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September 05, 2009
Plan B for recruiting "Grunts"?
The "elite" associates you recruited: Would they fight for your clients? Would they fight for anyone? (Columbia Pictures, 1981)
Uh, "associates", rather. But maybe grunts is the "right" word. Who said their life was ever supposed to be easy? Who without a love and yen for complexity, challenge and hard things in life would ever chose private law practice? Well, many young people are; frankly, the law is "too hard" for them--way too hard--and they are failing.
Not much fight in these humans, either. Not much gospel. Remember: we're not taking about divinity, forestry or hotel management grads. People who attend law schools are signing up for war. And we're often getting Teletubbies on Thorazine.
Don't look to blame law firms or their clients. The demands of practice have not changed very much in the last 30 years. Blame the other "us": parents, and law schools. We are raising and educating Mega-Wimps. And they are miserable in any demanding job.
The Point. Are we recruiting from the "right" schools? Plan A: law review from top schools. Plan B: non-elite law school grads. (Plan C: dirt poor kids from evening divisions who think any work is a great privilege and honor--we'll get there yet, and it's probably the answer.)
Plan B. While you think about it--and we are as we are fascinated by the subject--see this month's issue of American Lawyer magazine, and a piece by Ronit Dinovitzer and Bryant Garth, "Not That Into You". Dinovitzer and Garth find that graduates of lower-tier law schools are more appreciative of their jobs at large law firms, so they start those jobs with the intent to work towards partnership. But graduates of elite law schools are less satisfied with the long hours associated with those jobs, in part because they view them as mere stepping stones towards their actual target positions. Nevertheless, large law firms cling to the policy of preference for the elite graduates. Should they?
Our thanks for the heads up to our coach, spiritual leader, and lawyer's lawyer Ray Ward. They broke the mold on you, sir.
Posted by Rob Bodine at 12:51 AM | Comments (0)
September 04, 2009
P&G's new chief Bob McDonald: On leadership.
The graveyards of leadership are littered with people who have ignored culture.
Bob McDonald, the new CEO of Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG), which ranks 10th on Fortune’s Most Admired Companies list, recently discussed his leadership philosophy on “Strategy with Passion” on the VoiceAmerica Business Channel. McDonald teaches that, to be successful, one must study and appreciate the client's culture. You can-–and should--hear the interview in this podcast. McDonald joins the discussion at 16:58. If you would like to see his leadership philosophy in print, it’s in the appendix to The Leader’s Compass, 2nd Edition.
Procter & Gamble Co.'s Bob McDonald. He just received a 40% salary raise--up to $1.4 million--when he took over as chief executive last month. Like P&G or not, the company and its home-grown management have a history of profits, stability and genuine class. Just twelve CEOs in a 173 years.
Posted by Rob Bodine at 07:31 PM | Comments (0)
September 03, 2009
The Duke Experience
From yesterday's edition of The Chronicle, the enduring and well-regarded Duke student daily:
JUDGE OKS PRESSLER'S SLANDER SUIT
A North Carolina appeals court ruled Tuesday that former men's lacrosse coach Mike Pressler can continue with a lawsuit against the University.
Pressler--who signed a settlement in 2007 with the University after he was fired following the false rape allegations in 2006--charges that John Burness, former Duke senior vice president for public affairs and government relations, made slanderous remarks about him after and in violation of the settlement, which included a clause precluding defamatory comments.
[more]
Posted by JD Hull at 11:30 PM | Comments (0)
September 02, 2009
Devil Perfectionism
Tormented GC in South East Asia: "The dweebs. The dweebs."
The downside of Type-A. Perfectionism. A great place to "be from". A wonderful instinct, if controlled. It's also a curse: of eldest children, professionals, knowledge workers, most lawyers, all spouses, your Mom, and the geek classes, or Techwazee.
The horror, the horror. Too much, and you need rehab. Worse, your senior partner will start questioning your judgment. Clients 99% of the time are not paying you to be perfect. They don't want it.
Be excellent--not perfect. See "Rule 10: Be Accurate, Thorough and Timely--But Not Perfect" in WAC?'s annoying-but-accurate 12 Rules.
(Photo: Paramount Pictures)
Posted by Rob Bodine at 12:01 AM | Comments (1)
August 31, 2009
Redux: The Sacred, Immovable, No-Excuses Weekly Conference Call.
They are missed or canceled only for the most compelling reasons. Vacations, trips to Europe, Asia, South America, head colds, bad traffic, hangovers, my-wife-and-girlfriend-found-out-about-each-other? Sorry, no excuse.
My dog ate my notes, and the draft amended counterclaim? Or, the law schools tried to 'humanize' but instead emasculated the new law clerks (and they are all singing show tunes instead of fighting for clients)?
Nope. These don't cut it, either.
The Sacred, Immovable, No-Excuses Weekly Client Conference Call. It's one of our favorites. Click on it. If your firm currently is doing a litigation, transactional or other project which falls into the category of either "fast" or "intense", here's a practice you can institute today that your firm probably does not have in place. It's a no-brainer. It has enormous benefits right away. And it will both impress and help any good client. It will not put the hurt on your "WLB". It will help you too.
Posted by JD Hull at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)