Here is What I Have Been Reading This Week

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Cordell Parvin

 I have been working this week on programs for junior associates and senior associates I will be doing Monday, a program for the Dallas Bar Association Transition to Law lawyers and a program I will be doing at the Arkansas State Bar Meeting in June. So, it has been a busy week.

I have found time to read some interesting blog posts:

  • 5 Travel Lessons You Can Use at Home In a guest post, Rolff Potts provides lessons that I believe can be applied by lawyers trying to find balance or live based on their priorities. For example, one is "Be where you are," meaning live in the moment. Don't be on your Blackberry when you are playing with your kids.
  • Seth Godin on linchpins, focus, spreading stories It is a short interview with Seth Godin. In response to a question about the book, Seth Godin answers: "The feedback I’m getting is just extraordinary… the book makes people uncomfortable, and many respond by stepping forward, by choosing to do work that matters. And that’s the entire goal of the project. I wanted people to choose." If you can take the time, read the book and write down ideas you can implement.
  • The Secret to Raising Smart Kids Several lawyers I coach have children. I tell each of them about the years of research done by Stanford professor Carol Dweck. This is just one of many articles. Professor Dweck says:  "teaching people to have a “growth mind-set,” which encourages a focus on effort rather than on intelligence or talent, helps make them into high achievers in school and in life." 
  • The Power of Uniqueness [19 Starting Points for Being a Unique Blogger] Each day there are more lawyers blogging. That means standing out from other bloggers becomes increasingly challenging. The 19 points discussed here are a good starting point to stand out from the crowd.
  • Run By Women, The World Would Be Better and More Fun.I found this blog post by UConn professor Regina Barreca, Ph.D. a hilarious and thought provoking poke at men and a satirical look at women. This may not be funny for anyone sensitive about gender traits. On Monday I plan to post what law firms would be like if run by women. I plan on no satire.
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What I Looked for in Associates

Posted on March 3, 2010 by Cordell Parvin

 When I was practice group leader and the partner in charge of attorney development in my firm, our HR director asked me for the one attribute in associates that separated the future stars from others. What do you suppose my answer was?

Sometimes it is hard to boil down what separates the best from others to one attribute, but for me the answer was easy. I replied: "The burning desire to keep learning and growing as a lawyer." I intuitively believed that was the one attribute. I later learned scientists believe it also.

In a July, 2008 New York Times article: If You’re Open to Growth, You Tend to Grow, the writer shares findings by Stanford professor, Carol Dweck on people with a fixed mindset and people with a growth mindset. "People with a growth mind-set tend to demonstrate the kind of perseverance and resilience required to convert life’s setbacks into future successes." You can't practice law for an entire career without setbacks.

All the associates who have worked for me and the lawyers I have coached are talented. Yet, the associates who stand out are not content with what they have achieved or learned. They do not waste time proving how good they are or get stressed comparing themselves to others. Instead, they have a passion for learning, believe success is a long term commitment and they are open to my help. The lawyers who do not have the burning desire to learn, are also generally more stressed out. Why? They feel the pressure to prove themselves over and over and they are constantly comparing themselves to others. I cannot really help those lawyers.

If you want to be a future star, focus on learning, growing and becoming a better lawyer each and every day.

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