As I was browsing in a large bookstore last evening, I wandered over to the Self-Help section to search for a copy of a book I had recommended to a client. I enjoy sharing good books and writing a short, encouraging personal note just inside the front cover. So once I located the book, I noticed the large number of people who were browsing the Self-Help section. My guess was that at some point, someone brought to their attention, or they realized themselves, that they could use a little guidance in some aspect of their life, and they were interested enough to take some steps to improve. It’s about the journey, right?
But what happens when a friend or client doesn’t recognize their own deficiencies? They simply don’t see them. I call these blind spots, and it’s OK to admit if you’ve had one or two… we all have at some point in our life. But what happens when those blind spots that we don’t know about are preventing us from reaching our maximum potential? If you don’t want to continue beating your head on the wall, sooner or later, you’ll have to deal with them. But how can you deal with them if you don’t know about them? That is when the trusted advice of an advocate can really be helpful. Not to rescue, but to help identify those blind spots so that a logistical plan can be developed to minimize the challenges and accomplish the objectives of the client.
Why is this relevant to the legal industry? Because occasionally some of our clients don’t realize (they have a blind spot) that their firm is struggling with an issue. It could be something easy, such as a sleepy reputation, or an identity issue, or worse, perhaps the lateral partner market doesn’t even really know much about their firm or its attorneys.
Here’s an example: we represented a client that was well-known within their own market. At the time, it was a robust real estate firm of less than 200 attorneys. They intended to expand into new markets, and assumed their reputation would precede them in those new markets. The reality was that not only did those in the new market not know who they were, but most couldn’t pronounce the name of the firm, let alone spell it! What is obvious to some is a news flash to others. Our team collected the necessary market data to demonstrate some heavy lifting was needed if our client was going to reach their lofty growth objectives. Today, that firm is an international law firm with over 1,000 attorneys.
If your leadership team is interested in learning more, please contact us for a confidential meeting at teamjag@jaglaw.com.