Articles

Failure is usually management’s fault

Today, Consumers Reports published a study that listed the top ten cars … None of them were American owned.

Some have concluded that the lack of quality in American cars is the reason for the current disfavor of American manufacturers. And that lack of quality is directly laid at the doorstep of unions.

That view has been expressed by a friend of mine, Terry Brock, in his blog post today. If you want a different perspective, read on.

The question, however, for our readers is how does this apply to law firms? The answer, I believe, is simple: You must provide a quality product/service to your clients. They must understand what you do and how you do it. They get this understanding only because of the way in which you AND your staff conduct yourselves. There is no management and staff … there is only a team that creates quality service and work product for the benefit of our clients.

I love the phrase, “No man is an island unto himself.” And that is particularly true in delivering legal services to appreciative clients who pay their bills on time and refer their colleagues to you for more services. (more…)


View page

Employee of the month

Let’s hope you’re not known as this type of
employee of the month.

On the other hand, this does show MS’s employees going anywhere and everywhere to handle customers problems.

So, like many things, this may be just a matter of perspective … Yours or the Clients!


View page

“Professionalism can’t be e-mailed”

The Boston Globe, among others, commented about a very nasty exchange between two lawyers that wound up being very public. I was not going to comment on this exchange between these two lawyers because the lack of civility among lawyers seems to be all too common in today’s world.

But, Reid Trautz did comment on 2/16/06 and I particularly appreciate his observation, which bears further repeating: (more…)


View page

There’s a reason for everything …

Seth Godin says there’s a reason for everything. What’s your reason?

Put another way, without clients there is no reason to be a lawyer. Why do so many lawyers have complaints registered against them by their very own clients? Why is it that clients (otherwise known as customers) are not put on a pedestal, are not revered for their providing a livelihood, and are not cherished for providing us with an interesting and challenging way to spend our time?

What is your reason for practicing law? How does that reason enable you to be more effective for the benefit of your clients … and therefore more profitable, enabling you to provide a good living for those you love?


View page

Internet censorship

The Congressional hearing members are asking the executives of major companies like Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, et al., why they are altering their business practices in China? Why are they censoring their practices and delivering otherwise confidential information to the government, practices they do not do in the United States, Europe or elsewhere … just to get more business?

One representative raised the spectre of dealing with Hitler in the 1930s and 1940s.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Moral: Technology may be the “new guy on the block.” But, it is still management that controls and uses the technology … and the ethics and morals of management always must be reviewed.


View page

Success Lessons from Life – Steve Fossett

Recently, I saw the news item about Steve Fossett flying around the world. The record-setting flight by this 61 year-old man was amazing.

But, it took Terry Brock, a friend of mind and techie guru, to put his flight into proper perspective for me.

Here are Terry’s thoughts on the “Success Lessons” to be learned from Fossett’s flight experiences: (more…)


View page

Typist reality still lives!

There actually is someone out there who still knows about typing!
Follow up note to my earlier posting and the Los Angeles Times article:

Mark D. Gershenson reports to me that the PaperPort software has a “typer” feature that lets you easily fill out a form on your computer. You get the form into your computer by scanning it in, by having it faxed to your computer, or by downloading it in .pdf format. You can also fill in forms that are in .pdf format using the free Foxit .pdf reader, even if those forms were not set up as “fillable.”


View page

Typewriters?

Do you still know what this word means? Does anyone still “type” on a typewriter? Some people don’t even use word processors anymore, they are fixated with Blackberries, PDAs and “tablets.” What a generational issue this may be!

So why is the Los Angeles Times writing about typewriters?

See the article to find out more … and, in case you choose to only skim the article (see below), you may be interested to know that the owner/”typist” of the business in the article is a Lawyer. And, in point of fact, his business is just “down the street” from mine. (more…)


View page