Average is Over

Dec 24, 2011 | Business

I read a review of Tom Friedman’s new book, That Used to be Us. One of his chapters is called “Average is Over.” He contends that what used to be good yesterday is average today and will be even less so tomorrow. Since no professional sets out to be average, how do...

Client Service or Client Enjoyment?

Dec 18, 2011 | Business

Client service gets a lot of attention from the profession. And rightly so, because it is a SERVICE profession. But serving clients without enjoying them can be difficult. I said to a partner once that I really enjoyed my clients. He immediately shot back that I was...

The Effective Manager

Nov 13, 2011 | Business

For years, a fairly seasoned professional was underperforming. No one had much confidence in her because she worked slowly, made mistakes and seemed to have limited capabilities. Because of her tenure, the firm leaders tried to find a place for her instead of letting...

Give Better Feedback

Aug 15, 2011 | Business

One of the management responsibilities you have is to give feedback to your staff. It’s part of your job, whether you want it or not. Over the years, you’ve developed a particular style that matches your behavioral profile. If you aren’t careful, you can rely on your...

The Hard Work

Aug 7, 2011 | Business

It’s been said before that not all of your work hours are created equal, even though you bill them as if they were. Many of your hours are what I call “factory” hours. You know, the time you spend going through the normal routine, following the procedures and exerting...