Working with Compassion

by UpwardActionTeam | Coach T.C. Coleman

Share your knowledge, expand your network, act with compassion. Tim Sanders, author of the groundbreaking Love Is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends, says that the best way to build your career or business is to practice generosity-to the extreme. By working this way, we garner trust and respect in others and clients are drawn to authenticity and kindness. Sanders doesn’t talk about love in a fluffy, false way but as a genuine mindset to doing business.

To share your knowledge, you need to build your knowledge. Reading business and personal development books, magazines and blogs gives you a base from which to share.

When you can’t provide a service to a client or colleague, you may be able to share knowledge with them. Being able to say “I can’t help you directly, but you might try reading this article” allows you to provide valuable assistance without being a subject matter expert.

Expanding your network allows you to help others by introducing them to people they might want to work with or who can support their vision.

While “networking” sometimes has a false “people collecting” image, when you think of establishing contacts so you can connect people with others who can provide solutions for their issues, “networking” becomes a altruistic venture.

Again, if you can’t help a client, but know someone who can, you will be considered a resource when people in your target market need help -or know someone who needs help. Becoming a portal of information will make a measureable difference in your practice or other service business.

Finally, can we say enough about living with compassion?

Living and working with compassion makes others feel better … both about you and themselves. We are drawn to those who empower us, cheer us on, or listen during hard times.

Colleagues and clients are no different. Compassion is a leadership trait that perhaps doesn’t draw enough attention. If your professional brand includes compassion, you will naturally draw others to you.

So. Love is a killer application. Add it to your toolbox.

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Are You Tweeting on Twitter?

by Coach T.C. Coleman

twitter

Twitter is a hot, hot, hot interactive marketing tool for staying connected and building relationships with your target audience. This powerful platform allows you to send short messages to your “followers” (as well as the larger Twitter community), expand your exposure and further build your brand.

You may be asking yourself, “Why in the world would I spend my valuable time using Twitter, a tool that only allows me to communicate in 140 character posts?”

My answer to you is actually quite simple … “Your clients are probably already tweeting away on Twitter!” And, lots of your prospective clients are certainly on Twitter actively using this tool. Southwest Airlines, Jet Blue, Financial Times, Zappos shoes and even Barack Obama use Twitter - and I have just named a few of the companies that I follow or that follow me.

If you are not using Twitter, you are really missing out on a powerful way to use social networking to deepen relationships with your client base and expand your business.

If you have no idea of where to begin or how to maximize your Twitter time, contact us to set up an introductory coaching session. We are experts at helping lawyers and lawyerpreneurs develop powerful and time efficient social media and networking strategies. This includes using Twitter and Facebook for accelerated business success.

More tomorrow on our top 7 reasons for all lawyers to start actively using Twitter now.

In the meantime, I invite you to follow me on Twitter for the latest information on what’s happening at UpwardAction. You will also be the first to know about new products, coaching programs or specials.

Until Next Time ~ Expect the Best!

~Coach T.C. Coleman, JD

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Congratulations New Partner … Now what?

by Coach T.C. Coleman

Making partner is a big move ~ Congratulations! This is quite an exciting, yet slightly (OK – more than slightly) intimidating accomplishment. Along with partnership comes bigger financial, prestige and other “intangible” rewards but also bigger risks and LOTS more pressure. You may be asking yourself “Now that I’ve made it this far, what do I do next?”

Here are a few steps to help guide your path to accelerated partnership success!

powerwoman

1. Establish (and continuously evaluate and re-evaluate) long term goals. First, take sufficient time to get really clear about what you hope to accomplish professionally, socially and personally in your first 5 years of partnership. Do not shortchange yourself here by planning for less than five years, because anything less is too short. Achieving long-term success and stability at this stage of the game requires that you develop the skill of long-term strategic thinking. Hire an UpwardAction Coach if you need help in this regard. Once your long term goals are clearly defined, determine what it will take to accomplish each goal and create a step by step action plan. Then, group your steps into monthly and weekly objectives.

Although this process may sound like a ton of work, it really is not as burdensome as it appears at first glance. Investing time upfront to chart your path will keep you focused and positioned to achieve great things as a new partner.

2. Reward Yourself

Remember to be good to yourself as you make progress on your path to accelerated partnership success. Use your action plan to identify milestones and then reward yourself for accomplishing each milestone. A reward can be as extravagant as an exotic trip to Thailand or a simple as a free afternoon to read a book or enjoy a conversation with a friend at your local coffee shop.

3. Assess Your Strengths and Weaknesses. You must have an accurate view of your strengths and weaknesses to succeed at this high level of your game. Once you really know where you stand – you are in a position to maximize your strengths and augment your weaknesses. You can also work on developing a rainmaking/connecting style that works for you and not waste time on those that are outside of your interest. For example, if you love speaking , spend your time speaking to and connecting with audiences. Then, write outlines for your articles and commission more junior lawyers to develop articles from the outlines. When working with more junior lawyers, always remember the important of sharing authorship.

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