Q. I am a third-year associate at a mid-size firm and I recently returned from a three-month maternity leave. For the most part, the feedback that I have received over the past years has been positive. Lately, however, two partners have expressed some dissatisfaction. In particular, they have complained about the timelines and, in some instances, the quality of my work.
Unfortunately, I can appreciate their concerns. I think that I have probably never been terribly well organized. But until now, my inability to work efficiently was never exposed. Before the baby, I could always stay late or come in on the weekends to finish up a project. I no longer have that luxury. What can you suggest?
A. Yes, your life certainly has changed and you will have to make some adjustments. Before you buy a new calendar and start organizing your files, take a deep breath and think about how you define success. Chances are your definition has changed since you became a mom.
One way to gain insight into your definition of success is to make a list of your greatest accomplishments (those special times when you did something well, enjoyed doing it and were proud when it was done). Use this list to guide you in setting your personal and professional goals.
Turn these goals into action plans by identifying all of the activities necessary to meet these goals. Then establish priorities and create “To Do” lists. Enter these in your calendar. Then think of your To Do list as a Bingo game and try to fill up your card each day by crossing off the items as you complete each task. Give yourself extra points for more difficult projects.
If you aren’t already doing so, you will want to create a “proactive” calendar. Most of us keep a “reactive” calendar that contains upcoming appointments and deadlines. We don’t schedule time to prepare for the meetings and meet the deadlines. Unless you free up time on your calendar in advance, you will never have the time required to complete your important projects. But don’t make the mistake of overbooking yourself. Be sure to leave plenty of open time every day so you can handle the unexpected crisis at home or at the office.
Now that you have a new part-time job (“Mom”), you will need to establish daily and weekly routines for your home and office. One routine you will want to adopt is a time for planning each day. The best time is probably during the first 10 minutes after you arrive in the office. Other routines could include a time each morning and afternoon to review and return voice mail and email. By answering them all at one time, you will free up more productive, “thinking” time in each day. Make a list of all recurring daily and weekly tasks and schedule a time to accomplish them.
Now more than ever, you will want to record each billable time unit. If you forget to record just two 6-minute phone calls in a day, you will “lose” 50 hours of billable time in a year. That translates into more than one additional week that you will have to put in to meet your billable hours goal!
Q. I have been practicing over 15 years with the same firm and I am contemplating a lateral move to another firm. So far, I have met most of the members of the new firm and I think that it may be a good fit. The managing partner of the new firm has asked me to put together a proposed business plan. What should I include in my plan?
A. What the firm wants to know before they add a new member is whether it makes economic sense. You will want to demonstrate that you will bring in more than enough business to cover your own overhead and salary.
In your plan, you will want to outline your marketing strategy, including goals, target markets and methods. Most likely, the firm will also want a collections history for the past two to five years, including working attorney and client generation collections. Finally, the firm will want to see your projections for revenue if you were to join the new firm.
In projecting revenue for the coming two to three years, you will probably want to state your estimate in terms of a range that is conservative but optimistic. In estimating future revenue, you will also want to discuss the synergies that would result by joining your practice with theirs.
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Karen J. Summerville is a former Seattle law firm partner who now offers career counseling and outplacement services to attorneys. Summerville welcomes confidential questions from readers and will answer as many as possible in her upcoming columns. She can be reached at her firm Legal Career Management by phone at 206-224-7608 or by email at kjsummer@comcast.net. Visit her Web site at www.legalcareermanagement.com.
