external support to solve his firm's problems ("If it's that easy we'll do it ourselves") - but I'll give him a ring in a few months and see how he's getting on.<br />
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<br />
<br />
----<br />
<i>I'm sometimes asked (by the few people who read this blog regularly) whether I'm exaggerating the characters I write about. Honestly - I think I usually dial them down a bit when I write about then to make them at least a little believable!</i>Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-4046536542504177412015-09-11T10:48:00.001+01:002015-09-11T10:48:51.219+01:00A Silver BulletIt's odd how things work. My clients seem to come in batches. Recently I've had a run of non-lawyers mostly out of the UK. Suddenly - in the last two weeks or so - I've had a good few calls from barristers in London. So it looks as if I might not be travelling so much.<br />
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Speaking again with London barristers, I'm reminded that many of them - and the criminal bar in particular - seem to be looking for silver bullets. That one thing they can do (ideally without much effort and no investment) that will drive more business their way.<br />
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Sadly there isn't one.<br />
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Driving work into chambers is the work of many months and a lot of people. Importantly the barristers themselves must be part of that effort and for many chambers that is where the trouble starts. What I think of as traditional chambers tend to have two types of people - those who think they get all their own work while the clerks either skive off and have long lunches (something that in my experience almost never happens any more - I certainly find it very difficult to tempt them out!), or those that think the clerks should be able to fill their diaries so that the barristers don't have to dirty their hands too much with client work.<br />
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I'm exaggerating of course - but the principle is there.<br />
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My point is that more turnover is the result of a lot of work from clerks and barristers working together. Having a strategic plan; having an operational plan; marketing; PR; raising awareness; and sales. Most important is client care - after all, we should all go to quite a lot of effort to keep those clients we have worked so hard to get!<br />
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So - if the silver bullet exists at all, it is client care. Sorry - I know that we all wish it was different but, as I keep saying to my clients, "It's terribly simple. Difficult to do - but simple in concept".<br />
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I wish it was more difficult - I'm sure I could dress it up and sell it for twice the price!Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-81917364756154606402015-07-14T10:00:00.000+01:002015-08-20T10:00:18.660+01:00PrideI own and use a <a href="http://www.tilley.com/" target="_blank">Tilley</a> hat. I've had one for many years and the current model has been around the world with me and has suffered through long hikes along the Great Wall of China as well as sea kayaking in the Channel.<br />
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Ten years of hard work have taken their toll, however, and with a tear in the fabric I have had to admit that it was time to retire my hat and buy a new one. In celebration, I posted a picture of my hat on Twitter.<br />
<br />
Within minutes I had a reply from Tilley themselves. They offer a lifetime guarantee on the hats that they make and pointed me to their website with details. I pointed out that I had used the hat rather hard for a decade or more - and they cheerfully stood by their lifetime guarantee.<br />
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Now there is a company that is proud of what they produce and is happy to put their money where their mouth is. I'm sure that the cost of the replacements they offer is vastly outweighed by the good will and good PR that they generate - and I'm equally sure that this is not the reason they do it. Quite simply they are proud of what they make and are happy to say so.<br />
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How many lawyers have that sort of faith in what they do? Some - I'm sure. But what guarantee do you offer?<br />
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I'm often asked to discount my rates (this is connected to the section above, honestly. Stick with it). I hate discounting (unless you are a charity) - it makes me feel undervalued and it's often a very bad way to start a business relationship. Nowadays I make a counter offer. I will do the work at the quoted rate - if you're not happy with the quality of what I do, don't pay it*.<br />
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I am proud of what I do and am happy to stand by the quality of my work.<br />
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What offer will you make..?<br />
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<i><br /></i>
<i>* So far, I'm glad to say, I've not had a penny taken off an invoice</i>Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-70147547866408838082015-06-08T09:48:00.000+01:002015-08-20T09:49:46.232+01:00Being NiceThe law is a cut-throat business - well that's the impression that we all get. One that many lawyers are keen to promote. My time running a large law firm confirmed the rather macho culture - late nights and rushes to deadlines.<br />
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It doesn't have to be this way. Many late nights as a project rushes towards completion could be saved by rather longer days spent at the beginning. Of course, that's not quite so exciting. Where's the tension in saying to your team, "Well everything is in hand for tomorrow and it's almost 7pm - so let's call it a night so that we can be fresh for tomorrow"?<br />
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If you want to run your life like that then I have no problem. Barristers in particular are (usually) masters of being self employed and so are quite happy to go out for a drink at 4:30pm - or to the theatre - before returning to chambers to finish off their work.<br />
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There are, however, two problems with the last-minute approach. The first comes if you have a team. Your preference will have a huge impact on the lives of your team - so please try to think about that if a deadline is looming.<br />
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The other problem is much more serious. Last-minute-ism can drive a macho culture in which bullying comes to the fore. I have heard - far too often - phrases similar to "We're behind schedule so just get the @*%king work done!" and "Oh I'm far too busy to worry about upsetting the clerks".<br />
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That's an appalling way to work. There is always time to think about other people and to ask rather than demand - and to thank people for the work. The "work" involved in treating people well is repaid many times over. Your juniors and staff will happily work for you in a much more effective way and the office, or chambers, will be a more pleasant place to be - which in turn tends to lead to more efficiency.<br />
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So - never mind that it's the right thing to do. Be nicer to people - it's better for you in the long term.Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-39385493269759671752015-04-30T11:12:00.003+01:002015-04-30T11:12:31.011+01:00Marketing, marketing...Almost everyone I have spoken with - in small & medium law firms and sets of chambers - seems to be obsessed with marketing at the moment. They want everyone they hire to have a marketing background - no matter what the job is. I spoke with someone yesterday who was hiring an 'Aged Debt Manager' - and their favoured candidate was from an online marketing background. Just how good they will be at bringing in unpaid fees remains to be seen - but I bet they'll blog about it.<br />
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My - somewhat laboured - point is that, lovely as marketing people are, they need to be part of the business. And yes, lawyer - you are working in a business.<br />
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Marketing will only work properly if it forms a clear and close partnership with the business itself - and so, of course, the business needs to have an overall strategy and plan first. I've attended too many meetings with a marketing consultant selling a marketing strategy when the business had no (up to date) business strategy.<br />
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I should emphasise that this is not the fault of the marketing consultant - although it would be good if more of them would have a more holistic view of the business.<br />
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What is needed is someone - on the Board or at C-level - who <i>does</i> have that strategic, over-all, picture of both where the business wants to be and where it is now. They can help to ensure that the marketing strategy and plan - and they are an absolute necessity - fit properly.<br />
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I wish it was more complicated than it is...Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-7432035503044850042015-04-13T14:41:00.002+01:002015-04-13T14:41:29.353+01:00Everyone Works in Customer ServiceEvery member of staff - and every contractor who faces a customer for the business - works in Customer Service. I don't care if you are a Senior Clerk, a junior associate, an accountant or a new starter in Facilities. Everyone works in Customer Services.<br />
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I started my career many (many) years ago in hotels. We were taught that everyone who came across a guest was to be polite and helpful. It's not complicated. If I was a junior receptionist on a break and saw a guest struggling with a suitcase, I was trained to help (never mind the fact that helping is the nice thing to do).<br />
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Many businesses seem to forget that. Some of my favourites are receptionists - a good receptionist can add enormous value to any business (top of my list at the moment is Judith at 2 Hare Court) and a grumpy receptionist can blow an instruction or a matter before it starts (see far too many medium sized law firms to mention).<br />
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No business has forgotten this so much as the airline industry. Flying almost anywhere nowadays is tedious lesson in patience, usually involving queues and undressing.<br />
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Just this morning I flew from a small regional French airport back to the UK, landing in Southend. It's a small airport with only two commercial flights this morning. Checking-in took nearly 20 minutes - mostly because it seemed to take two members of staff to check-in each traveller (I would, of course, have checked-in online, but notwithstanding what the airline seems to think, that's not possible). I had only one carry-on bag and no hold luggage - and it still took nearly three minutes to process me - and it involved three different printed lists which were highlighted in different colours, and a lot of typing into a computer. What on earth do they type. Surely they can scan my passport, or my ticket, find my booking and click on the "He's here" button. Thinking a little bit more about the customers' convenience rather than their (and to be fair it didn't look as if the system was much fun for the airline's staff either) would surely speed up the process and make it a little better for everyone.<br />
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Checked-in I then needed to go past French border security. Again two people checked my passport on two different computers and each man highlighted their own printed list. So far then, that's four computers and five printed lists.<br />
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On then to the joy that is modern-day airport security. Laptop out of my bag and its sleeve. iPad out and into a separate plastic container to the laptop. Bag in a third together with my belt, coat, wallet, phone, change, passport and boarding pass (why those have to go through the scanner I have no idea). I pinged the metal detector and the only-just-polite guard told me that it was the metal in the eyeholes of my shoes(!) and so I went back to strip off my shoes. This time - socks cold on the concrete floor - I successfully passed the metal detector. Amazingly a machine capable of detecting the trace metal in my shoes seemed unable to detect the metal in my watch or my glasses.<br />
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I understand that security is important, I really do. I could even cope with all this nonsense if there was any degree of conformity, but there isn't. On a single long-haul trip in November, I went through four international airports. Sometimes I kept my shoes on and sometimes I didn't. Sometimes my belt came off and sometimes not. Sometimes my laptop was fine in its bag and sometimes it had to come out. I think they make it up as they go along.<br />
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What is worse, however, this the almost-without-fail surely nature of the security staff. I know - it must be a rotten job and I'm pretty sure that it will pay minimum wage. But I have never seem a polite member of the security staff who seemed to give a damn about any traveller. After Christmas last year, I watched in horror as my 91 year-old mother-in-law was made to remove her walking stick and put it through the scanner and then take offer her shoes and cardigan. No-one helped her to walk through the scanner - or even to and from it - although there were five staff I could see standing around chatting with each other.<br />
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Budget airlines have improved a lot (in general - certainly the ones I use) in the last few years. They at least now try to be polite and helpful. It's not much to ask. They have remembered that customers are important.<br />
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My point is this. The airlines should ensure that the third-party staff who are 'processing' their customers (to use that dreadful phrase) are polite and helpful. My impression of FlyBe, Emirates, BA and any airline is partly based on the - horrible - experience in the airport.<br />
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We are all in customer service - but the airlines may have forgotten. Next time I will take the train (the security staff at St Pancras are amongst the best of a bad lot, in my opinion).Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-38631383611066247602015-03-30T12:00:00.002+01:002015-03-30T16:08:10.190+01:00Sort Out Your Email MessI spent some time with a senior executive of a law firm last week, working on management skills. This included some basic time management techniques. Like many of us, his email was totally out of control - he had almost a thousand emails in his inbox and load of different folders, apparently created at random. Now this is not unusual and certainly not extreme - the biggest inbox I'd had to try to help with had over 47,000 messages in it...<br />
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We spoke about what he wanted to achieve with his email - which was very simple. He wanted to feel in control and not to worry about what was in the email 'black hole'.<br />
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There are a number of tools and techniques for managing email - and I'll go through what I think is the simplest later in this article - but most of these tell you how to avoid the problem in the future rather than how to deal with the mess in the first place.<br />
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So - how do you sort out an email inbox with 1,000 messages in it. The first thing is to manage expectations. It's going to be a pain. No-one can do it for you - you have to simply dedicate some time out-of-hours or off-line to the task. My client and I left his office and went to the IoD to have some peace and quiet.<br />
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Having managed expectations, the next thing that is needed is a plan. If you have been keeping lots of emails, I doubt that you will be very keen on the delete key and so - at this stage - lets aim to file as much as we can. Our plan there was to:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Examine every email;</li>
<li>File everything that can be filed:</li>
<ul>
<li>That includes almost everything that I would delete;</li>
<li>Messages that have been dealt with;</li>
<li>Message not dealt with, but now quite old;</li>
<li>Message that don't really concern you (reply-all strings for example);</li>
</ul>
<li>Move urgent messages into a To-Do system.</li>
</ul>
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Simple.</div>
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The operation of this plan rather depends on your hardware/software/platforms. My client was quite typical of many Partners - he had a MacBook using MacMail connected into his corporate Exchange email server. That made it a little easier for me, since I use Mac email - and that means getting hold of a couple of plug-ins or extension (and I should stress that I don't work for any of the companies I recommend here, and I haven't received any money or gifts from them. I just think they are very good!). </div>
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The first is <a href="http://www.dervishsoftware.com/" target="_blank">MailHub</a>. It's a simple way of filing emails into folders. Once loaded, it remembers where you file emails and makes suggestions. It will automatically file emails you send - taking both the sent item and the initiating email from their respective folders into the destination, so keeping the whole conversation together. At $19 for a single licence (and, of course, much less for site licences if you can persuade your whole firm that it's a good investment) it is a cheap and simple way of speeding up the process of taking things out of your inbox.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The second is <a href="http://www.chungwasoft.com/evermail/" target="_blank">EverMail</a>. This is an incredibly simple way of getting emails into <a href="https://evernote.com/" target="_blank">Evernote</a>. Evernote is a thing of wonder and beauty that I have been using since version 1 point something. An annual Premium licence is $4 per month or $8 for the business version that allows sharing etc. It has a great filing system, but much more importantly it's search system is second to none. It automatically builds a fast index of your notes - whether emails, clips of web pages, pictures, text or audio. It automatically recognises text in pictures and handwritten notes. You can tag notes with a reminder and so can use it as a (admittedly slightly basic) reminders/To-Do system. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
By sending your email into Evernote you can find it again easily, can set reminders for action later, cat set multiple Tags against each message for even easier Search, and have easy access to everything on almost any platform since Evernote works on IOS, OSX, Windows, Android and on the Web.<br />
<br />
<b><i><u>The Rule of Ds</u></i></b><br />
Once you have spent the time necessary to catch up, you need to make sure that your email doesn't again get into a mess. The best system I've come across is the rule of Ds.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Do</li>
<ul>
<li>If you possibly can - deal with an incoming email as soon as possible. The rule of thumb is if you can deal with it in 2 minutes or less, then do it now and get rid of the email;</li>
</ul>
<li>Delete</li>
<ul>
<li>You may be surprised how few emails you actually need to deal with. Don't keep that Newsletter from a rival firm that you never read - delete it now. </li>
</ul>
<li>Delegate</li>
<ul>
<li>If you can possibly give it to someone else, then do so. But if you do, don't keep the email in your inbox. Set a reminder if you need to and get rid of it. Trust your staff & colleagues!</li>
</ul>
<li>Defer</li>
<ul>
<li>If you really need to - but it's better to Do or Delete. If you really need to put off dealing with an email, then set a reminder and scoop the email into a folder called "To Do" or something similar</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
Simple!</div>
<br />
<br />
<b><u><i>Update:</i></u></b><br />
I've been accused (rightly) of being too Mac focussed. For those (many) of you condemned to the corporate Outlook?Exchange systems, then have a look at <a href="http://www.emailorganizer.com/products/index.php#neopro" target="_blank">NeoPro</a>. I used this the last time I was chained to Exchange and it saved me a lot of time. Again it has a great search system and automatically files & tags emails when it can.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>One point to note. You will need to speak with your Data Protection Officer to ensure that he or she is content with this system and that it complies with your firm's various policies and registrations.</i></div>
Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-38037996305369752432015-03-20T09:33:00.002+00:002015-03-20T09:33:39.799+00:00Why?Why? That's is one of the most important question we can ever ask in business.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Why do you want to grow the business?</li>
<li>Why do you want to expand into continental Europe?</li>
<li>Why do you want to take the litigation from solicitors?</li>
<li>Why do you want to fire the Senior Clerk?</li>
<li>Why do you want to merge with a competitor firm?</li>
</ul>
<br />
Only when you have answered that question can we start to go any further - and, for the avoidance of doubt, the answer "well - isn't that what we are supposed to be doing?" is nowhere near good enough.<br />
<br />
Before starting to take any significant steps, you - the people running the business, whether that's a law firm or a set of chambers, or any business at all - need to sit and think about what you are actually trying to achieve. Why are you about to do what you are about to do?<br />
<br />
Any decision can be a good one - so long as it is actually a decision. One that has been considered and discussed, and one that can be - and has been - explained to the rest of the organisation. Note that I don't say that consensus for the decision must be achieved throughout the business - that's far too difficult. A Board is there to make the difficult decisions - but also to fully explain those decisions and to have consulted properly in the course of making them.<br />
<br />
Explain the 'why' to people.<br />
<br />
Of course - that means you need to know 'why' in the first place.<br />
<br />Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-74762342005924005242015-03-16T10:33:00.003+00:002015-03-16T10:33:38.142+00:00How Good is Your Backup?When was the last time you tested your backup? Do you actually have a backup?<br />
<br />
I'm surprised (and a bit depressed) at the number of times I speak with barristers and the answer to that question is "Eh..what?". Being self-employed, most barristers are entirely in charge of backing up the documents them use - and most of the ones I speak with seem to have an aversion to using the file system provided by their chambers' hosted environment.<br />
<br />
What that means is that the documents they use every day - private, confidential, secret documents very often - are (a) probably not secured (since the sort of person who doesn't know about their backup probably doesn't encrypt their hard disk; and (b) not backed up.<br />
<br />
This is inexcusable.<br />
<br />
It's just not alright for so many otherwise intelligent people to refuse to take charge of their technology. For Mac users (and there seem to be more and more), encryption is so easy. It comes pre-loaded on new MacBooks and it is a matter of moments to protect your hard disk. For PC users, it's not much more difficult. Options often come pre-loaded for you to try, and it is very easy to ask the person you buy the laptop from about encryption.<br />
<br />
The same applies to backups. It's not alright not to know that/how your data is backed up. Whether it's as simple as copying things to <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/home" target="_blank">Dropbox</a> or using a system like <a href="https://www.code42.com/crashplan/" target="_blank">CrashPlan</a> (my own personal favourite). You should have layers of backup - multiple options. This is important stuff. The chances are that nowadays not only could you lose client documents (a disciplinary matter) but also all your music and photos. It is possible to go from scared to smug in about two hours.<br />
<br />
As a self-employed barrister it is <b>your</b> responsibility - no-one else's. So take charge of it.<br />
<br />
I would, of course, be delighted to help and a couple of hours of my time is a small price to pay for peace of mind! <a href="mailto:peter.blair@mar-aon.co.uk" target="_blank">Get in touch</a> today and move from scared to smug (only so far as your digital data is concerned...).Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-87256646190803401962015-02-05T09:35:00.000+00:002015-02-05T09:35:00.456+00:00Do Better ThingsThere is, as usual, quite a lot of discussion about strategy in the legal press.<br />
<br />
It was capped by a posting from Richard Tromans (<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ascent-strategy-richard-tromans?anchorTime=1423043941583&deepLinkCommentId=5968678896361578496&trk=hb_ntf_MEGAPHONE_REPLY_TOP_LEVEL_COMMENT" target="_blank">see here</a>) in which he analyses the use of the word strategy in "The Lawyer" and suggests that it is used more and more - certainly over the last 20 years.<br />
<br />
I agree. There is a lot of discussion about strategy. I am, however, someone who speaks with law firms and barristers' chambers on a regular basis, and - sadly - in my experience few of them really have an idea of what a strategy is, let alone develop an effective, workable strategy. Oh they talk about it a lot, and use the word - but most often what they are actually saying is "we need more work".<br />
<br />
When talking to new Boards and Management Committees I try to spend some time talking about what strategy actually is. The discussion often starts with what can be improved - cost cutting and sales are the usual two topics. This is when it becomes more complicated, because these things are rarely strategic.<br />
<br />
What my clients are talking about to begin with is Doing Things Better. Improving the operations of the firm or chambers, making the business more efficient and effective, streamlining, focusing on marketing and client engagement. These are all good things - and every business should be doing them - but that's not a strategy. It's not something that will differentiate you from your market. It's not something that is difficult to emulate.<br />
<br />
The trick is to Do Better Things. That's your strategy. Think about how you can serve your clients better - or find additional clients by offering better services. That's a strategy.<br />
<br />
So - your challenge at your next Board or Management Committee meeting. Ask how your business could Do Better Things.Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-71499573345114123852015-01-16T11:46:00.000+00:002015-01-16T11:46:06.247+00:00The Market is Changing...Still"The market place for legal services is changing..."<br />
<br />
I've been hearing this sentences, and versions of it, for more than five years. Even in 2008 when I was helping to run a (reasonably) big UK law firm, most discussions about market starting with some facile statements along these lines.<br />
<br />
I don't disagree with the statement - I think that change is, of course, happening. I do, however, think that law firms - and barristers chambers - need to stop talking in vague terms about market changes and actually start to do something about it. I sit in far too many Board/Management Committee/Marketing meetings where the change is referred to but there is no discussion about a new strategy or even a plan to address this new market. Instead a few things are said:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>"We need to re-brand"</li>
<li>"We need to change/upgrade the website"</li>
<li>"We need to update everyone's profile"</li>
<li>"We need more pictures on the site"</li>
<li>"We need to have video on the website"</li>
<li>"Who here uses Twitter - we should all be using Twitter. And Facebook"</li>
</ul>
It's usually about this time that I put my head on the table. None of the statements above are doing anything to look differently at a changing market. None of them are trying to find better things to do - and precious few are even seeking to do things better. My usual contribution is to suggest that we speak - in depth - with existing clients in order to see what we can do better for them. This is usually greeted with derisory statement along the lines of "we entertain clients all the time". Now (a) this is not always the case. One client entertaining from a few partners a few times a year is not good enough; and (b) I'm talking about taking some real time to speak with a client about the way that we are working with them - not a quick chat over a glass of wine or seven.<br />
<br />
So - it's easy to criticise. What should be done.<br />
<br />
Well, as I have said above, spend quality time (from good people) to talk with clients. Meet them at their offices and have a structure to see what they think about the work that is done now, and about what could be done better. Analyse that. Change things. Go back to the same clients and ask how the changes are working. Repeat.<br />
<br />
As with almost everything in business, communication is the key. Find out what people want and them give it to them. And then tell them that you've done it. Or - if you really are innovative - spend the time with your clients and potential clients to explain why this new way of doing things is better. Show them that you believe it. Work hard to sell it. And then go back to them and ask them how it is working.<br />
<br />
The market is changing - so get on and do something about it.<br />
<br />
-----<br />
<br />
For the sake of clarity, here are what are usually my detailed responses to the statements above:<br />
<ul>
<li>"We need to re-brand"</li>
<ul>
<li>Not yet! What is the strategy that you want to portray with the re-brand. What market are you trying to secure? What's the plan! Don't spend money on a re-brand until you are absolutely sure what you are trying to achieve with it.</li>
</ul>
<li>"We need to change/upgrade the website"</li>
<ul>
<li>See above...</li>
</ul>
<li>"We need to update everyone's profile"</li>
<ul>
<li>This should be done already. It has nothing to do with a marketing strategy - it's basic operations. Everyone's profile - everyone's - should be updated every three months</li>
</ul>
<li>"We need more pictures on the site"</li>
<ul>
<li>Why..?</li>
</ul>
<li>"We need to have video on the website"</li>
<ul>
<li>Really - why? Unless time is spent on the quality (mostly the lighting, background and sound is appealing in in-house productions) these will look dreadful. In any case, see above about making sure you produce videos that people actually want, or can be 'sold'</li>
</ul>
<li>"Who here uses Twitter - we should all be using Twitter. And Facebook"</li>
<ul>
<li>Engagement is vital - and very dangerous. So most lawyers should use Twitter - but there should be a training course for people and a reminder every year about what engagement actually is. Clear guidelines (i.e. short - so probably not written by a lawyer...) must be available. Quite why the firm/chambers should use Facebook is a mystery to me....</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-82634456634525783342015-01-08T10:46:00.003+00:002015-01-08T10:48:49.111+00:00Being PoliteSome barristers can be very brusque - if not rude. I know that this will come as a shock to some of you (surely it is a shock to someone...), but most people who work with or in chambers will have stories about barristers (or clerks) shouting, swearing, throwing things, and other temper tantrums.<br />
<br />
This is usually justified by one or more of the following:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The stress of the job</li>
<li>The stress of the self employed</li>
<li>The long hours</li>
<li>People being stupid</li>
<li>"I haven't got time to worry about a few ruffled feathers"...</li>
</ul>
<div>
Sadly, it's almost never acceptable behaviour and I have spent many hours having difficult conversations trying to explain this - and hearing a "yes, but..." response.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The bar likes to pride itself in working very hard and playing equally hard. I still hear barristers talking (boasting..?) about all-nighters, about working all weekend and about sacrificing family life "for the job".</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Hmmm. In my experience these sort of long hours are necessary much less than they are employed. A bit more organisation and planning and more regular hours seem to be possible. Of course, some barristers are 'last-minute' people and thrive on the impending deadline. Fine - but don't use that as an excuse for bad behaviour. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When not working with lawyers, I sometimes amuse myself on film sets. In late December, I was at Blenheim Palace for some long days and nights during filming for a 'very large feature film' (privacy & confidentiality are not just watchwords for barristers). At times there were over 500 crew and 400 extras, never mind the principles and their people. Nearly 1,000 people, then, working in cramped and cold conditions, struggling against deadlines in an industry where the costs are huge and income doesn't come for years (the film is not due to be released until Christmas 2015). To give an idea of the costs, I estimated that each day was costing at least £250,000. Add to the financial stress, the fuss of dealing with 400 extras. These are actors who are hired by the day and who arrive with no idea of what they will be doing. They have to be ushered around by an army of Production Assistants (PAs) and Assistant Directors (ADs) - often at the last minute as planned shots prove to be impossible or are changed.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Imagine the stress. The Director has a vision for the day and the Producers who are paying for everything want to achieve this as efficiently as possible (remember than an hour's running over can cost tens of thousands of pounds in overtime). So the Director passes stress to the First and Second ADs, who pass it on (multiplied) to more junior ADs and then to the PAs - who have to deal with grumbling Extras ("<i>He</i> told me to stand here - why are you telling me to move over there?"). All of this over and over for twelve hours, overnight, outside, in the cold.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What a recipe for shouting, temper tantrums and stress. And yet, there was almost none. The crew were unfailingly polite, time and time again. Every instruction was accompanied with 'please' and 'thanks'. They were concerned about the welfare of the people they were working with. Extras were offered warm blankets in-between takes and there were shifts of people sent inside for warming drinks. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It was very impressive. Something, perhaps, for barristers (and other professionals) to consider. I understand that you are tired and stressed. I understand that you are worried that your diary is empty next month. I understand that you are worried that you've earned less so far this year than last. None of this, however, is a reason for shouting and generally behaving like a grumpy two year old.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It is perfectly possible to behave in chambers politely and calmly. Practice being charming. You will probably find that it works considerably better than the alternative. If nothing else, its good practice for your behaviour in front of your clients...</div>
Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-88438128651041750662014-12-08T11:41:00.000+00:002014-12-08T13:38:46.761+00:00Playing a Long GameI had an interesting - if typical - conversation with a group of barristers last week. I was speaking with a Marketing Committee within a busy commercial set and the reason for the meeting was their dissatisfaction with the work of an external marketing consultant (I was along at the request of the Head of Chambers and the chair of the committee to add, and I quote, "a sensible, reasonable, voice" to the mix).<br />
<br />
The crux of their dissatisfaction was to do with time - why was it taking so long to see some concrete results. They had spent a good few tens of thousands of pounds on some necessary tasks - updating member profiles, focussing on new areas of business, etc - and had spent quite a lot of time speaking with major client organisations. Building contacts to use the necessary buzz phrase.<br />
<br />
What they were unhappy with was that they had been doing this for nearly six months and could not point to a single instruction coming into chambers that could be the result of the new effort.<br />
<br />
It's quite a problem. There can be an enormous gap between the work done in marketing/sales/networking or whatever you choose to call it, and a sale or an instruction - or some paid work. It can be difficult to see a connection at all. I have one contact with whom I have lunch or coffee about every three or four months. Over the four years we have been doing this, I haven't got a single piece of work directly from him - but I have had four projects come through from people who know him. Interestingly none of them have said that he recommended me - but I think the connection is there.<br />
<br />
So - would my marketing committee friends think that my time and resources have been spent well? Well to avoid the possibility of me putting thoughts in their head, I asked them at the end of the meeting. I gave them the short story about 'schmoozing' my contact for four years with no obvious return and almost everyone said that I should stop since it was a waste. So far so obvious. Interestingly, when I gave them the full story, almost have still thought that any more contact was a waste and that I should dump the contact from my network.<br />
<br />
That was a surprise. I couldn't convince them that the work was worth it - and even it it hadn't been so far, it was worth plugging away. I lost the argument about playing a long game. My barristers wanted their reward soon. It was notable that they did not see the same need to reward people who had 'schmoozed' them...<br />
<br />
My point is that we must play the long game. It is a career or a practise and it needs building up. There will always be those contacts where the reward is not obvious. It is, however, worth continuing - if only for practice!<br />
<br />
Think long term and you might be able to avoid a heavy sell. They might not bring business in now - but they might later, or they might introduce you to people in their network.Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-13596560297840733452014-11-14T15:16:00.000+00:002014-11-14T15:16:07.270+00:00Have a Strategy, Please...I always used to say to clients that I wasn't an expert in Marketing and that they needed to speak with a specialist in order to get some good advice.<br />
<br />
I don't say that anymore.<br />
<br />
Mostly this is because I have sat in an awful lot of marketing meetings and so have some of the basics (which is often what is needed in smaller firms and chambers) under my fingers now. More importantly, however, it is because of the importance of strategic understanding in the sales function.<br />
<br />
Sales and Marketing will only work properly if the firm/chambers knows what it is trying to do. This may, of course, be a pragmatic decision based on the mauling that Legal Aid has had recently or may be a change of strategic decision. How ever it has been reached, however, it is vital that there (a) is actually a strategy in place; that (b) that everyone knows what the strategy is; and (c) that the strategy is used to drive the marketing effort - not the other way round.<br />
<br />
Marketing specialists are wonderful people, on the whole, but are often not the best people to look at a business strategy. Being marketing professionals, any strategy the help to device will inevitably be marketing or sales focussed - which can be a problem if the organisation isn't clear on what it wants to sell more of.<br />
<br />
It sounds obvious - but I've seen it done badly more often that I would like to admit. The outcome is an expensive campaign which, at best, brings in some additional sales in an area of the business that is declining or in which the business isn't interested. At worst, it's just a waste of money.Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-58377094001136447852014-10-27T11:13:00.003+00:002014-10-27T11:13:23.321+00:00Service FirstI travel quite a lot which means that I stay in a lot of different hotels, guest house, B&Bs etc. I've stayed in great places and in some less than great places, but the one thing that makes the difference - in hotels as in law firms and barristers' chambers - is service.<br />
<br />
I had to stay for a couple of nights near Salisbury. I hadn't noticed that half term was starting (the joy of having an older child) nor that there was a festival of some sort in Salisbury and so all of my usual first choices for staying in a city I don't know were full. My wonderful part-time assistant booked me into a local B&B, telling me that it would be wonderful. I arrived, late and tired (and so, possibly, a little grumpy) to find that the room reminded me of my mother-in-law's home with lots of flowery decorations. The owner, however, was very friendly, making sure that I was comfortable, that the wifi worked, and then gave me a recommendation for dinner in a near-by pub.<br />
<br />
The service at the pub was tremendous - friendly, efficient & interested. The next morning, however, was the real surprise. I wandered down to breakfast to be greeted by name by everyone working the breakfast shift. Not just me, either. All the staff knew the name of everyone staying - and the B&B had 15 rooms. Perhaps I need to up the quality of the places I stay, but this has happened only twice before - at the Mandarin in Hong Kong and Le Manor in Oxford. Bearing in mind that these are some of the finest hotels in the world, I was surprised and delighted to find the same level of service at a B&B in Wiltshire. They will get my business from now on.<br />
<br />
My point is this. The room was fine, and the food was good - but what made the difference was service.<br />
<br />
It is completely the same with your professional client. Yes, of course the quality of your legal understanding or advocacy is important - but that should be a given. What makes is difference is the quality of the service.<br />
<br />
The important point to remember is that this applies to everyone in the firm, or everyone connected with chambers. Your receptionists, whoever first answers the phone, anyone who writes an email. Every single interaction is important, and so you, as a solicitor or a barrister (whether or not you are formally involved with the management of the organisation) need to ensure that everyone knows it. Everyone is in the Customer Service department!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
----<br />
I have been known to moan about companies in my blog and to name them (well, usually it is only Greater Anglia trains...) and so it seems only fair that I should tell you the name of the B&B - it was the <a href="http://www.cricketfieldhouse.co.uk/index.html" target="_blank">Cricket Field House</a>. I heartily recommend them.Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-67768021284968541122014-10-01T14:03:00.003+01:002014-10-01T14:03:53.664+01:00Reading the Small Print......because sometimes it's to your advantage.<br />
<br />
I been deep in website and email analytics over the last couple of days. I struggle to find them all that interesting, but it can be useful. I'm putting on a free Pensions Seminar over breakfast on the 22nd October (<a href="http://www.mar-aon.co.uk/breakfast-briefingwednesday.html" target="_blank">more details here</a>), and I was using the analytics to see who read the email that I sent out, who followed a link in the email and who subsequently had a look at other pages on my site.<br />
<br />
All very interesting. What has been much more interesting has been when I have been speaking with clients and contacts to whom I sent the email. A number said that they hadn't seen it - although my system said that they had opened it. A number said that they thought they would have to pay something - thereby missing the subject line of the email which started with the word 'Free'.<br />
<br />
I spoke with two clients who, once I had told them about the Seminar, said that it was very interesting and could they come. Both had opened the email but then not followed the link and both admitted to deleting it as a matter of course.<br />
<br />
We can all be a little brutal with email sometimes, but I made sure that the email came from my own business email address and so (hopefully) a trusted source for most. It is worth, sometimes, reading the content of an email because it might be something you are interested in - and it might be free after all!<br />
<br />
<i>For the record - the seminar on the 22nd is about Pensions. Personal pension planning specifically aimed at self-employed barristers and partners in law firms. There will also be some mention of Workplace Pensions which are coming to everyone soon - chambers and small firms included. The plan is to give you the information you need to talk with your chambers or your firm to make sure that they are doing some sort of planning. If you would like to attend, <a href="mailto:peter.blair@mar-aon.co.uk" target="_blank">please let me know</a>. There are a few places still available,</i>Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-86948199979522356892014-09-23T13:12:00.001+01:002014-09-23T13:12:46.190+01:00Selling Common SenseI work with business leaders and managing boards, mostly in the areas of leadership and communication. Both of these areas are difficult to describe and much of what makes a good leader and good communicator (and I don't think you can be a good leader if you are not a good communicator) comes down to common sense.<br />
<br />
It's not rocket science to treat staff well and it's not a complicated concept that people - lawyers too - who are treated fairly and well by their employers/partners/colleagues work better. It can, however, be a difficult concept to someone who doesn't see the benefit. Telling people what is going on is - obviously - a good thing to do. Everyone in the firm or chambers needs to know what the plan is and who is is charge. Obvious...<br />
<br />
I've had two meetings recently with law firms, both of which ended with the partner I was chatting with saying "But that's all common sense! You don't seriously expect to charge us for this stuff, do you?".<br />
<br />
At that point, I usually give a deep sigh, stand up and shake hands - someone who says that sort of thing is never going to work with me.<br />
<br />
I agree, too. It is common sense - but it is usually something that firms and chambers are not doing. I see so many firms and chambers where the boss - the Managing Partner or Head of Chambers or the Chief Executive - is not leading well and is not communicating. I was present, a few months ago, at the first address to the firm by a newly elected Managing Partner. It was held in the lobby outside the 'executive offices' (and it's not a good start to have the firm's leadership isolated) and at the end of the speech in which the new MP had said "I want to know what you think so my door is always open", and after the required applause, the MP turned, walked into his office and shut the door. Message received.<br />
<br />
The road to good leadership is a difficult one. It usually has to start with someone who thinks they have something to learn. The potential leader needs to realise that - just with litigation or advocacy - leadership and management are learnt skills. The next step is to work on communication skills - mostly listening. From there we can start to look at leadership skills and to begin to build strength as a leader.<br />
<br />
It is common sense - well much of it is - but it is equally common sense to realise that new skills need to be learnt and practised.Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-26162167184866055882014-09-11T15:33:00.002+01:002014-09-11T15:33:42.223+01:00CommunicatingFor people who live their lives advocating their clients' cases, some barristers can be remarkably poor at communication.<br />
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Most problems in most businesses come down to one of two problems - or both. Leadership & communication - and much of leadership is to do with good communication. If communication is poor, or if members and staff are not trained to think about communication, then small problems very quickly become big problems. Let me give you an example.<br />
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When we are not in London, we rent our flat out through a very good service - I'm not going to name them for the moment. Generally things go well and there are no problems, but the last time we were away, there was a problem with one of the bathroom taps which I noticed when we were 'touching down' for one night. I emailed the company and told them about the problem, knowing that they have a number of people who could pop in and fix it That's where it all went wrong. The correct response to my email would have been "Oh dear, what a nuisance. We'll send someone in to see what the problem is" - and then, if it was a 'wear and tear' problem, we could have had a discussion about sharing the cost. Sadly that's not what happened. The reply was "Well we can send in a plumber to fix the leaky tap, but that's wear and tear so you'll have to pay".<br />
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Wow. Not only had they not read my email properly so had mis-diagnosed the problem, there was an immediate assumption that it was my fault/problem. That one sentence has, so far, caused us both about ten days worth of problems, and we're not done yet.<br />
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It was (very) poor communication from someone inadequately trained in their job. They annoyed me and so far I've had one meeting with our account handler and am about to arrange one with the London MD. I don't like the blame culture that the communication suggests - but mostly I just don't like the communication.<br />
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The same happens all the time in law firms and chambers. Lawyers bill clients to re-draft documents that had errors in them - without any discussion with the client. Many barristers don't seem to like to communication at all - and so we can have very strange discussion out what their clients might want (and in which they have to admit that they are guessing since, of course, they haven't asked).<br />
<br />
If you communicate with your clients - and prospective clients - almost everything becomes easier. If a project is probably going to run late, tell the client and have the discussion <i>in advance</i> and so have a small problem (telling the client may not be an easy conversation) before it becomes a big problem ('why isn't the project finished when you said it would be').<br />
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It is almost impossible to over communicate - so, if in doubt, speak!Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-53784125678057767842014-09-03T12:16:00.001+01:002014-09-05T10:24:08.219+01:00Five Minutes to Think About RiskI know, I know. You are just back from holiday and your email inbox is full, and there are a whole lot of papers on your desk and in your pigeon-hole that you don't know about. "There are so many better things to think about than risk."<br />
<br />
No - there aren't. Since the change to the Handbook from the Code of Conduct, the BSB has made every member of chambers responsible for the good management of the set - not just the Head of Chambers. It is as much your responsibility that chambers can survive a risk - and not just for boring regulatory reasons. This is your career, remember, and if chambers doesn't survive a problem/disaster/accident/catastrophe then perhaps your career will go the same way at the same time. Particularly if you happen to be on the Management Committee too...<br />
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So - a five minute primer on risk.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>You will have a Risk Policy and a Risk Register? Surely? If you're not sure, then contact your administrator or Senior Clerk or Head of Chambers and ask. Ask to see it. Ask when it was last updated.</li>
<li>Make sure that the Risk Register has been updated in the last two years - and make sure that someone somewhere has looked at the the Register and made some changes to address and reduce the risk of these risks happening.</li>
<li>Think about the different things that could happen:</li>
<ol>
<li>What would happen if the building went on fire, or flooded? Where are the computer servers (and even if you use hosted services, you will have servers if only for printing etc)? Are their settings backed up. Where is your data stored? Is it backed up? If you use a Remote Host - ask to see proof that they backup your data and that they have done a test restore. Where would you have tomorrow's conferences. Do the clerks have their own computers so that they can access remote systems from home if necessary?</li>
<li>What would happen if was arrested for non-payment of VAT? Do you have a PR strategy in place? Do you have access to a PR person? Have you got an account with them?</li>
<li>What would happen if your Administrator dropped down dead on the day that the salaries are supposed to be paid? Who has access to banking systems? Who knows which bank chambers deals with?</li>
<li>What would happen if the building next door was destroyed in a fire? Are you insured for the secondary interruption to business that you are now faced with? When was the last time that someone went through what is and isn't insured with your broker? Who knows who the broker is?</li>
</ol>
<li>If you're not happy with what you find then report it to the Management Committee and ask them to address it. </li>
</ol>
<div>
There - you can do most of that in 5 minutes.</div>
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The point is that risk matters. You do actually need to think about the sort of things that might happen - and then do something about it.</div>
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Do Risk Policy/Risk Register or no-one who knows what they are? Is your Register out of date, or just not very good? <a href="http://www.mar-aon.co.uk/contact.html" target="_blank">Get in touch</a> today - I can help. <a href="mailto:peter.blair@mar-aon.co.uk" target="_blank">Email</a> or call 07885 901297.</div>
Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-44641469843716095442014-09-01T09:25:00.000+01:002014-09-01T09:26:42.956+01:00Market Yourself!New business is not something that happens out of the blue, and it's not something that happens <b><i>to</i></b> lawyers and barristers.<br />
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I have spent my first few days back from holiday talking to a number of lawyers - mostly barristers - about the months ahead. Most are a bit pessimistic, looking at long empty periods in their diaries. Most of the people I have spoken with liked to place the blame for this squarely with their clerks and with the 'useless marketing people' who are either working directly in chambers or who are attached as consultants.<br />
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Statistically I'm sure there are some useless marketing consultants - just as, statistically, there must be some useless barristers. Most (of course) are not. Further investigation into the 'empty diary problem' suggests that those with the emptiest diaries are those least engaged in their own marketing.<br />
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I understand the problem. For generations, barristers were served and serviced by their clerks and there were no marketing people involved in the chain at all. It was entirely a referral profession and all interaction with the client was done by the barrister's client.<br />
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Those days are long gone, never to return. Barristers must now fight for the client market with everyone else in the industry. Most parts of the bar are looking at Direct and Public Access as the 'great new hope' for their career. They might well be, but not without considerably work on behalf of the barrister him or herself.<br />
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You are self-employed and so the onus of selling your services falls to you. No matter how good your clerk is, potential clients want to see the 'product' - that's you.<br />
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Of course I understand that selling your self is not easy and for most people is not enjoyable. It is however - assuming that you want to work - necessary.<br />
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So:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Speak with your clerk as soon as possible about things that you can do together to build your practice</li>
<li>Speak with the Marketing Consultant or person - whoever it is. They are likely to have some good ideas and remember - they know a great deal more than you about marketing, no matter what you think</li>
<li>Update your profile on your chambers web site and on LinkedIn</li>
<li>Start to network. Chat to instructing solicitors when you see them, Ask about their lives. Remember the answers.</li>
<li>Have business cards (I can't believe how many barristers never carry them)</li>
<li>Have business cards with the correct contact details (I never thought I would have to say this, but this is a real quote from a barrister in a client set "Oh. Well these are the old cards, but its alright, I'll just scribble on the new number...")</li>
<li>Call potential clients before you stop working for the day - don't leave it until tomorrow</li>
<li>Ask every happy client for a referral or a quote, and use them.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br />
There. That wasn't so bad was it..?</div>
Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8392872910119691817.post-47141904379487811992014-07-01T15:35:00.002+01:002014-07-01T15:35:55.901+01:00When Risk is Inevitable and Other Holiday Stories....Yes, I know. <i>Another</i> post about Risk. Yawn...<br />
<br />
We are, however, coming to the time of year when some of my clients suddenly think about Risk for the only time in the year. The 1st seems to be 'only a couple of weeks now until I'm on holiday' time. Sadly, for some people, that is also accompanied by waking up at 3am suddenly terrified that something horrible will happen while they are aware.<br />
<br />
I've had two of those calls already today (and have award myself some points for not saying that we should have been talking about this already - some time ago). Everything from "I don't even know if we have a backup" to "What happens if my phone is stolen while I'm in Madeira" (and these are direct client quotes from this morning..!<br />
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Risk management is at its best when we are not 'fire-fighting' - when there is a bit of time to do things properly. Sadly that's not often the case - and so I'll get to some 'fire-fighting' pointers soon. Firstly, though, I'm going to take the opportunity to say "told you so".<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"How can you think yourself a great man, when the first accident that comes along can wipe you out completely?" (Euripides)</blockquote>
Exactly. The whole point of Risk management is to avoid being wiped out. At all - never mind completely. It's simple - consider the things that might go wrong; think about what we would all do if they did happen; and think about the sort of things we could do to reduce the chance of them happening at all. That is the whole of Risk Management. My experience and expertise comes in providing a framework that I know works, in having been there before and so, perhaps, having thought about a wider range of risks, and in actually getting things done. Actually producing a Risk Register, actually running some tests, and actually making some changes to the way things are done following that testing.<br />
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Deep breath. Ok - so fire-fighting.<br />
<br />
If you are suddenly concerned about the Risks facing your firm or business then now is not the time to start building a complete Risk Register. Consider, instead, the following:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Ask your IT people - whether in-house or contracted - about your data</li>
<ol>
<li>Is it backed up?</li>
<li>How is it backed up?Do</li>
<li>When was the backup last tested?</li>
</ol>
<li>Ask your facilities people (or Dave who looks after the office) </li>
<ol>
<li>When was the last fire drill?</li>
<li>Who's in charge when I'm away?</li>
<li>Who has home and mobile phone numbers for all the important people?</li>
<li>When was the last time that this list was checked or updated?</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div>
Those are the 'Big Two'. A failure of your buildings and/or your information are the things that will cause the most problem, in the short term. Just - please - remember this concern you are feeling and let's get a robust Risk System in place when you get back from holiday.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
On the same subject, I have advice I give to all my clients at this time of year. You need to be able to relax on holiday and so - please - have the conversation with your team/secretary/PA/boss. You know. THE conversation.</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Say when - or if - you will read emails while on holiday</li>
<ul>
<li>How about scan them first thing in the morning?</li>
</ul>
<li>If you have people you trust with your email - and you should have - then agree that they will check your email and flag anything that <i>absolutely</i> has to be seen by you. You can then check those - and only those - each morning.</li>
<li>Don't say "Call me if anything important crops up" without agreeing what is important</li>
<ul>
<li>You don't want to be called on holiday to tell someone where the spare printer ink is, but equally you don't want to return to the smoking shell of your building and someone saying "Ah yeah - we didn't want to bother you..."</li>
</ul>
<li>Tell your clients that you are going on holiday. They won't mind - honestly. Explain who in your team will be dealing with them when you are away. Introduce them. </li>
<li>Tell your boss and your firm that you're going away. Yes - I know you boss should know, but its worth making sure. </li>
<li>Why not have your mobile number divert to the office or to someone else's mobile?</li>
</ul>
<div>
Simple steps that will allow you to rest properly while you are on holiday.</div>
</div>
Peter Blairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02333595445329801317noreply@blogger.com0