Microsoft Office 2013 has been available for several months, but Office 2010 has been stable and mostly well-received in our firm. And with staff and lawyers already overwhelmed by the never-ending stream of new technologies hurtling toward them, I wasn’t eager to push yet more change on them. So [...]

Some people always know exactly what to say. When words fail the rest of us, these people deliver the smooth segue, the clever comeback, the perfect parting shot. How do they do it so effortlessly? Maybe they’ve taken a page from Patrick Alain. In The Manager’s Phrase Book, Alain has collected thousands of ready-to-use conversation starters, questions, admonitions, motivators—and some put-downs—aimed at helping you communicate more confidently. You might scoff at the idea of using canned phrases, but who couldn’t use a little communications coaching when searching for the right thing to say. …
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When it comes to choosing a website or blog domain name for a law practice, context is everything. Recently I had a conversation with a local commercial real estate agent after he went shopping for a website domain name. I literally LOL’ed and almost spit coffee when he told me having the word “escort” in the .com of his chosen URL was “a great find.” (He was so happy—he was thinking police escort.) I hated having to let him know his investment in that domain was for naught. … READ MORE

In an interview earlier this year, Laurel Bellows, managing partner of her Chicago business and employment law firm and current president of the American Bar Association, was asked, “How do you do it? How do you do work-life balance and is it really achievable?” Her response, particularly once it was reported in the [...]

In the midst of a recent conversation about how to leverage Evernote to become more productive, I was asked a simple yet thought-provoking question: “Daniel, how do you define productivity?” My definition may be a bit nonconformist, but here it is: Being productive means getting things done so that you can spend more time with those you care about, and less time in the office. Period. … READ MORE

Years ago, in a remarkably successful marketing move, a designer specializing in logos, letterheads and the like came up with the concept of “corporate image.” A brilliant concept, but more mirage than image. Now one of the most successful marketing operations, his company has managed to persuade clients that corporate image (or law firm image) is the key to success. … READ MORE