Blog Posts: JW Fundamentals

JW Way Fundamental #22: Practice Blameless Problem Solving  "Blame has no place in our firm. Fix errors by focusing on solutions, not assessing blame. Learn from mistakes and use that knowledge to improve our processes. Mistakes are critical component of learning." It is natural to feel defensive when something goes wrong.  In many organizations, b...

JW Way Fundamental #11: Demonstrate Respect "Treat others with courtesy and dignity. Show respect by listening fully and actively, paying attention to your words and attitude. Give your undivided attention without interruptions.""R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me."  Of course, that is a quote from a great Aretha Franklin song, but for our purposes,...

JW Way Fundamental #12:  Make a Difference "Play an active roll in supporting our community and those less fortunate by contributing time, money, and expertise to enrich the lives of others and improve our community. We can and do make a difference." Making a difference means to go out, help somebody, and make a positive change in their life.  I vi...

JW Way Fundamental #10: Communicate to be Understood "Know your audience. Use the language of your audience to write and speak clearly concisely, in away that can be easily understood."The purpose of communicating - whether it’s oral, written, sign language or Morse code - is that both parties understand what is being said.  It is primarily the sender&...

JW Way Fundamental #10: Communicate to be Understood "Know your audience. Use the language of your audience to write and speak clearly concisely, in away that can be easily understood."How important is communicating to be understood? Can the misunderstanding of a few words literally mean the difference between life and death? In 1977 at foggy Tenerife a...

JW Way Fundamental #9: Leave Your Ego at the Door  "At all times, stay focused on serving the needs of our client and our firm, rather than on serving your ego. Remember - it's about the client and our firm, not you!"My parents were in town a few weeks ago so I invited them to meet me for lunch. My Mom, Dixie ordered.  My Dad, Phil ordered.  I orde...

JW Way Fundamental #5: Listen Fully "Listening is more than simply not speaking. Give others your undivided attention. Set aside your own judgments and preconceived notions. Listen with focus. Most importantly, listen to understand." This is a JW Way fundamental that applies not only to work but also to life outside of work.  Listening fully is one of t...

JW Way Fundamental #8: Act with Integrity  "Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to doing the right thing in every action you take and in every decision you make. Own up to your own mistakes and apologize. If you make a mistake, clean it up." Food for thought.  It is easy to tell warm and fuzzy stories of those who act with integrity, but I tend to...

JW Way Fundamental #7: Honor your commitments.  "Do what you say you are going to do when you say you are going to do it. If a commitment can’t be fulfilled, tell others early and agree on a new commitment."Some fundamentals apply only to attorneys, and others may apply only to work, but this fundamental is for everyone, every day, and everywhere! No m...

JW Way Fundamental #8: Act with Integrity  "Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to doing the right thing in every action you take and in every decision you make. Own up to your own mistakes and apologize. If you make a mistake, clean it up." We live in integrity-challenged times.  It sometimes seems that the people with the least integrity, those ...