Classes in interpersonal dynamics are unfamiliar territory for many attorneys, as discussed in previous articles. To show you how these classes are conducted and what you can learn from them, I’ll describe below a typical exchange. The dialogue between various students and the male teacher takes place right after the [...] Read more »
Communicate With Power, Passion And Precision – Help For Lawyers
Has this ever happened to you? You begin to tell someone a story and preface your remarks by saying, “I want to tell you this first and then the story.” What you’re really saying is, “I have to put my story in context to be sure you’ll get it.” We [...] Read more »
Avoid Cross-Cultural Communication Snafus
Being sensitive to cultural differences in communication will impact your success in the global arena. Messages often get “lost in translation”—literally and figuratively— during cross-cultural communication. When talking or writing to clients, colleagues and competitors from different cultural backgrounds, we often find ourselves in communication snafus. Sometimes the receiver of [...] Read more »
Understand Bias, Eliminate Prejudice And Practice Tolerance
“We are lonesome animals. We spend all of our life trying to be less lonesome. One of our ancient methods is to tell a story begging the Listener to say and to feel ëYes! That is the way it is, or at least that is the way I feel it. [...] Read more »
How Improving Concentration Can Increase Your Productivity
Do you leave work at the end of the day feeling that you accomplished a lot less than you intended? Well, you’re not alone! The problem is often due to distraction and not just from other people, but self-distraction. You start to work on a file and then decide to [...] Read more »
Dogs And The Law
I assume the title got your attention, right? You see, the editor of this fine publication told me a while back that he wanted me to write about presentations, and about how attorneys might improve their performances (sorry, that’s what presentations are) in front of their clients and their peers. [...] Read more »
Why Do Lawyers Fight About Silly Things At Work?
How many times have you heard someone say, “Choose your battles wisely”? It is a wise sentiment, surely correct, and of course we’d all benefit by heeding it. Your work-life could be better: As with all time management, prioritizing conflict is important in a workday of limited (emotional) resources. And [...] Read more »
Four Good Reasons To Break Your PowerPoint Addiction
To give an intelligent and memorable presentation, don’t use PowerPoint. If I wanted to snag a $10 million account, PowerPoint would not be one of the weapons in my arsenal. Why fill the screen with colors and fonts and whistles and charts and bullet points? I feel about PowerPoint the [...] Read more »
Communicate Your Trial Story To Focus Groups
Before you bought or leased your car you took it for a test drive, right? Before you signed for your mortgage or apartment lease you inspected the property, right? Before you committed yourself to a relationship you dated, right? Your cases are no different. They should be focused to assess [...] Read more »