Last week in The Shift, we talked about the numbers so many lawyers put off looking at. If you read it and thought, “I’ll get to that once things settle down,” this week’s exercise is for you. It’s de...

A lot of lawyers tell us, “I’m not a numbers person…that’s why I became a lawyer and not an accountant.”

Numbers feel like someone else’s job: the bookkeeper’s or the accountant’s.

Looking closely c...

A good personal trainer will tell you it’s important to build rest days into your workout regimen. You know that without recovery time, you won’t see the results you’re seeking. But ask most firm owne...

When lawyers describe their creative pursuits, whether it’s painting, gardening, playing an instrument or cooking, they almost always use the language of escape. “It’s my break from work.” “It’s time ...

When revenue feels tight, it's tempting to look at the whole practice at once. That's usually too much to see clearly, so try something smaller instead.

Pick one service or matter type you handle reg...

We had a great session with one of our coaching clients last week, and she told us something we hear often: I took on some cases I didn’t want this week. I knew I should have turned them down, but how...

In last week's The Shift, we talked about waiting for a plan to feel complete before you'll let yourself start. Be honest, how many times have you done that?

This week, we've got a challenge for you....

Last week, I bought a map of France. A real paper map. It reminded me of driving solo from Charles de Gaulle airport to St-Malo in 1994. I had a map of France spread out across the steering wheel as I...

Most lawyers I talk to about creative practice say some version of the same thing: “That sounds great. I’ll start when things calm down.”

I get it. Legal practice runs on bursts of intensity. In your...

Is there a particular problem in your practice you've tried to fix more than once (maybe more than three times) and each time, the solution only lasted for a while?

Here's the reflection for this mon...

There are few things more frustrating than fixing the same problem more than once. You know the drill: you fix an issue and your solution holds for a while. Then the problem resurfaces in a slightly d...

This month, we can keep the activity simple. It can be as easy as:

Apply the same standard to yourself that you'd apply to a delegate.

When someone on your team misses the mark, you've learned to as...