Among the goals of any manager is to create and maintain an HPO—a high-performance organization. That means you have created a lean, mean running machine that operates at top efficiency, and your employees are engaged. Some organizations don't believe this really applies to them. But look at it this way: Research by the Gallagher Organization has suggested that only 25 … [Read more...] about Creating and maintaining a high-performance office
General
Are you building a community or an organization?
By Dr. Steve M. Cohen Office managers have a major role in creating the culture of their organization. One of the major considerations of that culture revolves around the question: Are you building a community or an organization? Defining our terms A community, by definition, is inclusive. It makes room for individuals and their diverse proclivities, biases, illnesses, … [Read more...] about Are you building a community or an organization?
Is your firm’s website killing your sales opportunities?
Here's how to turn website visitors into clients The website: It's an area where, according to Trey Ryder, a Payson, AZ law firm marketing consultant, "firms spend untold amounts of money for absolute garbage." Many sites, says Ryder "are atrocious," despite the price tags they carry. "If they work, they work in spite of themselves." In most cases, a website's failure … [Read more...] about Is your firm’s website killing your sales opportunities?
Do you follow these 7 rules when you fire an employee?
If it's employment at will—and for most employers it is—the office can fire whomever it wants, whenever it wants, and without any reason at all. But it's not quite that easy. With any termination, emotions take over. Besides the crushed ego, there is the cold hard fact that the office is essentially taking away a person's livelihood. And all of a sudden people start … [Read more...] about Do you follow these 7 rules when you fire an employee?
3 ways to eliminate flab from your writing and become a stronger communicator
No, this isn't an article on dieting. Today, we're talking about a different kind of flab that professionals should shed—the kind you find in poor writing. Flab is the unnecessary words, the words that don't mean what they're supposed to mean, and the clichés that everyone's tired of hearing. Take flab out of your letters, memos, and reports. Flab will never improve a … [Read more...] about 3 ways to eliminate flab from your writing and become a stronger communicator
3 steps to hiring staff who can—and will—do the job
Spend too little time hiring = spending a lot of time fixing mistakes. Managers tend to go about hiring quickly and haphazardly. They think hiring is a gamble and they might as well rely on the best guess. It doesn't have to be that way. There can be a reasonable amount of certainty in hiring decisions as long as the manager does three things. The first is to … [Read more...] about 3 steps to hiring staff who can—and will—do the job
Protect yourself and your firm with a strong anti-retaliation policy
Most managers are skilled at preventing discrimination claims. But few pay close enough attention to the financial damage that retaliation, resulting from a discrimination claim, can have on a practice. The reality is that retaliation claims have a higher rate of success than discrimination claims. Retaliation claims not limited to victims Retaliation is any adverse action … [Read more...] about Protect yourself and your firm with a strong anti-retaliation policy
The dangers of the disengaged staffer
By Steve M. Cohen bio Are some of your employees actually working against you? When it comes to the bigger picture of your job, your office or your business, the important question is simple: are you engaged? Is your staff engaged? Whether you are an owner, manager or beginning worker, the answers matters. A national management firm, the Gallagher Organization, has published … [Read more...] about The dangers of the disengaged staffer
6 easy ways to build staff morale and loyalty
It doesn't take a degree in management to build loyalty, morale and productivity in the office. It's the little things that make the biggest difference. Amazingly simple things that cost nothing, yet pay off in spades. 1 Hello and how are you? First is a tactic that's deceptively simple. It's nothing more than saying hello and making eye contact with staff you come … [Read more...] about 6 easy ways to build staff morale and loyalty
How to set SMART personal goals
In your role as law office manager, you no doubt set goals for the practice and your staff. But have you taken the time to think about your career goals? As baseball great Yogi Berra said, "If you don't know where you're going, you might not get there." Understanding the process Although a performance appraisal or a new year may seem like an ideal time to set goals, … [Read more...] about How to set SMART personal goals