February 24, 2006
Achievement Concepts for the Young Attorney
Instill these concepts in your young team members, and they will increase per-partner income and firm success.
- Change is constant.
- We are always judged by others.
What we are is determined by how others see us. The
At birth, our opportunities are the greatest. We can become a bum or a great achiever. Our final destination is determined by our own decisions and actions. As we journey through life, one decision after another narrows the alternate opportunities available to us. For those who have already sacrificed their best opportunities through bad decisions, the opportunity wedge is an unpleasant and fatalistic concept. Thus, I am always reluctant to introduce the Opportunity Wedge to an audience. But for the young associates entering the firm, it is an important concept for their mentor to convey. Where the associate goes from here will be determined by the associate’s own decisions and actions. Make the right decisions, and the future is a bright one. We are the captains of our own destiny.
It is an organization’s culture (its core beliefs) that gives that organization its character and personality. The Opportunity Wedge is a part of ours and the following catch phrases and short descriptions identify others. I recommend them to you.
Make My day: You are the person who decides what kind of day you will have.
Pros Play Hurt: Show up and play your best.
Keep on the Gas: Don’t let up just because you are almost there.
Presentation Counts: A cake is one thing; one with icing is altogether another.
Finish, Don’t Quit: Achievers bring things to a conclusion.
Listen to be Heard: Great conversationalists ask and let others talk.
Dress for Success: Clothes may not make the man, but they make an impression.
It Is All About Giving: Relationships are built by helping others.
Two Words to Use: “Thank you.” “You’re welcome.” “I’m sorry.”
People Bank: Save them; they pay a great return.
Smile: People can hear yours.
Humor: It is disarming.
Miss Manners: Behavior counts.
Persevere: Never throw in the towel.
Standing 8: Take the time to refocus.
Play Offense: Act, don’t react.
True Believer: Be a “can” vs. a “can’t” person.
Practice/practice: Stars aren’t made—they practiced.
We, Not I: Great things are accomplished through others.
Collaboration Trumps Competition: Personal contribution is valuable, but it took collaboration to build the Pyramids.
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Filed under Firm Culture, HR by Tom Collins