How many coaches does it take to change a light bulb? One, but first the light bulb needs to decide if it wants to change. I’m not sure whether I told that joke accurately, as my kids will tell you, I’m not a good joke teller. However, the punch line fits the purpose of this blog: evaluating the choice that confronts you daily about doing business development—to do it or not to do it.
Having spoken with so many lawyers, I understand that, for many of you, the advent of business development as a key element for your success feels like a professional betrayal: no one told you about this critical component and law school did not prepare you to meet the challenges inherent in becoming a rainmaker. Is it “fair” to be angry? Of course. What to do with the anger presents a major professional hurdle. Here is where “tough love” enters the picture—if you want to succeed in a traditional law firm, you must talk yourself off the anger ledge, embrace this unforeseen variable, and get moving.
The reason I am writing this blog is to encourage you to confront the choice of whether or not to make it rain. Most lawyers with whom I work “quietly” accept that they “have to” do biz dev and do it half-heartedly, occasionally, if they don’t have any other work to do… which all adds up to ineffective action and mediocre results at best. This is not a call to dedicate huge, daily hours away from personal pursuits to focus on business development. However, it is a call to get honest with yourself about your definition of success, craft a strategy that will get you there, implement action based on your comfort zone, strengths and values, and then commit to taking some kind of action daily. These four elements must be in place to succeed; without them you are not truly pursing this component of the success equation.
There are many ways to take action. On days when you have been embroiled in depositions, complex client demands, and exhaustive opinion writing, take five minutes to do some research about a client or ideal client; on those occasions when your practice group leader requires that you attend a very boring client charity event, decide who would be interesting to talk to, learn about what they do and who they know, and commit to learning something new that you can use to enhance future connections. When involved with the personal side of your life, whether it is a child’s soccer game, your own yoga class, or watching a television show that is one of your “guilty pleasures,” creatively blend some mild attention to doing research or connecting to someone along the way.
There are many days when I am gripped by a task that I know needs to be done that I have no interest in engaging. You are not alone. I consider these to be my tough love moments, times when I stare at myself in the mirror and ask, “Do you want xxx (my vision of success) or not?” And, if the answer is “yes,” follow up with, “What is one thing I am willing to do to move ahead?” This answer assures that I will do something when the lack of energy and/or passion locks me in place.
I love being a coach and psychologist because it allows me to be an ally for your dreams, cheer for you from the sidelines, and teach you how to move ahead. With or without a coach, in order to claim what you want, you must make sure that you articulate what is important to you, that you renew this desire frequently lest it has changed and maintain constant focus on this vision. Holding fast to what you most want provides the persistence to act in the presence of tasks that you really don’t want to do and allows you to drive ahead, doing what must be done to claim the prize.