Category Archives: Coaching and Training

Why Isn’t L&D Happening in Law Firms?

Posted on 25 November 2019 by

I’ve recently attended an excellent workshop at Reed Smith on the O-shaped lawyer. In case you’re interested, this basically means a more rounded T-shaped lawyer. The T-shaped lawyer was one that had more than just technical excellence – they had … Continue reading →

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Falling Off The Ladder of Inference

Posted on 2 May 2019 by

Here’s a typical scenario which explains the ladder of inference… You briefed your assistant Jo yesterday to draft a document and give it to you first thing this morning. It’s on your desk at 10.00am (not exactly first thing!) and … Continue reading →

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How to Change Our Work Habits

Posted on 1 May 2019 by

Gretchen Rubin has recognised that there are four types of people at work, based on our tendencies to respond to expectations. It turns out there are two types of expectation: outer expectations, such as work deadlines or accepting requests from … Continue reading →

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Skills Training using Video Conferencing Software – Does it Work?

Posted on 31 December 2018 by

Do you really need to fly people to attend training events to learn new skills? A good question when clients are baulking at the costs of such events and not clear they are getting value for money. With the development … Continue reading →

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Giving Feedback Using Radical Candor (or Candour for the Brits!)

Posted on 22 October 2018 by

Kim Scott tells a great story about getting feedback from Sheryl Sandberg whilst working at Facebook. It goes roughly like this… After a presentation, Sheryl said: ‘You know you say ‘um’ a lot.’ Kim, who thought she was a pretty … Continue reading →

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How to Walk in Your Client’s Shoes

Posted on 4 June 2018 by

We all know we should try to put ourselves in our client’s shoes. But it can be hard to do that when there’s so much going on in our own shoes. So here are some thoughts about what clients might … Continue reading →

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Beware Making Assumptions About Others

Posted on 19 March 2018 by

Or, why you never want to share a table with a stranger, by Douglas Adams I had the great pleasure of meeting Douglas back in the 1980’s in his flat in Islington, London. He tells the story like this… “I … Continue reading →

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