Want to read more articles like this one?
Sign up for my Free Newlsetter and get an article like this delivered to you every week.
You can unsubscribe at any time -
but you won't want to!
 Privacy Policy: We will NEVER share,
rent or sell your information
|
Winning Gold
Watching the
Olympics and the incredible feats of the athletes it was interesting to
see those who were able to summon up world-class performances, personal
bests and those that struggled.
The ability to perform successfully under pressure is a vital attribute
for any lawyer. All of us at one stage or another will have encountered
the “wobble” when the pressure or stress of a situation starts to get
the better of us and our confidence levels drop. Teams suffer from
“wobbles” too. This week I completed a Change Management workshop for a
team, which is about to undertake significant operational change. What
soon became evident was that the team was already suffering as a result
of a wobble.
Most lawyers have some degree of managerial responsibility so what to do
when your team starts to wobble?
-
Be aware
that the performance of the team is likely to be adversely affected
by change. Tackle unrest positively at an early stage.
-
Communicate
with your team on all levels and in a variety of ways. Don’t presume
that just because you understand the change and have told people a
number of times before they will have grasped your message.
-
Be prepared
to take the time to address peoples’ concerns however difficult that
may be for you personally - don’t dodge the difficult questions.
-
Don’t shoot
the messenger or react defensively if the message coming back loud
and clear is not what you want to hear.
-
Consult
only when any feedback will make a difference to your decisions - be
up front with people and say that you will consult when they can
make a difference. Nothing destroys your credibility more than
gaining the reputation for “phony” consultation. You will find that
next time you want genuine consultation, staff will not trust you
and their likely reaction will be to say, “do what you want you are
going to anyway!”
-
Explore
what is important to individuals and to the team as a whole. Look to
incorporate those values in some form into the change.
-
Set a clear
common vision of where you want to be – what is the equivalent of
winning that gold medal?
Until next time
and best wishes
Jane
Wintringham
|
Website Design and Content © 2008 Leading Women Lawyers, Develop4choice. All Worldwide Rights Reserved.
Leading Women Lawyers, Develop4choice, 20 Thornfield Road, West Park, Leeds LS16 5AR, United Kingdom
Tel 0113 305 3604 | Email: info@leadingwomenlawyers.co.uk |
