Life And Career Lessons From John Wooden Part Iii Activity, Achievement And Learning

Developing the Next Generation of Rainmakers Life and Career Lessons from John Wooden Part III: Activity, Achievement and Learning On June 4, the LA Times posted a blog: John Wooden quotes: Some of Coach John Wooden’s favorite maxims (‘Woodenisms’). Take a look and I think you will see that many Woodenisms apply to lawyers. I want to focus on two of those Woodenisms today: Never mistake activity for achievement. It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts. I have met and have coached some lawyers who believe doing as many client development activities as possible will cause clients to find them and hire them, Some of those lawyers take as many potential clients and referral sources to lunch as possible, or they join several organizations. If they are blogging, they post just because they think they need to rather than because they have something important to say. I encourage the lawyers I coach to make focused efforts. Sometimes less is more. Focus on the right contacts. Join one organization and work to be the leader. Research and then write about things that your clients need to know and speak to the organizations where your clients and potential clients will be in the audience. I have run into many lawyers who are content with where they are and think they know all they need to know. The law has not changed a great deal during my career, but clients and client needs have changed dramatically.  Think about how much has changed in your work with clients in just the last two years  If you are not continuing to learn about your clients and their new needs, you are moving backwards. So, here is a short assignment you can do. Either download from iTunes or click here to listen to my two most recent podcast interviews of Alison Rowe and Christy Crider. I think you will conclude that their client development efforts are purposeful and focused and that even though they think they know a lot, they believe there is way more they can learn.     I practiced law for 37 years developing a national construction law practice representing some of the top highway and transportation construction contractors in the US.