The Legal Intelligencer Blog

How to Communicate Effectively Without E-mail

By Neen James
Special to the Legal

Recently, while chatting to one of my clients, he asked, "If my potential prospects are limiting their access to e-mail, how can I reach them?"

I was secretly delighted to hear some people are limiting their access to e-mail (but that is a topic for another blog).

Here are a few ways you can communicate with influence without using e-mail as your primary tool. Each of these will take you no more than 15 minutes. We are all responsible for practice development, and if you want to grow your book of business for the firm, try a few of these ideas.

- Call to invite your contact to a tele-coffee. What is a tele-coffee? You make a coffee, and they make a coffee, and you talk on the telephone … for no more than 15 minutes! I do tele-cocktails on Fridays (love those!).

- Send a hand-written note. No one does this anymore, but precisely because we have so much electronic communication, your contact will appreciate the personal touch.

- Send a magazine subscription. You can do so for usually less than $20, and you could include a note: "I know you don't have time to read all your e-mail but thought you might have a few minutes to enjoy a magazine … would like a chance to connect and share with your what our firm could do for you." The creative approach will win you points!

- Send a postcard with a personalized message on the back. Same idea as the hand-written note, but postcards stand out in people's mail piles. I like to send Aussie postcards with scenes and phrases that make people smile (it helps that I am Australian!). What is memorable about you and your firm that could also be shown on a post card?

- Send a parcel -- everyone loves presents! It could contain a recommended book, journal or sample of your product. Include a note suggesting you get together by phone to chat about the book/journal/sample.  I once sent a jar of peanut butter and jelly to the director of very large cable company with a note "I know you don’t have time for lunch, but maybe a quick PBJ sandwich?" (I don’t even eat PBJ -- that is definitely an American institution -- but I found out that was his favorite sandwich). That package led to many fabulous opportunities, great relationships and a very profitable client.

- Send a LinkedIn request. Okay, so this one does appear in their inbox, but people take notice of invitations to connect and often take a moment to read your bio.

- Call and invite them to a networking event. Offer to host them, introduce them to others they would benefit from knowing and connect at the same time -- very productive!

- Text them. No, you don’t have to be up on the latest text talk (e.g. LOL, BRR), but you can quickly and easily ask if they have time tomorrow to chat by phone. Not many people use text wisely for connecting; it is personal, quick and usually gets a response.

- Search social media profiles, and direct message on Twitter or send a Facebook message. These are alternative communication strategies and will appeal to different clients.

- Create a video. Create a 30 second invitation to connect with you (you can do this on your iPad using iMovie, or the camera in your laptop), upload to YouTube and send a link inviting them to coffee (these videos can also be texted). Okay, I admit this is another email; but you have to admit it is a creative one! Note: You might want to also make sure this is approved according to your firm’s social media policy.

Your prospects and current clients do want to hear from you -- you just need to get clever, cut through the clutter, be creative and do this more productively. It only takes 15 minutes -- which strategy will you try first?

Neen James, MBA CSP, is the President/CEO of Neen James Communications, LLC. An international productivity expert and native born Aussie, James delivers engaging keynotes that have educated, and entertained audiences with real-world strategies that apply in all roles, whether at work or in life. She also provides one-on-one consulting and mentoring to women on a variety of business issues and topics. To find out more about James, visit her at www.neenjames.com/bio, e-mail [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @neenjames.

Tips to Beat Summer Procrastination

By Neen James
Special to the Legal

The summer procrastination bug has invaded your firm (even though it's still spring)! What can you do about it? Here are some simple strategies you can apply immediately to be more productive in the summer … and enjoy the fabulous weather too!

Accept that you are procrastinating. Don't beat yourself up. Don't waste energy with negative self-talk. Say this statement out loud: "I am procrastinating, and I choose to be productive." This will remind you and your team to change your attitude about procrastination. It doesn't sound as scary when you say it out loud!

Identify activities that tempt youto  procrastinate. If there is something you don't enjoy, such as researching a case file, or completing team performance reviews, remind yourself that you know you have procrastinated in the past when this activity occurs; however, this time you will choose to be productive. Knowing when you procrastinate is half the battle.

Get a 'Procrastination Pal.'  Have another attorney you can call if you are procrastinating that will help you get on track.  Let them know they are your designated 'Procrastination Pal' and when you call them they need to give you a kick in the pants to get moving!

Change your location. If you have been sitting too long at a desk, go for a walk around the office, make a cup of coffee or get some fresh air.  Change your location for a few minutes, and it may be the kick-start you need.

Make a "to-do" list. This may motivate you if you like to check items off a list. It will also detail activities and help you appreciate and prioritize what needs to be completed. Sometimes just creating a to-do list gives you momentum and helps you realize the task isn't as big (or as bad) as you originally thought. If it helps, have your assistant or someone else work on this with you.

Invest 15 minutes. That is the real secret to procrastination. Dedicate 15 minutes for a task or activity. You will be able to create the to-do list, or write some notes or just do something -- one thing -- for 15 minutes. It works, I promise!

Set a timeframe to complete the task. When you're giving yourself the 15 minutes, try setting the alarm clock on your phone so you know when you're finished. Trying to "beat the clock" may help you stay motivated to complete the activity within that timeframe.

Stick to your calendar or "to-do" list. When you are finding it really difficult to complete activities, promise yourself you will stick to your calendar appointment, even when you don't want to. Force yourself to remain on track.

Spend time 'debriefing' activities that make you procrastinate. Find out why you didn't want to do it or why you were distracted. Make a note to be aware of this the next time the activity occurs.

Reward yourself. If you need to accomplish a task you don't enjoy, make a point of rewarding yourself when it's over.  Give yourself an incentive, like heading outside to enjoy the sunshine and some delicious lunch. Think about what you find rewarding, and use it.

Neen James, MBA CSP, is the President/CEO of Neen James Communications, LLC. An international productivity expert and native born Aussie, James delivers engaging keynotes that have educated, and entertained audiences with real-world strategies that apply in all roles, whether at work or in life. She also provides one-on-one consulting and mentoring to women on a variety of business issues and topics. To find out more about James, visit her at www.neenjames.com/bio, e-mail [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @neenjames.

Increase Impactivity in 15 Minutes a Day

By Neen James
Special to the Legal

Have you ever said, "There just aren’t enough hours in the day"? Do you ever feel like you just can't get it all done, even while working 12+ hours? Well you are not alone. We need to increase our impactivity™ through super-productivity.

Productivity is NOT about doing more, it is about doing less; Less of the things that don't matter and more of the things that energize us and help us achieve our goals.

When we wake, we are all given the same amount of time every day. Time doesn't care how old you are, what your next case is, what you do or how long you have been doing it; time doesn’t care. Time doesn't decide how it will be spent, you do.  The real secret to super-productivity is the 15-minute rule.

Here are some ideas of actions that can be achieved when you begin to think in 15-minute increments!

- Create time. While we often cannot find an additional hour in our day, we can definitely find 15 minutes. Choose to create time by rising 15 minutes earlier or going to bed 15 minutes later.

- Make time in time. Review the activities you are currently completing that can possibly be combined with other related activities or delegated to someone else. Some may call this multi-tasking; I prefer to think of it as cleverly using all aspects of time. If you are waiting for an appointment, take reading material with you or write a note while you wait.

- Decide now. Choose to work on one task or activity for 15 minutes only. I bet you will be amazed how much you can achieve in 15 dedicated, concentrated (not multi-tasked) minutes.

- Eliminate time robbers. Identify activities that "fill up" your day. When you waste time on an activity, phone call or lack of system or process, it is another 15 minutes you could be investing somewhere else.

- Arrive early for appointments. This allows you to catch up on reading journals, papers, write thank you notes, make a business call or just review your next case file. You already need to be at the appointment, so try arriving 15 minutes earlier to focus on activities that don’t require you to be in court or in your office. In your personal time, arrive at the gym earlier to fit in an abs routine or sort through your mail while waiting to collect the kids from school.

- Go phone-free. Switch your cell phone and/or desk phone to voicemail for 15 minutes and allow callers to leave a message while you complete an important task.

- Ignore e-mail. If you are going to be in court or at an event for extended time, set an out-of-office message for people to help manage their expectations. E-mail is best checked in 15-minute increments three to four times per day.

- Clear your inbox. If your e-mail feels out of control, dedicate 15 minutes daily for one month to clean it up, file it, sort it, delete it and unsubscribe.

- Designate time. Schedule weekly time in your calendar to complete certain tasks; filing, paying bills, unsubscribing from junk mail, checking online accounts or contacting a family member.

Here is a list of activities you could achieve in 15 minutes:

- Make a business phone call
- Write a handwritten note
- Exercise
- Make a healthy meal
- Talk to a friend
- Update your blog
- Get involved in social media conversations
- Thank a team member
- Assess your goals
- Play with a child
- Send a birthday wish
- Tidy your desk
- File
- Scan newspapers and journals

Every day we get to choose how to invest our time. By increasing your consciousness of investing in 15-minute increments you will feel super-productive. Now what can you do in the next 15 minutes?

Neen James, MBA CSP, is the President/CEO of Neen James Communications, LLC. An international productivity expert and native born Aussie, James delivers engaging keynotes that have educated, and entertained audiences with real-world strategies that apply in all roles, whether at work or in life. She also provides one-on-one consulting and mentoring to women on a variety of business issues and topics. To find out more about James, visit her at www.neenjames.com/bio, e-mail [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @neenjames.

7 Ways to Increase Your Desktop Productivity

By Neen James
Special to the Legal

You spend incredibly long hours at your desk, so to make the most of every day at your firm, you need to focus on creating an environment conducive to work. By establishing a productive desk environment, you are guaranteed to improve your efficiency and achieve more in your day.

The paperless desk: I know, you think I am crazy! But removing all paperwork from your desk will allow you to focus on the client file that is most important or the closing you are trying to prepare for! Establish files for projects -- reference folders for information you need to access regularly; a reading file for articles, reports, journals and FYI documents; and a daily file for administrative, miscellaneous and day-specific tasks -- and keep these on shelves or in drawers. Don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed by paper!

The only thing on your desk at any point in time should be information relating to the client or project you are currently working on. Before you move on to the next task or project, file your paperwork and ensure you only have items relating to the new task on your desk.

Out of sight, out of mind: Remove your in-box from your desk or get rid of it altogether if you can! Keep it out of sight so the contents don’t distract you and so that people don’t drop new items into it without you noticing.

Having an overflowing in-tray in front of you can make you feel guilty and tempt you to get distracted from the task at hand. Educate your colleagues to leave documents for you on your desk, where you will see and either action or file them as they arrive, rather than having them get lost in your in-tray.

Avoid double-handling: Many people believe you should only handle paper once.  This is not always practical, but if you get into the habit of making "action notes" on each piece of paper, your time will be well invested. Either write directly onto the paper or use Post-it notes to remind yourself of what action needs to be taken on that paper. This way, you will avoid handling the paper multiple times.

Stationery drawer: Keep stationary in cupboards or drawers rather than on your desk. Get rid of all the clutter and keep your desk clear for essential items relating to the current piece of work you are doing. It will help you focus to remove some of that clutter!

Set up a comfort zone: Take time to set up your PC, monitor, phone, chair and other vital tools properly. Make sure they are within easy reach and positioned for comfortable use.

Inspire yourself: Surround yourself with positive images. Keep a photo or phrase that motivates you in view to remind you of and motivate you toward continually striving for your goals. It could be a holiday destination you want to visit, a photo of your family or a quote that inspires you. Remind yourself why you work so hard and such long hours at the firm.

Shut down: Take 10 minutes at the end of everyday to clear your desk: wash your coffee cup, empty your water bottle, put away pens and note pads, file documents and lock away confidential information. Leave each day with a clear desk and start each new day afresh.

Neen James, MBA CSP, is the President/CEO of Neen James Communications, LLC. An international productivity expert and native born Aussie, Neen delivers engaging keynotes that have educated, and entertained audiences with real-world strategies that apply in all roles, whether at work or in life. Neen also provides one-on-one consulting and mentoring to women on a variety of business issues and topics. To find out more about Neen, visit her at www.neenjames.com/bio or e-mail [email protected].

How to Be Productive During the Holiday Season - Part III

By Neen James
Special to the Legal

This is the final part of a three-part series on making the most of the holidays.

In my previous post, I started a list of tasks, actions or projects for you to implement some of your strategies to jumpstart your personal marketing plan over the slow holiday period. Now that we’re getting back into the swing of things, it’s more imperative than ever that you keep these going! A few more actions you can take to get moving include:

Shop online for client gifts. This is especially true around the holidays, but it’s a useful tip to keep in mind all year. Avoid the stress and hassle of the stores by allocating two hours to complete your gift buying online. First make a list of those you want to buy for and some suggested gift ideas. (Which you can reference all year for birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) Secondly, log onto popular websites that allow you to purchase multiple products from one location (and you can save on shipping). Finally, order as much as you can from that store and request the gift-wrapping service. For a small extra charge you will receive your gifts wrapped and ready to give to someone. This is far more productive than you spending time buying the gift-wrap accessories and trying to wrap it last minute!

Conduct a client appreciation event. This does not have to be an expensive or lengthy firm party, a simple elegant event is all you need to do to recognise your clients and thank them for their business. Be creative. Use your conference room and bring in an external caterer. If you are a single-attorney firm without a big office space, use a popular café or restaurant and provide light refreshments. Just take the time to say thank you and invite the team and other suppliers so they can also thank your clients too.

Visit a new networking group. Many networking groups meet during the holiday season because they are serious about building their book of businesses and still making valuable connections. Find out which groups are meeting and plan to attend at least two new groups this holiday season. This is the perfect time to develop new relationships and valuable connections.

To continually grow your book of business you do need to be mindful of the seasons, but don’t slow down in slow months – get more productive. Use this time to get a head start on all those 2011 meetings you can conduct when people return from vacation, ensure plans are in place to achieve your annual results, tidy your work environment so you are not distracted by clutter, and new networking opportunities. Embrace the cooler weather for indoor meetings and events and enjoy all that the season can bring for your business growth.

Neen James, MBA CSP, is the President/CEO of Neen James Communications, LLC. An international productivity expert and native born Aussie, Neen delivers engaging keynotes that have educated, and entertained audiences with real-world strategies that apply in all roles, whether at work or in life. Neen also provides one-on-one consulting and mentoring to women on a variety of business issues and topics. To find out more about Neen, visit her at www.neenjames.com/bio.

How to Be Productive During the Holiday Season - Part II

By Neen James
Special to the Legal

This is the second part of a three-part series on making the most of the holidays.

In my previous post, I went over how to get started in making 2011 your best year yet by reviewing your personal marketing plan, conducting focus groups and doing a six-month review of your performance. Once you have completed this review, create a series of tasks, actions or projects to implement some of your strategies to help you really achieve all your targets for the next six months.

Clean up. You have heard of a spring clean, well this is a winter clean. This clean out could include:

• Clearing, deleting or filing those read e-mails in your inbox.
• Unsubscribing from all those newsletters that you don’t read.
• Allocating one hour to get your paper filing up to date (if you have more than one hour’s worth, do 15 minutes per week until it is all complete).
• Throwing out unwanted, unread journals that you have been "meaning" to read, but haven’t and won’t.
• Reviewing your "tasks" on your to-do list or in your Outlook file and removing those tasks that simply won’t be completed.
• Entering details into your contact management system of the business card pile that is gathering dust on your desk.
• Spending 15 minutes cleaning the top of your desk, removing unnecessary stationery, putting away files, cleaning the dust off your family photo, throwing away empty water bottles and wiping down your computer keyboard and screen. A clean and clear desk will help you be more productive any time of year!

Hold a team development activity. If you manage a team of people in the firm, allocate some time to meet for lunch at cosy restaurant with a warm fireplace and delicious food or bring food to share for lunch and conduct a meeting in your conference room. Spend time listening to your team, their challenges and achievements. Plan your next six months and how you will achieve the targets for the whole team.

Cancel unnecessary meetings.  If you have regular weekly or monthly project or staff meetings that don’t need to occur during the holidays, cancel them. Most people appreciate being given more time and spending less time in meetings.

Book a "tele-coffee" with your clients. What is a "tele-coffee"? It is where you both make a coffee and meet by teleconference. It is a more productive way of meeting (and avoids time wasted in travel), especially if you are trying to avoid inclement weather or holiday traffic. Just like a normal meeting, you set an agenda, take minutes if required and agree on the outcomes.

Watch the blog for the next post in this series, which includes more tasks to get you started on the right foot in 2011!

Neen James, MBA CSP, is the President/CEO of Neen James Communications, LLC. An international productivity expert and native born Aussie, Neen delivers engaging keynotes that have educated, and entertained audiences with real-world strategies that apply in all roles, whether at work or in life. Neen also provides one-on-one consulting and mentoring to women on a variety of business issues and topics. To find out more about Neen, visit her at www.neenjames.com/bio.

How to Be Productive During the Holiday Season

By Neen James
Special to the Legal

This is the first part of a three-part series on making the most of the holidays.

The crazy holiday season … why does it make our hearts beat faster knowing we have so much more "to do" and so little time to achieve it all? Why is it we both love and hate this time of year? We place high expectations on ourselves and others during the holiday season; however, there are ways to be more productive during this holiday season.

The holiday season is not the time to slow down your business development activities or stop networking because we still have budgets, goals and targets to achieve. How do you handle the "unproductive" attitude that holiday season brings? How can you juggle vacation schedules? Historically, the holiday season may have been a time for you to take it easy, do the minimum amount of activity while you focus on what you will achieve for next year -- not this year! Decide to make this your most productive holiday season ever, here are some strategies that will help you do that and continually grow your business and set up a productive 2011.

Make 2011 your best year yet. Book a two-hour appointment with yourself to begin planning for next year to include potential new clients, cases and support staff development activities. Determine what you need to achieve to make 2011 your best year yet. This business plan should not be collecting dust in your bottom desk drawer - it is a living document to be used as a guide for you and your team.

Review your marketing plan. Invest the time and resources in creating a customised plan for your book of business. If you are a one person attorney firm, ask colleagues and people you trust to brainstorm ideas with you. If you have a large firm, ask clients, staff and colleagues what marketing activities will be effective for your business.  If you created a marketing plan for this year, review your progress to date and determine what strategies will be effective again for 2011. 

Conduct focus groups. Invite a select number of key clients to your office and ask them about your firm, their expectations and experiences, and how you can better serve them. Collate the results and seek your team’s input on how to action them.

Conduct a six-month business review. Spend two hours reviewing your firm’s achievements for the past six months. Ask yourself the following 11 questions:
1. How would I rate the past six months’ performance (1-10 with 10 being the highest)?
2. Did I achieve my financial targets/billable hours each month?
3. If not, why not?
4. If not, what do I need to do differently in the next six months to meet my annual plan?
5.  If I did meet these targets (congratulations to you), were they big enough?
6. Have I conducted staff reviews with my team? If not, why not? And when?
7. If so, have I rewarded my team adequately?
8. Do I need to invest more in my team or personal development?
9. Is my marketing plan on track? If not, why not?
10. If not, what activities do I need to conduct to implement more marketing strategies?
11. Have I done sufficient business development to grow my book of business or my connections? If not, why not?

Watch the blog for the next post in this series, about implementing strategies to accomplish your goals.

Neen James, MBA CSP, is the President/CEO of Neen James Communications, LLC. An international productivity expert and native born Aussie, Neen delivers engaging keynotes that have educated, and entertained audiences with real-world strategies that apply in all roles, whether at work or in life. Neen also provides one-on-one consulting and mentoring to women on a variety of business issues and topics. To find out more about Neen, visit her at www.neenjames.com/bio.

How to Be Productive During the Holiday Season — Part II

Following last week’s article on ideas to make this holiday season more productive, here are a few strategies to try with your team in the firm and for business development also. Happy Holidays!

Hold a team development activity. If you manage a team of people in the firm, allocate some time to meet for lunch at cozy restaurant with a warm fireplace and delicious food or bring food to share for lunch and conduct a meeting in your conference room. Spend time listening to your team, their challenges and achievements. Plan your next six months and how you will achieve the targets for the whole team.

Cancel unnecessary meetings.  If you have regular weekly or monthly project or staff meetings that don’t need to occur during the holidays, cancel them. Most people appreciate being given more time to work and spending less time in meetings.

Create a list of new business development targets. Once you have made your list, sort it into three groups: spheres of influence, those that are able to make decisions about your products or services; centers of influence, those that are already your advocates; and strategic alliances, those that you can refer business to and that can also refer business to you. Once you have your list completed, book appointments with these people to include lunch, breakfast or even a “tele-coffee.” Create a plan within your schedule to contact them regularly. Contact could include a phone call, e-mail, sending them an interesting article you’ve found or your firm’s newsletter, inviting them to a networking event with you or a face-to-face meeting.

Book a “tele-coffee” with your clients. What is a tele-coffee? It is where you both make a coffee and meet by teleconference. It is a more productive way of meeting (and avoids time wasted in travel), especially if you are trying to avoid the snow. Just like a normal meeting, you set an agenda, take minutes if required and agree on the outcomes.

Shop online. Avoid the stress and hassle you may feel during this busy time of year. Allocate two hours to complete your gift buying online. First make a list of those you want to buy for and some suggested gift ideas. Secondly, log on to popular Web sites that allow you to purchase multiple products from one location (and you can save on shipping) and lastly order as much as you can from that store and request the gift-wrapping service. For a small extra charge you will receive your gifts wrapped and ready to give to someone. This is far more productive than you spending time buying the gift-wrap accessories and trying to wrap it last minute.

Select holiday gifts for clients. Make a list of clients you would like to acknowledge this year. First, set a gift budget. Second, group your clients into three categories (maybe gold, silver and bronze) and then determine how you will classify them. Once you have three lists, determine a gift for each category and ask someone to order these, have them gift wrapped, a card written and delivered to your client. There are services that specialize in this at this busy time of year, so take advantage of this. I use Tiffany & Co for holiday gifts for many reasons including quality, gift-wrapping and reliable delivery. My clients look forward to receiving their gift and I love to send them. Find something that represents you and your firm and will stand out on their desk when it is delivered to them.

Conduct a client appreciation event. This does not have to be an expensive or lengthy firm party, a simple elegant event is all you need to do to recognize your clients and thank them for their business. Be creative. Use your conference room and bring in an external caterer. If you are single attorney firm without a big office space, use a popular café or restaurant and provide light refreshments.  Just take the time to say thank you and invite the team and other suppliers so they can also thank your clients, too.

Visit a new networking group. Many networking groups meet during the holiday season because they are serious about building their books of business and still making valuable connections. Find out which groups are meeting and plan to attend at least two new groups this holiday season. This is the perfect time to develop new relationships and valuable connections.

Let’s make your 2010 your most productive ever!

Neen James
www.neenjames.com

How to Be Productive During the Holiday Season

The crazy holiday season… why does it make our hearts beat faster knowing we have so much more “to do” and so little time to achieve it all? Why is it we both love and hate this time of year? We place high expectations on ourselves and others during the holiday season, however, there are ways to be more productive during this hectic season.

 

The holiday season is not the time to slow down your business development activities or stop networking because we still have budgets, goals and targets to achieve.  How do you handle the “unproductive” attitude the holiday season brings? How can you juggle vacation schedules? Historically, the holiday season may have been a time for you to take it easy, do the minimum amount of activity while you focus on what you will achieve for next year…not this year! Decide to make this your most productive holiday season ever, here are some strategies that will help you do that and continually grow your business and set up a productive 2010.

 

Make 2010 your best year yet. Book a two-hour appointment with yourself to begin planning for next year to include potential new clients, cases and support staff development activities. Determine what you need to achieve to make 2010 your best year yet. This business plan should not be collecting dust in your bottom desk drawer -- it is a living document to be used as a guide for you and your team.

 

Review your marketing plan. Invest the time and resources in creating a customized plan for your book of business. If you are a one-attorney firm, ask colleagues and people you trust to brainstorm ideas with you. If you have a large firm, ask clients, staff and colleagues what marketing activities will be effective for your business.  If you created a marketing plan for this year, review your progress to date and determine what strategies will be effective again for 2010. 

 

Conduct focus groups. Invite a select number of key clients to your office and ask them about your firm, their expectations and experiences, and how you can better serve them. Collate the results and seek your team’s input on how to action them.

 

Conduct a six-month business review. Spend two hours reviewing your firm’s achievements for the past six months. Ask yourself these 11 questions:

1.   How would I rate the past six months’ performance (1-10 with 10 being the highest)?

2.   Did I achieve my financial targets/billable hours each month?

3.   If not, why not?

4.   If not, what do I need to do differently in the next six months to meet my annual plan?

5.   If I did meet these targets (congratulations to you), were they big enough?

6.   Have I conducted staff reviews with my team? When? If not, why not?

7.   If so, have I rewarded my team adequately?

8.   Do I need to invest more in my team or personal development?

9.   Is my marketing plan on track? If not, why not?

10.  If not, what activities do I need to conduct to implement more marketing strategies?

11.  Have I done sufficient business development to grow my book of business or my connections? If not, why not?

 

When you have completed these questions, create a series of tasks, actions or projects to implement some of your strategies to help you really achieve all your targets for the next six months.

 

Clean up. You have heard of a spring clean, well this is a winter clean. This clean out could include:

v   Clearing, deleting or filing those read e-mails in your inbox.

v   Unsubscribing from all those newsletters that you don’t read.

v   Allocating one hour to get your paper filing up to date (if you have more than one hour’s worth, do 15 minutes per week until it is all complete).

v   Throwing out unwanted, unread journals that you have been “meaning” to read, but haven’t and won’t.

v   Reviewing your “tasks” on your to-do list or in your Outlook file and removing those tasks that simply won’t be completed.

v   Entering details into your contact management system of the business card pile that is gathering dust on your desk.

v   Spending 15 minutes cleaning the top of your desk, removing unnecessary stationery, putting away files, cleaning the dust off your family photo, throwing away empty water bottles and wiping down your computer keyboard and screen. A clean and clear desk will help you be more productive any time of year.

 

We do need to be mindful of the seasons but don’t slow down in holidays – get more productive. Use this time to get a head start on all those 2010 meetings you can conduct when people return from vacation, ensure plans are in place to achieve your results and tidy your work environment so you are not distracted by clutter. Embrace the cooler weather for indoor meetings and events and enjoy all that the holiday season can bring for your business growth. Keep an eye out next week for more ideas on how to be productive during the holidays.

Neen James
www.neenjames.com

How to Productively Manage Your Paper Filing

It often just piles up.  Hardly anyone likes it. We put it off until we can’t stand it anymore.   It makes us feel guilty.  Filing – a very necessary part of our everyday work.   To avoid spending hours filing, I have listed a few strategies to help you keep this under control and avoid it piling up in a corner of your desk (or hiding it in a drawer or box).

Gather it in one place – When dealing with paper filing, gather it all in one central location.  You may choose to put it in a box or a folder.  Have one specific place for all filing. 

Allocate 15 minutes a week to file – To be more productive with your time, allocate 15 minutes each week. Initially it may take you longer to catch up if you have a large pile, but 15 minutes will be very manageable. We all can find this time in our week.

Set up filing systems –Ensure your filing cabinets have a sense of order, e.g., keep all current client case files in one drawer and potential clients, practice development and reference information in separate drawers. This will make it easier to locate files quickly.  Label the front of the filing cabinet with the type of files contained inside.

Use color coding to systemize your files – Invest in colored folders and make a list of what each color represents, e.g., blue = client files, purple = personal, yellow = staff, etc.  This way when you glance in your filing cabinet you can quickly find what you are looking for.  You may also choose to file same color files together.

Set up colored day files – Use a different colored folder for each day of the week.  Place these files in a drawer or beside your desk and use these for tasks that require action on certain days. Each day check your folder for that day for paper relating to activities or cases for that day.  When you receive paper that requires action on a certain day, make time in your calendar to complete it and then place it in the colored day file.

Get Help – Recruit someone in the firm to help you with your filing. You might want to barter time with them. Share your talents and expertise with them in exchange for assistance with your filing. Be creative and get it done!

To assist others in the firm, to help you find things quickly and to help you feel more productive, you need to master your filing! Now where did I put that file …?

Neen James
www.neenjames.com