How to Start Being More Impressive and Effective

Posted on 25 July 2012 by tonyreiss
Children behaviour: Offence and Boasting.

Boasting behaviour might not always be appropriate!

We are who we are!  Can’t change!  Take us or leave us!  Right?  Well, possibly. But what would it look like if we could change? Would we be more effective and enjoy our work more?

This article will be particularly relevant if you can answer ‘yes’ to any of the following questions:

  • I have good days and bad days with certain people
  • Certain situations can bring the worst out in me
  • I know what I should be doing but find it hard sometimes motivating myself to do it
  • I’ve given up trying to get on with some other partners in my firm
  • I wish I enjoyed my work more
  • I wish I could be more effective working with some people or in certain situations

For example, a senior manager might know that he should be delegating more, but struggles to do it and ends up working long hours doing the work himself. He also gets feedback that his style is demotivating some of the junior managers. He wants to change but finds it hard. The answer ‘just delegate!’ doesn’t seem to have worked! Is there anything he can do?

Without getting into all the technical stuff, we need to understand what drives us as human beings. We are who we are because of genetics (nature) and experiences (nurture). All this leads us to a set of beliefs about who we are, what we’re good at and what we’re not good at. These then influence us hugely in our workplace and determine what we think in certain situations, how we feel, how we behave and the results we get.

This cycle becomes a pattern which we often repeat, thereby making the pattern more pronounced. It’s like we’re carving a deeper groove. Sometimes the pattern works for us and helps us achieve the results we’re looking for. Sometimes it’s working against us. What psychologists have demonstrated is that we can revisit these beliefs and patterns and choose other ones. It’s as if we can learn to cut a new groove.

Here are some tips on creating new patterns of behaviour:

  1. Try to notice what your patterns of behaviour are. Ask yourself how you compare to others. Ask for feedback. This will help you see any blind spots (we all have them). Ask your HR Manager for advice regarding psychometric tests (e.g. Myers Briggs, Insights etc).
  2. Use goal mapping – a technique that uses words and images in a diagram to appeal to your whole brain (rather than just the rational side) to reprogramme your subconscious. Look at this diagram every day. It might take a few weeks (don’t forget your existing programme will have been reinforced over several years), but you should find that you will make the transition to a new way of looking at yourself and a new way of working with others.
  3. Plan ahead more – the idea here is to put into your calendar the action that you tend to avoid, thereby increasing the chances of it happening. A partner in a law firm, who knew she needed to do more marketing, wrote a day out every month to write articles, arrange to have coffee with clients etc.
  4. Get others to nag you – in the early days in particular we are going to find it hard making changes to how we work. So get support. Perhaps your PA or another executive can help you. Rather than having this one-sided, David Maister advocates giving each other nagging rights. So they help you and you help them!
  5. Notice the triggers – to avoid negative behaviours, try to notice what brings them on and avoid those pre-conditions. Failing that, try to notice when you’re starting to feel annoyed and move to take a break so you can cool down rather than erupt!
  6. Model yourself on others – if there’s a person who demonstrates the attitude or behaviour you’re seeking to emulate, picture them at the relevant times. Ask yourself ‘what would they do?’Then do it! You will be surprised how different your behaviour will be.

Sherwood’s team of coaches come across many of these situations and we have helped hundreds of people make some startling transitions.

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Coaching Survey Confirms that Telephone Coaching Works

Posted on 22 July 2012 by tonyreiss

He Came. He Coached. He Conquered – as Julius Caesar nearly said. But what if the coach didn’t come? What if the coach phoned you up instead? Or Skyped? Or emailed?

I started a discussion thread on this topic on the Coaching at Work site on LinkedIn and the results have surprised me.

My post said….

Coaching on the phone – anybody agree with me that they find it easier to really listen than face-to-face coaching? It’s more draining, but I can hear the pauses, the sighs, the doubts more easily. Any thoughts?

I have received 65 comments from coaches all over the world and they’re still coming in. This is obviously not a statistically valid research study but it shows an overwhelmingly consistent response.

Given that international firms have such a focus on offering face-to-face coaching, I was surprised that the coaching community is overall so positive about telephone coaching.

Here is a summary of the main themes of the findings:

1.  The quality of coaching can be higher using the phone

It was thought that clients can be in a better state to be coached and that many coaches can listen better without the visual and other distractions. There were some thoughts that this might be related to whether the individuals were auditory, visual or kinaesthetic in preference.

Here are some typical verbatim comments:

One of my client’s objectives was to become more influential and engaging. Half way through the [phone] session I realised that I was slouching in the chair because his tones were so soporific. I decided to call this and it had an amazing impact on him as we delved into ’how and why’ he was being like that. This would have never happened if we’d been face-to-face as I would have been very careful to look and feel engaged!!

I thought that I would miss things like body language but, in some ways, I’ve found that clients are more forthright when they are not in the room.

I do find it easier to listen more intently on the phone, and to hear more of what is being said/not said

I only offer 50 minute telephone coaching and have found that I cover much more ground than on face-to-face sessions of 1.5-2 hours where distractions seem to be more common. I feel able to drive the session more and to be more challenging. I can also take copious notes which often reveal interesting patterns and issues.

I think that telephone coaching is a great way to coach, as it allows the coach to be far more objective. It facilitates greater challenge and also the coach is less likely to become content seduced as a greater mental capacity is required for listening and assimilating the information so that the right questions are asked to help the coachee with their thinking.

It’s interesting that clients who have initially been reluctant [to phone coaching] actually embrace it once we get started and it ceases to be an issue once they have challenged their own perception.

I find that one of the advantages of coaching on the phone is that it acts like a sort of security feature, often encouraging coachees to open up more. Some coachees feel uncomfortable with face to face coaching, finding it hard to talk freely under the gaze (however empathetic) of another person.

I do most of my coaching over the phone, working with clients who I have never met face to face. The coaching is exactly the same as it is face to face – contracting with the client, building rapport etc, but it uses our more intuitive side of coaching. We fine tune our listening skills and listen out for the non verbal, non physical cues. It seems to create more safety for the client and it creates a space for them to be more intuitive with their own responses.

Most of my clients come to telephone coaching because their need dictates it. Some of them come feeling sceptical, nervous about it, particularly if they’ve experienced face to face coaching in the past. We always discuss this and contract around how we want to work together and I would say that 99% of those clients leave the coaching having got huge insight and made great progress with their goals… and become fans of telephone coaching!

Initially I was quite skeptical about phone coaching. However now I agree that it is whatever method works best for the client and I do find that it has honed my listening skills tremendously and I tune into my client as I listen for the non verbal and the silences. I also use a variety of tools/exercises that work just as well on the phone once the rapport and trust is there. On the subject of cost – I charge the same for telephone and face to face.

2.  Telephone coaching is restricted and certain meetings are better held face to face.

Many coaches pointed out that it can be important for the coach to see changes in the coachee’s physiology and that there are several techniques that require the coach to be present. Also it can be important to have the kick off meeting, perhaps including the line manager, face to face.

Typical comments on this theme include:

Whilst I’ve received some great coaching over the phone, there are limitations. You can’t see the colour change in your coachee’s face. You can’t see when they seal up their lips with their fingers. You can’t offer them a crayon and suggest they draw something. You can’t show them a model via a diagram. You can’t get them to step through their changes. I work intuitively and creatively, and I don’t feel I’d be offering a full service if I coached by phone. 

Being in the same room gives me more insights about the coachee’s non-verbal responses. It also gives us more options to use paper, flipcharts and other methods to organise complex information. I also feel that the energy levels are higher when in a room together. 

I have at least 5 senses and I want to have them available for the benefit of my client, in whatever way and combination that works for them. Sometimes I can be working with someone for 10 minutes or more, without them or me saying anything – watching, feeling, sensing and hearing every nuance and vibration as they are going through a process of integration; noticing their physiology change. 

My preference would always be to start with a face to face session to contract and define goals. I also find the triad meeting with the line manager easier when the three of us are in the room than a conference call. 

3.  There were mixed views about the benefits of coaching using Skype video. 

Some thought the benefits of seeing the coachee outweighed the dysbenefits of the distractions from the technology glitches and visual delays. But others disagreed:

The quality of the line is really important when you are listening for what they don’t say, so I tend to use a landline rather than skype. I don’t like using webcam, as I find the technology can often be a distraction, if my band-width is slow for example.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that coaching is developing and that different media are being explored. We’re all likely to have pre-conceptions and preferences. However I don’t think we can ignore the overwhelming positive confirmation that coaching on the phone can be extremely effective.

Sherwood believes that telephone coaching can play an important part in providing support to those in senior positions. We have 6 fully trained coaches and would be delighted to talk to you about the benefits of coaching, either face to face or on the telephone.

Finally, there are clearly some hazards coaching on the phone. One respondent told us:

Only once have I, upon hearing the long pause after a question, thought “that seems to have hit the spot”, waited a bit and then realised…..the line had gone dead!

Posted in Business Development and Selling, Coaching and Training | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Really Impressive Presentations to Win the Pitch

Posted on 19 July 2012 by tonyreiss
Audience

A big audience for this pitch – and they liked it!

The work is rarely won just from doing a great presentation. There is often a firm favourite before the presentation starts as a result of how well they have impressed up to now, in terms of their initial response and the content and style of their pitch document. However it is possible to lose the work by having a poor presentation and it is possible to win the work from a firm that has equally impressed up to now.

Your prime focus needs to be on:

  • Getting and holding the client’s attention
  • Making sure they can follow your argument and making your message memorable
  • Continuing to build credibility, trust and rapport with the client
  • Being persuasive – you will deliver!

You can do this by thinking carefully about what you say and how you say it. Try to avoid talking at the client. Make it interactive. You can achieve this by asking them questions during the presentation.

1.    What You Say

Don’t just regurgitate the contents of the pitch document. Assume they have read this (even though they may not have remembered much of its content!). Instead, find other ways of getting your message across. Consider providing some case studies covering how you have helped other clients in similar situations. Provide evidence, not just words!

 2.    Preparation

Forget the myth of the flowing orator who unprepared can expound with clarity and brilliance. The best speakers are those who prepare themselves well. It can help to organise the material into three or four main headings. Divide into sub-sections where it is helpful.

  1. Putting over Information

It is important to give the audience a sense of direction, so it is useful to ‘signpost’ your subject clearly and make it clear when you are moving on to the next subject. If you don’t do this you run the risk of the audience expending too much of their energy considering where you are in your presentation rather than listening to your pearls of wisdom.

  1. Beginning and Ending

Introductions and conclusions need special care. The first needs to get the attention of the audience and promise them interest and benefit.  The introduction should be relevant. Be careful with humour – it often betrays nervousness. The conclusion should reinforce what you have said and make your key points memorable. You should not introduce any new ideas in the conclusion. Your ending will be remembered more than any other part of the presentation, so it should be strong and positive.

  1. Questions

Anticipating questions is essential. If you put yourself in the client’s shoes, you should find it easy to think of the questions they will ask. Alternatively, draw up a list of the questions you most dread and find the words and phrases that work best. It can be helpful to have questions dealt by one of the team first and have the Chair ‘tidy up’ the answer if necessary. Another useful tactic is to buy some thinking time by asking the client to explain more about their concerns behind the questions. If the question really beats you, it is best not to try to cover it up. Say you need to give it more thought and get back to them.

  1. Logistics

If there are quite a few people attending, work out how to handle introductions. Shaking hands is a good thing to try to do, but can be embarrassing and tedious if too many people are involved. Ideally, check out the room beforehand to get the seating right and the technology set up. You do not always look your best when setting up a PowerPoint presentation and getting your notes organised. 

  1. Use Your Voice

First and foremost, be audible. You should also vary your voice in terms of volume and pitch. To emphasise certain points, go louder or softer. Vary the length of your sentences. Also, sound enthusiastic! Avoid trying to impress by using inflated phrases or obscure technical jargon. You will build better rapport if you speak like a human being and avoid any language barriers. Try to find some powerful verbs and adjectives to make your points more vivid and memorable. Analogies can also be useful.

  1. Eye Contact

The best way to look credible and build rapport is by having eye-to-eye contact with your audience. But don’t focus on one individual for too long. It can be intimidating.

  1. Visual Aids

Visual aids can help make your message more memorable, in part because the audience not only hears the words but they can see key words as well. However some visual aids, such as PowerPoint presentations, can also be a distraction and can act as a barrier between you and the audience. Presentations on screen can be more useful in larger meetings.

  1. Looking Like a Team

The way you perform as a group says a lot to the client as to how well you will work as a team. It can help to display the right ‘body language’, such as:

  • Having whoever is speaking on your side sitting slightly forward of the others
  • Having those who are not speaking, occasionally looking at the fellow team member who is speaking and nodding agreement with what they are saying.

See also: https://tonyreiss.com/2013/04/26/we-will-let-you-know-the-dreaded-words-after-a-pitch/

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Building Rapport on the Phone

Posted on 10 July 2012 by tonyreiss
911: President George W. Bush Telephone Call t...

George W doing his influencing on the phone

Do you have important discussions on the phone and find some of them difficult?

How good would it be if you could always have two-way communications, where both of you really communicated and understood each other?

If I’m coaching on the phone, I find I have to listen much harder and ask more probing questions. I have to listen to the pauses and hear the sighs and changes in intonation and ask some gentle probing questions about what what might be behind what they are communicating.

But another way of building rapport is to consider how you are using your voice!

Here’s a quick reminder of what rapport is:

Rapport is a term used to describe the relationship of two or more people who are on the same wavelength because they feel similar or relate well to each other (source: Dorothy Stewart).

The word is thought to be derived from an old French verb ‘rapporter’ which means literally to carry something back. So, what messages one person intends to send out are seen to be ‘carried back’ by the other. For example two people may be in rapport when they sense that they share similar values, beliefs, knowledge, or behaviours in certain situations.

When working face-to-face, there are a number of techniques that are beneficial in building rapport such as:

  • Matching your body language (i.e. posture, gesture etc.)
  • Maintaining eye contact
  • Matching breathing rhythm

But how can we do this on the phone to gain instantaneous rapport? Here are the variables available to us:

  • Voice tone (pitch – high or low)
  • Tempo (speed – slow or fast)
  • Timbre (quality – clean or rich)
  • Volume (loudness – loud or soft)

All we have to do is notice where the other person has set their dials on each of these elements and reflect back in a similar way to them.

We don’t have to match their sound exactly. This is especially true if you are speaking to someone of the opposite sex. As a woman, if you matched a man’s low tone exactly it would obviously sound strange. You wouldn’t build rapport. In fact you would probably break it!

Your voice has to remain authentic – in other words, within your normal range. Otherwise it might seem that you’re being manipulative.

The result is you sound more like the other person and so unconsciously they will recognise you are like them. They will then tend to like you and be more inclined to listen to what you have to say.

Most of us will naturally do this ‘rapporting’ when we’re at our best. The challenge is when we’re not at our best – when we’re tired or stressed. Then it might take a little more effort. But it’ll be worth it!

 

 

Posted in Business Development and Selling, Coaching and Training, Leadership and Management, Networking | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mind the Knowing-Doing Gap – Through Practice

Posted on 9 July 2012 by tonyreiss
English: Live at the Start Club album cover of...

Getting your 10,000 hours practice

What do I mean by the Knowing-Doing gap? Here are a couple of examples:

  1. Most partners know they should be giving regular feedback to associates – praising good efforts and correcting errors. Yet associates tell us repeatedly that they don’t receive as much feedback as they’d like.
  2. Most partners know they should be doing less talking and asking more questions when in selling situations. But the questions just don’t seem to come to mind and the partners end up talking too much.

I attribute the cause of this behaviour to the Knowing-Doing gap.

Lawyers are good at knowing stuff. The emphasis in their legal training has been on gaining knowledge and on sharpening their expertise – there has been significantly less emphasis on developing skills.

But it’s not just training that’s needed. There’s lots of evidence that it’s important to practise – to get the skill ‘into the muscle’, so you can do it without thinking consciously – a bit like how most of us drive our cars. After driving a couple of years, we don’t think ‘now I must push down the clutch’. We just seem to do it!

Incidentally, the skill is not actually ‘in the muscle’ – that’s just a phrase. It’s probably in the hippocampus as well as other areas of the brain, such as Broca’s area.

How do people learn new skills in other fields? They practise! Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers, writes about needing 10,000 hours to become an expert (eg The Beatles performed live in Hamburg, Germany over 1,200 times from 1960 to 1964, amassing more than 10,000 hours of playing time).

This need for practice isn’t a job for trainers. It’s more an issue of finding ways of institutionalising the activity in the firm. There is likely to be an important role for partners and practice group heads to oversee this activity, help provide the opportunities for practice and encourage positive feedback.

Then we’ll close the Knowing – Doing gap!

 

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Don’t ask clients what they think – they might tell you!

Posted on 29 June 2012 by tonyreiss
Customer services

One approach to enhancing customer service!

Apparently clients are still saying that few firms are checking with them about their level of satisfaction with the service that the law firm is providing. What a shame! It’s such an easy way of providing evidence that, as Matter Partner or as Client Relationship Partner, you care!

Client Service Checklist

If you’d like a simple checklist, try this approach:

  1. On a scale of 1 – 10 (with 10 being outstanding), how would you rate our level of service?
  2. What do you particularly like about the service?  [encourage clients to give 3 responses and probe to find out the details]
  3. What aspects of their service would you like them to improve? [again seek 3 responses and probe]
  4. How important are the following aspects of service (5 = extremely important; 4 = very important; 3 = important; 2 = not very important; 1 = not important at all)
  • Appropriate use of technology
  • Being proactive (ie not always waiting for you to tell us what to do)
  • Consistency of service (from different practice groups or offices)
  • Clarity on fees
  • Having partners accessible to you at all times
  • Keeping you informed of developments
  • Negotiating skills (and appropriate toughness in litigation)
  • Providing added value services (eg training, updates on legal issues from seminars, newsletters etc)
  • Providing clear, commercial, practical advice
  • Quality of junior staff
  • Service from support staff (ie reception, switchboard, secretaries)
  • Speed of work and keeping to timescales
  • Understanding your business and industry sector
  • Working well with your team

5. How would you score the quality of service provided by us in terms of how well they meet your expectations ( 5 = excellent; 4 = very good; 3 = good; 2 = fair; 1 = poor)

[same list as above]

6. Other areas to explore:

There may well be several other important areas to explore, such as:

  • Image/perception (and how different to other firms, especially those you consider to be competitors)
  • Fees, cost-consciousness and value for money
  • Cost/billing procedures
  • Increasing/decreasing use of solicitors over next few months/years
  • Experience when visiting your office
  • Service when partner is away (eg on holiday)

Final comment

The next question for you to consider is, when do you ask these questions? Do you wait to the end of the matter? If it was me, I would be seeking feedback as the matter progresses. It is likely to be irritating for clients to have too many reviews but, at the moment, there are clearly too few!  So get asking! Also, ask yourself the question…..If you don’t ask, how might the client interpret that?

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How to Re-negotiate Fees Without Upsetting the Client

Posted on 26 June 2012 by tonyreiss

negotiate

It can be a real jolt to a client if fees charged differ from fees expected. Imagine how the contact in the client organisation looks to their boss when they have to say, “Sorry. I got it wrong. We’re going to go over budget. It’s going to cost us more than I expected”. Lawyers need to respect their client’s position and explain and negotiate accordingly.

Many lawyers don’t even attempt to negotiate. They just write off the overrun. But if you handle the conversation appropriately, you can help the client realise that they have obtained good value and can appeal to their sense of fairness. Our approach assumes that changes in fees are communicated at the earliest opportunity.

As with many things, how you handle the negotiation depends on the strength of the relationship. The more the client sees you as a trusted advisor, the easier this negotiation will be.

Key Stages in the Negotiation

We advocate a 6-stage negotiation with clients when fees have exceeded the estimate of what was going to be charged. We describe below the stages of the discussion and provide an example of what you might say. The script is there to be helpful, but don’t take it too literally. What you actually say will depend on your personal style, the style of the client, the nature of your relationship, the contract you agreed with the client at the outset etc.

Stage 1 – Contact the client

It doesn’t need to be a special meeting. It could easily be discussed in a meeting in which other items have been covered. What you say to raise the subject might sound something like this:

“I thought you would like to know how things stand in terms of progress on the matter” 

Stage 2 – Ask for feedback on work done to date

Discussions on fees should usually not be held in isolation. The issue to be considered is ‘value’ not ‘cost’. If it is possible to discuss briefly the good work performed to date, this should be done. It might sound something like this:

“I am pleased with the results of what we have achieved to date. [Give comments on specific aspects of the matter that you believe have gone well….perhaps, a negotiation, with the other side]. From what you have said, we believe you are pleased. Is that right?”

Stage 3 – Explain why the work has cost more than the estimate

Once you feel have adequately reviewed the work to date, you need to focus on the issue of costs. We recommend that you provide a factual explanation as to what assumptions you had made to derive the estimate and what has happened that deviates from these assumptions and why these things have happened.

“We made the following assumptions……… More time has been spent on certain aspects of the matter than we expected. I would like to explain the difference and obtain your approval for it.”

Stage 4 – Ask for the client’s reactions

This negotiation needs to be a dialogue. If the client does not understand, or needs additional information, you need to know this. It can help to put your question in a positive frame, using phrases such as:

“In light of the extra work that was required, I hope that you consider our fee adjustment to be fair. Is this acceptable to you?” 

Stage 5 – Deal with any concerns or misunderstandings

The client may want to hear further reassurances, perhaps specifically about the timing of this request and why the issue hadn’t been raised earlier. These could be provided by something like this:

“Had we anticipated this extra work, we would have had this discussion earlier. Knowing that you had time constraints, we felt it was important to proceed on your behalf to minimise any costly delays.”

Stage 6 – Reach an agreement on what to charge

After reaching an agreement, it can be important to finish the conversation on a positive note, such as:

“You have been extremely reasonable and we are grateful for that. I assure you that these variances are not common and should not occur on other work we will do for you in future.” 

Given how much money firms are writing off, it’s got to be worth having a go at these negotiations. You may not feel comfortable renegotiating on fees, but there’s little to lose and much to gain! And if it’s done well, the honesty and openness expressed by using the process can even help build a stronger, more trusting relationship.

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How About Using the Suzuki Method for Training Lawyers in Leadership Skills?

Posted on 23 June 2012 by tonyreiss
A violin

Can the Suzuki Method be used to train lawyers in leadership?

Many of us will have heard of the Suzuki Method in the context of training young violinists. It revolutionised teaching techniques in music. The interesting question is whether there is anything relevant in this approach for training lawyers to be better communicators or better at selling?

The Suzuki Method was conceived in the mid-20th century by Shinichi Suzuki, a Japanese violinist. He was a skilled violinist but struggled to learn the German language. He noticed that young children pick up their native language quickly, even difficult dialects.

He reasoned that if children have the skill to acquire their mother tongue, then they have the necessary ability to become proficient at playing a musical instrument. He pioneered the idea that pre-school age children could learn to play the violin well if the learning steps were small enough and if the instrument was scaled down to fit their body.

The Suzuki Difference

What are the differences between a Suzuki trainer and a ‘normal’ trainer? I have benefitted from having a singing teacher well versed in the Suzuki method, so here are some key points:

  1. Suzuki trainers focus on one aspect of technique at a time, for example, always looking for perfect posture and positioning. You might hear the trainer say: ‘Your mission is to keep your thumb up where everyone can see how great it is. Okay?’
  2. The trainer will have the eye of a hawk and point out if anything needs correcting.
  3. Virtually every utterance is positive – trainers never sound judgemental. This creates what psychologists call a growth mindset.
  4. Suzuki trainers model excellence, both to help teach but also to inspire.
  5. A greater focus on keeping students motivated and focused during a lesson. The attitude is ‘If it isn’t fun – who’d want to do it?’The learning process includes group learning so people can learn from each other
  6. Life outside the lesson is more important than life inside the classroom. Most of the learning needed to take place outside the classroom so this experience had to be pleasurable. Suzuki trainers put emphasis on teaching parents in how to make practice pleasurable, thereby creating the Suzuki Triangle of Teacher – Pupil – Parent.

Implications for Training Lawyers

So, what relevance has this got to training lawyers in new skills? Here are some thoughts:

  1. Why not start legal skills training with younger groups? Might it be not optimal to start training partners in, say, BD skills? What about starting such training much earlier, say with the trainees – might they not find it easier to pick up the techniques, particularly before they pick up any bad habits they’ll have to unlearn?
  2. Keep numbers small for skills training – to help keep costs down, I’m currently working with breakout groups of 6 people maximum. Is this too many to deliver the quality one-on-one attention that such training might need?
  3. Use video to capture any small points, particularly on body language. Though most people have an aversion to seeing themselves on screen, they invariably learn lots with a good tutor helping them, particularly if the feedback is non-judgemental.
  4. Create the right environment for training– are we doing enough to ensure training programmes are:
    1.  supportive,
    2. providing lots of positive feedback,
    3. providing lots of opportunities to practise,
    4. linking training to life on-the-job?
  5. Make training fun! We need to remember that it’s not easy being in the learning zone. There should be a lightness of touch on training programmes to help diffuse any discomforts and tensions. It’s not just kids that like fun.
  6. Use ‘small steps’ – not asking for the moon. More time on creating appropriate action plans which will provide a positive momentum. This is often rushed at the end of a workshop.
  7. The group activities believed to be important to Suzuki can be created by providing action learning groups, perhaps meeting one lunchtime a month to talk to colleagues about what’s going well etc
  8. Spending more time training the partners to be supportive of the learning process on-the-job. This would include:
    1. Helping to set learning objectives for participants attending training programmes
    2. Picking up on any learning and helping provide opportunities to apply the learning
    3. Providing ongoing feedback and motivation

This would help create a potentially virtuous triangle of Trainer – Associate – Partner.

This last suggestion would probably have the biggest influence on learning and performance in most law firms.

For more information about The Suzuki Method see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_method

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Keep Coaching SIMPLE – Focus on the Solution not the Problem

Posted on 7 June 2012 by tonyreiss

I had the great pleasure of working with Mark McKergow at a workshop. He taught me so much about the coaching and consulting techniques he uses. They’re written up well in his and Paul Jackson’s book, The Solutions Focus (see below for details). But here’s a synopsis:

In essence, they advocate coaches not focussing on the problem. They argue that there’s often no obvious correlation between problem and solution. Also, a protracted length of time analysing the problem recreates the problem state. Coaches need to focus on creating a solution state with access to more resources to help them.

There are a number of similarities to Appreciative Inquiry (AI), particularly around the use of affirmations in the coaching dialogue. For those not familiar with AI it uses the process:

  • Discovery – appreciate what is
  • Dream – imagine what might be
  • Design – determine what should be
  • Destiny – create what will be

The approach of solutions-based coaching uses the following principles, based on the acronym SIMPLE:

S- Focus on Solutions not problems

I – A systems thinking approach is encouraged and focus is inbetween the people concerned, not having a mindset of us vs them!

M – Making use of available resources

P -Mine the past, present and future for possibilities and resources

L- Using language as simple as possible, to avoid over-complicating the issue

E – Every case is different – make sure coaches don’t impose any preconditions

So here’s the coaching process:

1. Begin with the PLATFORM. This is where we are now. You might use the metaphor of imagining that a train is coming to help them on their way towards a solution. Problem states can be characterised as being ‘in’ something or static (as in ‘in a mess’, ‘I feel stuck’). The notion of a journey can be helpful to redefine the system.

2. Move to the FUTURE PERFECT, a description of where the other person wants to get to. You might ask:

‘What if the problem went away overnight?’

‘How would others know?’

‘What will be different when the problems have disappeared?’

‘What will be the first signs?’

3. The next step is to accumulate COUNTERS. These are the resources, skills, knowhow and expertise that will count in getting us toward the solution. You might ask:

‘When does the solution happen already? Even a little bit?’

‘How have you managed to get as far as you have?’

4. Provide some AFFIRMATIONS. Try questions such as:

‘What are you impressed with?’

‘What skills and resources can you observe?’

‘What are the grounds for optimism?’

The coach’s role is to help those involved see the value of these resources.

5. Encourage SMALL STEPS, actions that can be taken tomorrow. Encourage the perception of starting something, rather than stopping. Reviewing the success of these steps provides more resources.

6. Use a SCALE where 1 is where the problem is at its worst and 10 is a realisation of the Future Perfect. This helps you monitor progress. Useful coaching questions relating to scaling are as follows:

‘What stops you from slipping back to 1?’

‘You’re at n now. What would it take to get to n+1?’

I find this to be a powerful model because I find the step of taking action particularly important to get right and somewhat fragile. This technique ensures that more attention is given to making the right choice and taking the action with conviction.

For more information about this coaching methodology see http://www.thesolutionsfocus.com/

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What Partners Really Mean When They Say ‘Yes’ to Your Idea

Posted on 6 June 2012 by tonyreiss
Board Room of the Admiralty

They’re saying ‘yes’ – but what does it mean?

When I was a younger man – rather more innocent and naive than I am now – I can remember the delight at getting a unanimous ‘yes’ from the board members of my firm to a big culture-changing project.

I was wise enough to ask for specific reactions and comments from the more conservative board members. But, at the time, I can remember that I distinctly heard a ‘yes’ from each of them.

Six months later, when the project ground into a quagmire, I tried to work out what had happened and where I might have gone wrong.

The answer is clear to me now. When they had said ‘yes’, they weren’t saying yes to the idea. They weren’t saying ‘Yes – It’s a good idea. Let’s go ahead. It’s got my full endorsement. I’ll back it all the way!’. They were just saying ‘Yes – I hear you!’

And the clue is obvious. If the partners aren’t communicating at at least a level of 9 out of 10 enthusiasm, they’re not sufficiently enthused about the idea to help make it a success.

What I now do in similar situations, if I sense there’s only a lukewarm acceptance, is say something like, ‘I’m sensing there may be some concerns and this initiative is going to need your full commitment…..’ The ensuing silence usually flushes out what was being thought but wasn’t being said.

I then deal with any of the underlying concerns.

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