Blog Posts: Law Blog

Have a viewpoint. Stand for something. If you don't, you stand for nothing at all.  We don't have to agree with others all of the time. But when you don't, be respectful. Agree to disagree. You learn more from dialogue with someone you don't agree with than with someone you agree with.   Plus, none of us are right all of the time. If someo...

Last week I spoke to the need for continuous self-improvement. Part of that is continually learning throughout your lifetime.   I have mentioned before that my firm has The JW Way, which encapsulates the firm’s unique culture. JW  Way fundamental 17 is “Be relentless about continuous improvement.” This fundamental speaks to being a “lif...

You can do better. You can be better. Always. If you don't think so you are only fooling yourself. You must invest in yourself.   If you put your money in a can and bury it in your backyard, it will earn nothing. If you invest these funds instead, they will have the chance to grow. The corollary is if you do not take the time to improve yoursel...

Fun at work?  Exactly.  If you can't have fun at work, then why are you there? Fun and good work do go together. A joke can even reduce tension during stressful times at work. We all know the saying "Laughter is the best medicine" and inherently know it is true. This doesn't mean you feel like you have time to joke around with co-workers every ...

Recently, I called a client to set up a block of time to prepare for mediation. The client didn’t understand why we needed to meet and thought you just go in and see if the dispute can be settled or not. This common misconception regarding mediation speaks to an important topic: preparation. I had to explain to the client that the two most important times in ...

One-way to know if you follow up is to ask yourself if things you want to get done do. This includes tasks you or others, whether inside or outside your company, are working on. I know many of you are thinking you shouldn't have to follow up for things to be completed. That is a misplaced thought. How many times have you realized at or just before the end of the b...

It is important to remember how to be a member of the group. And don't make it only about business. Relax. All business is relationships, and it is where you need to do a good job. If you are not, you've got to tweak the formula. Even if you know the answer, don't always volunteer it. Many people don't want to be wrong. Never.  If you correct them, they'r...

No one really makes it on their own. Everyone is part of a team, whether internally at their business or with partners at other businesses. Anyone who thinks their success is only attributable to their own actions is mistaken and myopic.  You need to know your colleagues. Does this mean you have to be best friends with everyone and know everything about ...

Be honest; don't lie. And say what you mean. This seems simple, but too many people have trouble with what are to me qualities that we shouldn't have to strive for. I mean talk about a low bar: be honest and forthright. And be this way all the time to everyone you deal with. You want people to believe in you. The alternative is being two faced and dishonest. Can a...

Networking is about knowing more people. Connecting is about knowing people more. The distinction is obvious. You know a lot of people professionally and personally, but you are connected to only a fraction of those you know.  When you are at a business, social or charitable event, you likely will run into many people you know. But with many, you will know th...