Articles

Airplane air is “dirty”

USA Today reports today that Boeing’s Dreamline 787 will have better cabin air when released in 2008. Until then, we have to suffer air that makes passengers dizzy, fatigued and induces headaches.

Did you know that today’s cabin air comes from the plane’s jet engines? The new 787 system will draw air from the outside. The outside air is cold, dry and clean at cruising altitude, according to the article. But, we can’t have that until 2008!

25% of the current U.S. commercial fleet does not have special air filters that remove most dust, pollen, bacteria and viruses. While we get little protection in the other 75% of the fleet, we get no protection from this 25%. So, if you get sick after leaving your flight, you may not have to look further than the airplane that transported you to your destination.


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Airstream Saga continued – Test run

If I didn’t see it before, I’m beginning to understand the universality of life. Lessons I’ve learned in business also apply in my personal life, and vice versa. Thus, as my wife and I begin to travel the road in our Airstream trailer, I’m seeing how the lessons I’m learning also apply to the effective running of a law office.

Rather than compel you to read this saga in order to learn the lessons I’m seeing as we begin our new adventures, I’ve decided to list the lessons first. Then, if you want to enjoy the saga, read on.

OK, so what are the lessons to be learned for the law practice. After all, why else would you be interested? (more…)


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Flat fee billing increasing in popularity

Alternative billing is being talked about by more lawyers, though many cynics don’t believe changes will be made. Flat fee billing is perhaps the first step in the direction of change. It is more easily understood and embraced.

The challenge with any alternative fee approach is that lawyers, generally, don’t know their costs of operation. Thus, the fee figure chosen often is a “by guess, by golly” fee, not one based on a cost benefit analysis. (more…)


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How to fire an associate —

In one of my coaching sessions today, I was confronted with a question that doesn’t arise often, but often enough to merit some review.

An associate was “guilty” of not attaining and remaining at the level of quality desired by the firm. The precise details are not important for our purposes.

The associate was with the firm only 6 months and had previously been warned to address the issues of client service and quality performance of legal services. My client, the managing partner, decided that the time had come to dismiss the associate rather than wait for the eventual malpractice suit, Bar disciplinary action, or loss of client(s). (more…)


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Airstream Demonstrates Need for Strategic Plan

We now have the Airstream, a vintage 1969 Overlander. 

My wife’s due diligence enabled us to buy a very good unit at a fair price, a price far less than a new unit would cost. She now has found an RV Show on the DIY (“do it yourself”) Network. And they have devoted a number of shows to restoring/refurbishing a 1970 Overlander. Can’t get any closer to our unit than that. The host of the show is doing an incredibly great job – I recommend watching it just for the joy of seeing a creative person demonstrate how one can implement a vision of beauty that others can’t even imagine.

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Airstream – An Adventure!

Traveling the country has always been an exciting adventure. Most folks do so either by car or plane and stay in hotels/motels, see the sites and move on.

At this time in our life, my wife has decided we need to see the USA, not in a Chevrolet as I did earlier in life, but in an Airstream vintage trailer. After my wife’s “due diligence,” (I knew there would be an analogy to law practice! :-)), we bought a 1969 Airstream. And now comes the fun part: Doing all the things we need to do in order to start our new journey, part by part.

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