Alvah Parker is a practice advisor and coach for motivated attorneys who want to build a profitable and fulfilling practice and still have time for other parts of their lives. Alvah's Value Program will enable you to identify your strengths, values and behavioral style so that you can create a practice where you are doing work that is meaningful to you. With Alvah's help you will define meaningful work for yourself. This will lead to your becoming more self aware. By being your authentic self it will be easier for you to make more money in less time thus leaving more time for other parts of your life. With her background in sales and marketing Alvah is able to guide you to a way of doing business that suits your particular style and definition of meaningful work. You will learn to authentically develop business, manage time, hire and direct staff, and control cash flow. For further information, visit Alvah's website at http://www.asparker.com

* Title of a song from Carousel by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein

Using song titles is just my way of expressing my love of music and musical theater. Each time I come up with a title I rediscover a song I love.

"Career Satisfaction doesn't come from what you do.  It comes from who you get to be while you're doing it." - Laura Berman Fortgang

Are you working in a job that gives you very little satisfaction? 

Do you know you need to make a change but something keeps stopping you?

The Now What? Program can help you find that new career that will inspire you and motivate you.  During the program you will:

• Uncover limiting mind sets that can paralyze you.
• Address the fear of change that stops you from finding your true calling.
• Discover a sense of purpose so that your job becomes less humdrum
• Overcome the inertia of familiar territory in order to propel yourself forward.

Clients who work on this program often find ways to make their current job more interesting and less stressful. As you work on the exercises in this program you learn a lot about yourself and what you want in your work life. Clients use what they learn in the program to enhance their current job. If you are afraid to leave your current job because of the economy, this program will help you to make the best of what you have now and get you ready to move forward when the economy gets better. During the final phase of the Now What? Program you will write a transition plan to go from your current job to a new one.  It is up to you to set the time frames. Now is the time to get ready for the turn around that is bound to happen.  Be ready!  

Not sure about the program? 

Try the Now What? Assessment. This assessment is designed to identify where your blocks are. It will also help to show you where in the Now What? Program you will work on these blocks.  

The fee for the Now What? Assessment and 45 minutes of coaching time is $99. If after you take this assessment you decide to continue with the Now What? program the whole of your $99 will be deducted from the last month of Now What? coaching.  That means the Assessment and 45 minutes of coaching will be free! 

Get started now!  You owe it to yourself to find work that is meaningful, fulfilling and enjoyable.  Wake up on Monday morning excited about the prospect of going back to work!

Just send an email to asparker@asparker.com  with your name, email address and phone number and indicate that you would like to take the Now What? Assessment and/or the Now What? Program.

"When who you are aligns with what you do you'll achieve extraordinary results." - Laura Berman Fortgang.

Be sure to look at all my offers for attorneys on my website. 

1. Welcome
2. "Take A Chance On Me - Hiring Good Support Staff
3. "Some Say" - Quotes
4. "Good News" - What's New?

Road to Success is an email newsletter written for those who want to find new ways to approach their work and personal life so that their whole life is more fulfilling and productive. I write this newsletter on topics that I find challenging in my own work-life. As Lily Tomlin says, "The road to success is always under construction." I welcome your ideas and hints too. My vision for this newsletter is that it will be a means for us to learn from each other.

While I'd love it if you read every word I write, I know that you are busy, so you skim. To help you do that I plan to keep this paragraph and the one above constant. If you are skimming, just jump to paragraphs three and beyond.

This month I started an improv class.  Most people who hear I am doing it are surprised.  They think I am an unlikely person to be taking improv.  It is probably because I have no theatrical aspirations and I am on the quiet nonextroverted side.  Over the past 3 or 4 years however I've signed up for 4 different classes.  Each time the class was cancelled because not enough people signed up.  This time I found an instructor who has a series of classes regularly.  The location is about an hour from my home. It is a long drive and the class is 3 hours long but I am committed to it.

My friends call me "gutsy" for doing this.  I'm not a huge risk taker so it definitely is a stretch for me.  What is the pull?  In the Now What? program my clients and I  look for interrupted dreams to find the clues for a new career.  I did alot of acting when I went to camp as a youngster.  I loved it!  Somehow I never did it after camp - an interrupted dream.

I don't remember if I wanted to be an actress but I loved the connection I made with the audience.  I feel that same connection when I am coaching.  In improv and coaching there is no script.  It's like a verbal dance with the other person.  You must always be in the moment, listening carefully to what is being said and then responding in a way that makes it easy for the other person to continue the conversation.  It's challenging but fun!

Ready for a challenge yourself?  Getting good support staff is a challenge for most of the attorneys I coach.   I've written an article this month on hiring and managing support people.   I hope you will read it and think about it.  If you want to grow your firm knowing how to hire and manage people is a must.  What tips do you have on hiring and managing staff?  Please share them!

Enjoy the rest of the month of June and for those in the US have a happy 4th of July!   

My Best,
Alvah Parker　

Lately several attorneys have complained to me about an administrative person in their office.  Often the problem is with the person who answers the telephone and has some other responsibilities as well.  These attorneys were frustrated because the person they had hired was doing the job poorly.

It was déjà vu for me.  In a previous career at AT&T when I was selling large telephone systems the complaint I would hear most often from managers was that the attendant answering the phone was a problem.  It was such a huge problem that it was "solved" by using an automated attendant.

In my opinion the solution was not a good one for most firms.  The person answering gives the caller his or her first impression of the firm.  A great receptionist gives the caller a warm welcome and the feeling the firm is there to help him or her.  It is the first place potential clients experience the firm.

No one sets out to hire a poor receptionist or employee so how does it happen so often?  If it has been a problem for you, there are three places to look for the answer to that question.

The first place to check is in your hiring process.  The job description must accurately state the duties and responsibilities of this position.  During the interview process you will want to insure that the potential employee is able to fulfill the requirements. 

This is the time to use some assessments to be sure his/her skills as defined in the job description are good.  The attorneys I coach use their own assessments or some that I have. 

In addition I recommend using the behavioral and motivational assessments for each candidate to insure that:

• The new hire's behavioral style is right for the job.
• You know how to communicate with the employee in a way that they really hear you.
• You know what motivates this employee. 

Taking the time to do this during the hiring process will make a huge difference in your success rate. 

Once you have hired someone you will want to train them in your system.  Give them a binder with their job description and then explain the processes that they will be involved in. Train the person how to do each of the processes he/she owns. (All processes are usually found in the operations manual for the firm.) 

If  for example the person answers the phone and takes messages, give them complete instructions as to how that is done.  If he/she has other tasks, be equally clear on how you want them to perform those tasks.

In the first few weeks give the person room to make mistakes.  When a mistake occurs review the training to show the person where in the process he/she strayed.  After an initial orientation period you have a right to assume the person will be competent in the process and will continue doing the job as required.

You can assume that but you must verify it.  As the manager of this employee you will want to periodically check to see that he/she is still doing the job exactly as you detailed it in the operations manual.  No changes to the process are allowed unless you approve them and they are put into the operations manual.

It is natural for people to forget a step or do something in a different way.  For example when I workout I often slip into an easier way to do my exercises without even noticing.  I have a trainer to remind that to get the full benefit I must do it correctly.  In the same way your employee may slip.  You will need to remind him/her of the correct procedure.

A good staff means your office will function more smoothly and your clients will have a good experience with your firm.  While doing good work for your clients is one of the most important thing that you do, managing the office is another important role and probably one that gets neglected.  To make your office efficient and your practice thrive and grow, take some time to actively manage your staff. 

* Song from the musical Mama Mia with music and lyrics written by Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Stig Anderson

Check out the article I wrote for the career changers edition about the new workplace on my website. 　

Rick Pitino
The only way to get people to like working hard is to motivate them. Today, people must understand why they're working hard. Every individual in an organization is motivated by something different.

Alice Vernon
Teams work better - when they work together.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox
A pat on the back is only a few vertebrae removed from a kick in the pants, but is miles ahead in results.

Harvey S. Firestone
It is only as we develop others that we permanently succeed.

Russell H. Ewing
A boss creates fear, a leader confidence. A boss fixes blame, a leader corrects mistakes. A boss knows all, a leader asks questions. A boss makes work drudgery, a leader makes it interesting. A boss is interested in himself or herself, a leader is interested in the group.

Anne Frank
Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!

Frederick Herzberg
I can charge a man's battery and then recharge it again. But it is only when he has his own generator that we can talk about motivation. He then needs no outside stimulation. He wants to do it.

Unknown author
Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.

 *Title of a song from Once on This Island by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty

 1. Interview Confidently - An article I wrote earlier this year was published on the website Business and Job Info.  You can read it here.  

2. Retain Control of Your Career, Young Lawyers - This is a podcast from the ABA CLE Career Center.  The link will give you a brief synopsis of the podcast so you can determine if it is worth listening to.  You'll find the podcast link here.

3. Finding the Perfect Fit: Determining Which Practice Setting Suits You Best - Another article for young lawyers about selecting the right practice.  It was published in GP Solo an ABA publication.  You'll find the article here.

4. How to Revise Email So People Will Read It - If  you whip off an email in a few seconds and never taking the time to reread for tone, grammar and spelling, you will want to read this article.  It gives you tips on revising emails and why it is important.   If it is important to you that others read your emails, be sure to check out this article.   You will find the article here. 

5. Simple ways to donate - No Money involved! -The Hunger Site and the Breast Cancer Site are two websites that allow you to make a donation with the click of your mouse. The hunger site donates a cup of food to the hungry each time you click. The breast cancer site donates one mammogram for each click. No money is involved here. The advertisers pay everything. All it takes is a minute to click. You are allowed to make the donation to each site once every day.

6. Change of Address - At the end of this newsletter you will see a link for unsubscribing. To change your address unsubscribe your old address and re-subscribe on my website with your new address.

7. Not receiving your newsletter regularly? - Many subscribers have a limited amount of email space provided to them. When you reach the limit you can no longer receive email. Another problem may be sp*m filters. Make sure that asparker@asparker.com appears in your address book to insure delivery. If you do not receive your copy of Road to Success or Parker's Points one month one of these may be the reason why. I never resend the newsletter. I now publish the most current issue on my website at http://www.asparker.com/rtslawnew.html

* Song title from the musical Good News by Ray Henderson, B.G. Deserve, Lew Brown, Ann Morrison, Linda Michele, Michael Gruber, Wayne Bryan

Alvah Parker is a Practice Advisor and Career Coach. An award winning Account Executive and Sales Manager for AT&T, Alvah has successfully coached clients to define and achieve their goals. At AT&T, as a SCORE counselor and as a Practice Advisor, Alvah uses her business knowledge to help her clients develop a business and/or career plan. Alvah specializes in working with attorneys who want to build a profitable and fulfilling practice as well as people in transition who are interested in exploring new career options. Her coaching helps her clients to get clear about their personal vision. From that they design a plan and strategy for the future based on that vision. Alvah coaches her clients over the telephone. This means she can be reached from anywhere in the world. You can reach Alvah at 781-598-0388 or asparker@asparker.com.

 Copyright © 2009 all rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce or copy Road to Success in its entirety including copyright and contact information.