Something’s in the Water: Combatting the Element of Anticipation

Recently, I read a long article about the movie Jaws. What has come to be known as a genre-defining film had a production absolutely plagued with issues, including a malfunctioning mechanical shark. In a move that is rife with logistical lessons, the shark had only been tested in fresh water and had mechanical problems when introduced to the significantly more corrosive saltwater ocean filming location. In addition to scripting delays, infighting among the cast, a literal sinking ship, and other issues, some of the scenes had to be completely reimagined now that the shark was deemed mechanically unreliable. Because of that poor planning and lack of testing, the eventual audience got those iconic anticipation scenes. You likely know them well: dramatic camera shots of starkly lit, dangling human legs, legendary music, chaotic splashing, and a lone severed limb floating to the bottom of the ocean. In fact, the shark doesn’t make its onscreen appearance until more than a full hour into the film! You may also be shocked to know that the total screen time for the shark is fewer than five minutes. How can something we likely all remember as so terrifying show up so late and for such a short amount of time? This is an excellent lesson that the anticipation of something scary is WAY WORSE than the confrontation of that scary thing. I’ll say it again for the people in the back: anticipation is much scarier than confrontation.

What can a malfunctioning mechanical shark teach us about leadership? It turns out quite a bit.

Confront the scary thing.

What is it on your to-do list that keeps getting pushed because it’s too big or too frightening to tackle? Is it a difficult conversation with someone on your team? A stretch assignment? A termination that is long overdue? An honest conversation with a service provider about sub-par performance? While none of those things are necessarily fun to tackle, the longer you put them off and build up the anticipation, the worse the task (and you) will feel. I don’t think I’m alone in experiencing stress and anxiety before doing something that makes me uncomfortable. I can create some pretty fantastical scenarios in my mind of all the things that COULD go horribly and embarrassingly wrong. In reality, it’s incredibly rare for any of those things to actually happen. All I’ve done in creating those scenarios is manufacture unnecessary stress, lose sleep, and allow a situation to potentially get further out of control. I’ve let the fear of the metaphorical shark stop me from even having the chance to get a bigger boat! It’s falling victim to scary anticipation instead of seizing control. How can we peek out from between our fingers and just do the dang thing? Here are some tips for overcoming the fear anticipation creates:

1. Reframe your thoughts on confrontation:

Confrontation is not an inherently bad thing. In fact, it’s an entirely necessary and often healthy part of mature relationships. Can you imagine if you never confronted your children when they misbehaved or addressed their unacceptable behavior? Scary, right? So, why do we think it would be easier to tiptoe around a conversation with a co-worker or a leader at the firm, hoping problems will just go away? We’re conditioned to think of confrontation as bad. I encourage you to consider the alternative: A bad situation stays bad. You live in anxiety or fear for too long. The toxic environment intensifies. Trust me: confrontation isn’t the enemy. Oftentimes, it’s the solution.

2. Keep calm and carry on:

It’s really tempting to be a jerk or expect someone else to be a jerk when it comes to confrontation, and that may be what makes it so scary. We think of confrontation as yelling and fighting. It doesn’t have to be that way! Not all confrontation is a sharp-toothed malfunctioning shark flopping onto the deck of the boat. Practice having a tough conversation while keeping your voice soft and calm. It truly is possible to deliver a tough message in a compassionate, respectful, and objective fashion. Often, I hear young or inexperienced leaders struggle to hold their team accountable or have an honest conversation. My best advice is to keep the conversation objective. If someone isn’t hitting their KPIs, is showing up consistently late, or isn’t delivering quality work, that is a fact. Facts should not be tough to communicate. When you lead with the problem, keep it specific to that problem, and don’t create an all-out attack on character, the message becomes not only easier to deliver, but also easier to swallow. Practice this phrase, “What would you do if you were me?” when having tough conversations. It opens the door for the other person to acknowledge that you’re not attacking them and gives them the chance to think things through from another perspective.

3. Eat that frog:

You’ve probably heard the expression, “eat the frog.” It means that the wise move is to tackle the toughest or least appealing item on your to-do list first. If you have to eat a frog or go face-to-face with a killer shark, you might as well get it over with as quickly as possible, right? The same goes for the thing on your to-do list that is looming over your day. I’ve absolutely fallen victim to ticking every single easy box on my list, even creating tasks that weren’t originally on there just to avoid taking a bite of that pesky frog. Suddenly, my desk needs rearranging, the dishes need attention…does the dog need to go out? It’s tempting to do absolutely anything to avoid THAT thing. When you find yourself re-categorizing your emails just to avoid that frog on your list, it’s time to take a bite. I guarantee you the anticipation of the thing is scarier than the actual thing, and you’ll feel a huge weight lifted by tackling the beast.

4. Take it one issue at a time:

When you think of going face-to-face with the shark, you might be tempted to throw absolutely everything in the boat at it all at once. If you’re going to have a tough conversation, you might as well get it all out at one time, right? Wrong. Instead, consider a more targeted approach. Confrontation works best one issue at a time. Give each item or conversation the time and attention it truly deserves, and resist the urge to unleash every problem at once. Think of it this way, if you have to have a tough conversation with your spouse, you don’t want to bring up every other tough conversation and slight annoyance. That takes focus from your main issue and creates unnecessary strife.

Jaws gives us plenty of lessons on business and leadership. (Don’t even get me started on proper preparation and planning. Why was the mechanical shark never tested in salt water?) The biggest lesson we can take away from that legendary movie is this: anticipation is downright terrifying. Our mind creates a bigger shark, a smaller boat, and a bloodier scene. So, hear the scary music (DA DUH, DA DUH…) and confront the thing. Schedule the conversation. Tackle the project. Feel the fear and push through it anyway. It’s only in the movies that the shark seeks revenge in the sequel.

The Anti-Athlete: Lessons I Learned from Not Playing Sports

A few weeks ago, my teammate, friend, and Vista Focus Specialist Caroline Younger authored a blog on the lessons she learned from playing sports that have translated to her career and leadership style. Read about her journey with sports and success by clicking here. As I read through Caroline’s stellar athletic accomplishments and applicable lessons, I had flashbacks to my youth in sports: a gangly and awkward running style, impressive LACK of coordination, and regular gym class panic attacks. I was taken back to silently praying not to be picked last as popular captains chose teams for in-school games, my heart racing as more and more of my classmates’ names were called.

These days, as a parent of an athletically skilled child (maybe it skips a generation?), organized sports can still leave a bad taste in my mouth. I routinely observe shockingly bad behavior on the sidelines, mostly from parents! I’m often surprised by the lack of respect and lack of sportsmanship that runs rampant in organized youth athletics. From shouting out opposing players’ names to screaming at refs (who mostly don’t deserve it!), my mouth is agape as I witness sideline adult behavior.

I realized that while Caroline and I have tremendous respect for each other and work quite well together, our experiences and backgrounds shaped us in very different ways. She has embraced the experiences and lessons sports taught her, and I have embraced the experiences and lessons an adversity to sports has taught me. There are important leadership lessons to be gleaned from both experiences.

This is what I learned about leadership from NOT playing sports:

A good leader knows how to inspire and motivate their team:

You may have heard the adage that some people need a kick in the butt and some a pat on the butt? It’s true in sports and in leadership. Had someone taken time to make me feel safe and supported to try something new in the sports arena, maybe what 23&Me has identified as my “elite athlete gene” (haha) would have come to fruition? Let’s face it, each of us has different strengths. It’s absolutely vital to put kids, and team members, in the place of most potential. Your introverted database developer will not succeed in a high-profile sales role and vice versa. And you know what? That’s okay! Both roles have merit and necessity. I discovered an uncanny ability to successfully play beer pong and horseshoes in college. Turns out my aim, concentration, and competitive spirit can really come alive under the right set of circumstances!

Promoting the wrong people can be damaging:

Promoting the wrong team members into leadership positions can have far-reaching effects. It can breed a lack of trust if your team sees leadership get something so vital so wrong. The wrong leaders may have a disastrous effect on productivity and can even cause unnecessary and costly turnover. Just like those captains choosing teams in elementary school, chosen for their perceived prowess on the field and not for their humility or ability to work with others, the wrong leaders cause others to shrink down, not thrive.

I think it’s important for leaders to recognize the potential in those around them, whether they are experienced or new professionals, and foster their growth through guidance and opportunity. As leaders, we should strive to create an environment where everyone can thrive – not just the most experienced or educated. Compassion and understanding will help create an environment that encourages everyone to grow, learn, and reach their full potential.

This is something I continue to strive for as a leader in my current role. By creating an atmosphere of support, recognition, and opportunity, leaders can build strong relationships with those around them, develop trust between team members, and foster an environment of growth. We can then use this to create a culture of excellence that will benefit everyone in the long run. This is something I am passionate about and believe in strongly.

Address the behavior, not the person:

As a parent on the sidelines, I believe my only role is one of support and positivity. I’m not the coach, I am responsible for parenting only one child on that field, and I don’t believe that during the game is the time to criticize or negatively comment about a mistake or an opportunity for improvement. Yet, I routinely witness other parents yelling instructions from the sideline or criticizing their own child and sometimes, even worse, someone else’s child. I’ve heard, “you don’t even know what passing the ball means!” more times than I’d care to admit sitting on the sidelines at a 12-year-old’s soccer game. Folks, this isn’t the way! If you’re leading by criticizing a person, I can almost guarantee that is not an effective way to address issues or correct undesirable behavior. And, it certainly won’t work if you’re doing it when you’re not even in a leadership position or a position of trust. When one of your team members is having a performance issue, the first step should be to address the behavior. Instead of accusing that person of being lazy and not wanting to work, ask about the troubling behavior. Saying, “I’ve noticed that for two weeks in a row, you’ve missed your client contact targets. What’s going on?” opens the door for a conversation and not a lashing. It addresses the problematic behavior and not the person themselves.

It’s not always about more playing time:

On my son’s soccer league, we recently went through a bit of drama where some parents were annoyed by the coach’s call to put in less skilled players when the game was no longer close. Their team is good. In fact, they are undefeated this season so far. Some of the games had our team up pretty significantly, so the coaches used that opportunity to give some of the newer or shier players a chance to be on the field and maybe score a goal. What I saw as a fantastic opportunity to develop another player’s skill and confidence, some parents saw as an annoyance that their star athlete got less playing time on the field. Yes, in business, of course we want success and to make decisions that further the business. As leaders, we also know that our team needs time to develop. It can be an effective leadership strategy to give a stretch assignment to one of your team members and allow them to rise to the occasion. Plucking them from the proverbial bench into playing time can be the motivation they need to succeed. Maybe playing time, as it translates to your firm, means time in court, maybe it means taking the lead on a project. At Vista, playing time can be speaking at a conference or during a webinar. Playing time during the game, though, is only the end result of getting a lot of fundamental things right. Mixing up who is on the field can yield surprising results and draw out the talent of someone you may not have noticed as much before.

The little things ARE the big things:

A word of encouragement from a gym teacher or coach, parents showing up on the sidelines to truly cheer on the team, a player helping another player up after an injury or a defeat…all these things matter. They show your team that regardless of a trophy at the end of the season, they are part of something bigger, something where all roles have merit. The kid on the sidelines who cheers the loudest and high-fives everyone coming off the field plays an important role. They are the current and future culture-builder! Getting the small things right means that when things get big, your team is ready.

Leadership isn’t just about the high-end, big picture. Leadership starts with small details, like making sure everyone knows their assignment and holding them accountable for executing it. Leadership is understanding that you are part of something bigger than yourself. Whether you learned your skills on the field or off it, you can be poised for success. To all my fellow leaders out there who get through a run looking wild and uncoordinated or who think, “run? Why run?”, I promise your experience with athletics and really anything else in life that has the power to shape you from a young age, gives you lessons on leadership if you take the time to listen.

Fluent in Failure: Embracing the Power of Mistakes

In our working lives, just like in our personal lives, each of us experiences failures, setbacks, and tough breaks. Not every new idea pans out the way we hoped. Maybe you experienced unhealthy conflict with a coworker, or an enticing project got assigned to someone else despite your seemingly perfect skill set. Maybe you didn’t hit your targets for this month, or intakes for the quarter were slightly down. Whatever the professional “miss,” it’s really easy to get mired in frustration and react poorly by shifting blame or by simply beating yourself up.

There’s a whole body of research that suggests a better way. Blaming others or circumstances, which may temporarily feel soothing, impedes learning. Self-deprecation, a normal human response to setbacks, leads to an inaccurate view of personal potential and works to inhibit growth and development. What if, instead of just REACTING, you could use professional setbacks as a springboard to learning, growth, and professional development? You can accomplish this through the act of self-compassion. Like any new skill or exercise, it will likely take some practice for you to be able to flex the self-compassion muscle. But what a valuable muscle it is!

What is self-compassion?

You know that voice and tone you use when a friend or family member suffers a professional blow or makes a mistake? It’s likely kind, forgiving, encouraging, and supportive. It takes into account that this person is someone you love, respect, and know to be intelligent and capable. It acknowledges that we are so much more than our mistakes or missteps. It doesn’t judge or berate. What if we could use that same voice to speak to ourselves? What if we could look within and realize that we too are someone to be loved and respected because we are intelligent and capable? What if we recognized, in our own mind and heart, that we are much more than the sum of our mistakes? In fact, what if we could use those mistakes and setbacks as a springboard to future success? If we can intentionally speak to ourselves with a voice of self-compassion, the same compassion we have for others, we can spark a transformative growth journey!

More than ooey, gooey feel-goodness

Self-compassion sounds great, doesn’t it? I know, though, that there are likely business owners reading this and thinking it sounds too hippy-dippy for them and not like the most effective way to run a business. Those people may be thinking, “what about accountability?” As you know, Vista believes strongly in holding team members accountable, in setting expectations and in striving for intentional goals. Accountability and self-compassion are NOT mutually exclusive. Self-compassion does not require ignoring mistakes or not acknowledging failures. Rather, it allows for a mindset shift in understanding that failures WILL happen and that it’s not the end of the world when they do. In fact, it represents an opportunity for growth. Too, compassion opens the door for conversation about what happened this time and how it can go better the next time.

A growing body of research indicates that organizations that promote compassion enjoy not only a happier work environment but an improved bottom line! Compassionate employees are consistently more willing to help coworkers and clients. They build stronger relationships, boost productivity across the organization, promote healthy social connections, and report higher levels of job engagement.

Growth mindset

How can you promote a culture of self-compassion and enjoy the benefits at your organization? It starts from within. Practicing self-compassion means:

  • Being kind rather than judgmental about failures and mistakes.
  • Recognizing that failures and mistakes are universal. They are a shared experience from which not a single one of us is immune.
  • When mistakes and failures happen, practicing balance. It’s okay to feel bad or be unhappy, but don’t live in that space. Acknowledge it and go to your second thought – what did this teach me? How can I approach this better next time? How can I be more prepared and educated? How can I make this work?

A growth mindset starts with self-compassion. Without self-compassion, it’s easy to become defeated and to believe that your abilities are “fixed”…that you will never be capable of more than you are today. Being in a fixed mindset is dangerous and limiting. It causes people to feel stuck and not strive for more. Those who are able to acknowledge mistakes and use them as a learning opportunity are motivated to continue to improve. They are more likely to try a different tact. In other words, self-compassion is the building block for self-improvement. It is the spark for working harder, doing better, and believing improvement is a possibility.

2,4,6,8…How can our team innovate?

Look at how much the legal industry has changed just over the last 10 years! In a fast-moving and technologically forward world, innovation is vital. Just as a growth mindset is fostered with self-compassion, innovation thrives in a compassionate environment. Team members who feel comfortable throwing out ideas, trying a new approach, or tackling a difficult assignment are those who help the business grow and innovate. We often learn what works by experiencing a series of things that don’t work. Allowing space for those experiments is critical to your business! Cultivating a culture of compassion and encouraging your team to acknowledge mistakes and failures without wallowing in them helps your business grow. It helps your team engage and connect with coworkers and clients. It truly is a win-win!

Practicing self-compassion (and it is a practice – as with any other self-improvement exercise, flexing the muscle often makes it stronger) leads to compassion for others. Treating yourself with kindness paves the way for treating others with compassion and reserving judgment. When firm leaders believe that change and improvement are possible, that trickles down to the team as well. It allows leaders to give constructive feedback and encourage their teams to be growth-minded.

What next?

For those reading this blog who are leaders in your organization and want to work at creating and fostering a culture of compassion, start first with yourself. If you find it difficult not to beat yourself up over setbacks, try a few self-compassion exercises. When something tough happens, write a letter to yourself as if you are writing to a friend who has had the same setback. Use language that is encouraging and understanding. Read it back to yourself. Use it to forgive and move on. Try looking for the lesson. What did this setback teach you about yourself or the project? Do you need more time to prepare next time? Do you need a different approach? Once you look within, use those same skills with your team. Accountability discussions can include an aspect of compassion. Encourage your team to practice self-compassion skills as well.

Once you make self-compassion a practice and integrate it into your business, you’ll start to see strong shifts in your overall culture. These shifts represent the power that self-compassion holds. Your organization will become a more empowering, healthy, and inspiring place to work. Your team will begin to reach deeper and achieve heights you may have never imagined. For a simple practice, that’s impressive stuff.

Bridging Generational Divides: Implementing a Reverse Mentorship Program at Your Firm

In last week’s blog, Turning the Tables, we explored the concept and inherent power to be found in the intentional practice of reverse mentorship, which connects younger team members with senior team members and encourages the sharing of generational experiences and understanding. Reverse mentorship programs offer organizations the opportunity to gain insight and new perspectives simply by viewing every team member as a valuable resource and a critical part of the larger vision and mission of the business. Companies that have instituted thoughtful reverse mentorship programs have seen gains in creativity, productivity, problem-solving, and morale.

As with all things organizational, the process of implementing a reverse mentorship program must be done carefully and thoughtfully. While organic generational experience sharing can absolutely happen, if you want to see meaningful and impactful byproducts of this practice, you can’t just sit back and hope it happens. In this week’s blog, we’ll show you how to implement a successful reverse mentorship program at your law firm.

The steps to success

Connecting your generationally diverse team through a reverse mentorship program will allow you to unlock hidden potential, uncover better communication, and introduce powerful new allies. The practice allows your whole team to fully utilize the individual experiences and knowledge each team member possesses.

The process of setting up a reverse mentorship program is similar to the process for other mentorship and coaching programs. Here are the steps you should take in order to implement a productive reverse mentorship program at your firm:

What’s the point:

Before you begin pairing off team members, first take the time to define the ultimate goals of the program and the results you’d like to achieve. Make sure your program starts out with focus. Ask yourself questions like:

  1. What problems do generational differences present at your firm?
  2. How generationally diverse is your firm?
  3. What do you hope to accomplish with a reverse mentoring program?
  4. What achievements will denote success with the program?
  5. What impact do you want the program to have?

Find your leader:

Every program at your organization should have a leader or champion who is responsible, at least in part, for developing, implementing, monitoring, championing, and providing reports to your firm’s leadership team. This reverse mentorship program leader can take responsibility for the program and help to ensure it is well-received and functioning as you intended. They can identify any issues and address them quickly and effectively.

Flesh it out:

You have the skeleton in place, now you need to add some meat! After you’ve identified the point of your firm’s reverse mentoring program, you need to start filling in the details. Define and document the program and review it with all stakeholders (program champion and leadership team) before you roll it out. Take time to think through the various elements like:

  1. Which team members will participate in the program?
  2. How will they opt in to the program?
  3. Will this be invite-only, or are all interested team members invited to participate?
  4. How will you match mentors with mentees?
  5. Will you call them mentors and mentees or develop other language specific to your firm that indicates a deep relationship?
  6. Will you have a defined length of time for the mentorship?
  7. What expectations do you have of the participants in the program?
  8. How will you track the progress of the program?
  9. What are the metrics you’ll use to measure success and monitor progress?
  10. How will you know when you’ve reached a program goal?

Spread the word and create your participant pool:

After you’ve put in the time to define and document your program, your reverse mentoring program leader should start the recruiting process. You could initiate this with a survey sent to team members (either all team members or those you have decided to invite). Garner intel from them regarding common struggles, pain points, and knowledge they’re hungry for. That insight can help you both further mold the program and create your announcement style. You could have a formal announcement via email, a team meeting, or a section in your team newsletter (how you announce will likely depend on who the program is open to at your firm). Attracting participants is critical because, ideally, you want a deep and diverse pool from which to pair mentors and mentees. You want to be clear about the expectations of the participants. Ensure mentors understand that they will be expected to share their personal experiences, knowledge, and insights with their assigned mentees. Likewise, and maybe more importantly, ensure your mentees understand that they are involved in a bidirectional relationship that requires a willingness to learn. All participants should approach the relationship with respect, a good attitude, and an open mind. All parties need to understand that some of the sharing may involve criticism or insight into how they and the firm are seen by other team members. You can create excitement and enthusiasm around the program by highlighting the benefits in your announcement. Think about what’s in it for them. Some organizations even extend incentives and perks to team members who sign up for the program.

Start matchmaking:

When mentorship programs fail, it’s most commonly due to poor pairing of mentors and mentees. Spend time on this step! Look for team members who may have common interests, personality types, and/or communication styles. They need some way in which they can connect and begin to build a relationship that’s open, vulnerable, and candid.

Launch the program:

Once you’ve paired up mentors with mentees, it’s time to kick things off! First, you want to make sure you’ve provided ample guidance to each participant and mentor/mentee pairing. Make sure they understand their role, the goals of the relationship, and provide them with a place to go if they encounter any issues or problems. This act of nurturing both the program as a whole and each pairing will be critical for success. Then, have some fun with the launch. Consider a launch party or event that will get members excited and set the stage for a successful program. These larger events that include all the members of the program can be helpful to bring everyone together to share ideas and “a-ha” moments they’ve gained in their respective pairings and keep the momentum going for the program.

Don’t forget your KPIs:

We wouldn’t be Vista if we didn’t remind you to measure your success! Throughout the program, your champion will receive feedback, gain insight, and identify wins and losses based on the initial goals you identified. Digest that information and, if appropriate, take action. Track your progress and identify areas of organizational improvement and impact. Is it working? What areas have seen the biggest improvements? Are there any deficiencies? This program is a living, breathing thing and should evolve and adapt along with your organization.

I believe strongly in the benefits of mentorship in general, and I have seen reverse mentorship in action. All successful mentorship programs are launched with the understanding that though there is a named mentor and mentee, the communication is bidirectional. It’s incredible to see the professional relationships that can develop as team members learn from and about each other, especially when those team members have different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. I began my career in a mentorship that spanned a 60+ year age difference!

The beauty of that relationship was that as I learned from my mentor, I believe he learned from me as well. One of the bedrock principles my mentor shared with me was the importance of having friends in every generation. He golfed weekly with a group that spanned a large age range. He believed the insight into younger generations helped his business and his communication, and he was open to understanding those perspectives without being dismissive. In fact, he became a pioneer in digital advertising in the early 2000s by listening to the perspectives of his younger team members and allowing them to take a chance on something new. He also built a culture of teamwork, success, and candor.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that this kind of program is best embarked upon once you’ve got some cultural foundations down and feel well tapped into what makes your unique team tick, but by following the steps outlined above, you can absolutely improve your organization through a reverse mentorship program. Happy learning and growing!

Turning the Tables: Part 1

In my work with firms across the country, I try to identify commonalities in frustrations and complaints I hear from firm leaders. Without question, one of the most frequent pain points I hear firm leaders share is difficulty working with and understanding younger generations. The bemoaning of millennials and zoomers is so common amongst law firm leaders, in fact, I think it’s time we address the issue head-on and, perhaps, reframe our thinking on the topic.

Now, more than ever before, we are witnessing more generationally diverse workplaces. Gone are the days of single-age group organizations. These more diverse workplaces present both opportunities and challenges. As much as you may loathe the idea of what millennials and zoomers embody, you also probably understand that you can’t sustain your firm in the long term by only continuing to employ team members who belong to older generations.

As the Great Resignation continues, it’s important to note that a generational disconnect can be incredibly detrimental to a business. Too many firm leaders believe their perceptions about an entire generation are true, and they allow those perceptions to impact firm culture. I’ve also witnessed very clear cultural tears and rifts, along with low morale and high employee turnover. Generational disconnect is common in businesses, and if you give it the power to poison your well, it will.

In this two-part blog series, we’ll explore the concept of reverse mentorship, examine why it’s important, and, next week, show you how to implement a reverse mentorship program at your law firm.

Defining reverse mentorship

Reverse mentoring is an intentional approach to better understand team members who are from different generations. The aim here is to allow the junior team member to serve as a mentor to someone more senior than them. The goal is to encourage the junior team member to share their experience, expertise, and perspective openly. This may include topics like social media, technology, trends, current social issues, or general life experiences.

The senior team member will be able to glean, through the relationship and conversations, insight into another generation. That insight can include critical information, like how their age group vets vendors, which could ultimately benefit the organization as a whole. Reverse mentorship can be hugely beneficial and allow an organization to develop talent, hire better, onboard more effectively, and connect people of different backgrounds and ages in a meaningful and powerful way.

The trick here is that you can’t simply expect that reverse mentorship will happen organically. You have to be intentional about it, in the same way you’re intentional about other coaching and mentorship opportunities at your firm (check out our previous blog on this topic – Retention through Connection: Using Mentorship to Strengthen Your Firm). Instituting a reverse mentorship program at your firm is a great way to encourage innovation and collaboration. When you put a program like this in place, you send a very clear message to your team – that their voice matters, their experience is important, and that they have great value to your organization. And the payoff for firm leaders is often HUGE! Reverse mentorship programs not only generate a constant transfer of business knowledge and skills between team members, but they also provide a hotbed of ideas, perspectives, transformation, and evolution.

What are the benefits of reverse mentoring?

When people of different ages and from different backgrounds come together in a meaningful way, the natural knowledge sharing between the two can generate powerful benefits for your organization. Consider these payoffs:

An increased utilization of technology: Younger employees are more likely to become early adopters of new technologies and platforms. When reverse mentoring is taking place, these younger team members can help enormously during new tech vetting processes, transitions to new systems, and continuing education for existing systems. When harnessed correctly, their enthusiasm and adeptness for technology can make your entire organization more digitally savvy, putting you on the cutting edge of industry innovation and avoiding costly missed opportunities and new tech implementation missteps.

A better understanding of how to market to them: Younger generations speak a different language, use different mediums to connect, and view information in ways that are different from older generations. Outdated marketing approaches simply won’t connect. For organizations that market to wider audiences that may include younger generations, it’s vital to understand how to connect with them. Creating a reverse mentorship program will allow senior leaders to gain insight into marketing tactics and strategies that will engage with and capture younger audiences.

Stronger insight into how organizational policies are interpreted: Younger professionals can give feedback on how a business’ HR policies and procedures affect team members, providing a view into intended and unintended consequences. As workplace demographics change, it is important to revisit policies to ensure relevancy and efficacy and identify opportunities for growth and improvement. Younger generations tend to have different working styles and expectations than older generations. That difference carries with it challenges. When reverse mentoring is used, however, firm leaders can appreciate a new and different perspective that will help guide and improve future decisions.

A more diverse and inclusive workplace: Younger generations don’t tend to be attracted to organizations that have not embraced diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. That means if this is an area you’re ignoring, your likelihood of attracting top talent may diminish in the years to come. Younger employees, especially those in underrepresented groups, can provide critical feedback to firm leaders and help lead the conversations surrounding bias, diversity, and inclusion.

Better team building: When team members feel valued and included, they are much more likely to share ideas, provide insight, and discuss issues openly. This direct benefit of reverse mentorship can serve to make a team stronger and more deeply connected than ever before. A stronger team is a better firm and one that can only be created when generation gaps are closed.

Increased employee engagement and retention: Employee turnover is an organizational killer. It’s expensive and siphons vital firm resources. Reverse mentorship programs can help to increase employee retention. Younger generations are looking closely at their employer, and any negative perceptions can influence their decision about how long they stay with your firm.

An ability to train and empower your firm’s future leadership: Junior team members who participate in reverse mentoring will naturally gain leadership skills, confidence, and a broader understanding of the firm as a whole. This is critical for any person who one day may sit on your leadership team. Taking younger, less experienced talent and providing them with opportunities, visibility, voice, knowledge, and insight can have a wildly positive impact on your firm and its culture. Engaging younger generations earlier in their career will create better leaders for the future.

A more creative and innovative work environment: There are new ways to do things we’ve always done. Younger team members can provide fresh ideas and insight that can serve to reinvigorate an organization. Creating an environment that encourages open-mindedness, collaboration, and creativity can help to keep your firm as an industry frontrunner and trendsetter.

Reverse mentorship relationships can look different and serve a variety of purposes. Consider it a key tool in navigating biases, increasing engagement, and sharing experiential knowledge. Next week, we will share some tips for putting together an effective and powerful reverse mentorship program at your firm.

Well, This is Awkward: Using Candor So Conversations Count

One of the pillars required to be a good leader is your ability and willingness to have candid, compassionate conversations with your team members. Our instincts, however, may tell us otherwise. I’ve known leaders who would rather chew off their own arms than sit down with a team member to have a tough conversation. We dodge them, we delay them, and we hope the need for them will go away. Let me dispel that line of thinking: Important conversations need to be had, and ignoring them will never cure the problem. In fact, allowing situations that need addressing to stagnate and brew often leads to bigger, more explosive, more complicated problems. Those problems, in my experience, cause far more damage than if they had been addressed effectively and efficiently at the outset. More often than not, issues like uncomfortable situations, personality conflicts, and performance that’s less than stellar don’t simply find a way to resolve themselves on their own. It’s part of our job as a leader to share critical feedback and sometimes unpleasant information with our team. If we shirk that duty, we’re missing the mark.

I would be willing to bet that many leaders reading this blog would agree with me. They would also probably admit that this piece of their role is incredibly difficult and one they’d most like to avoid. In this week’s blog, though, I’ll challenge your perception of candid conversations and encourage you to embrace this responsibility and hone this skill.

Why we run

If candid conversations are so important, then why do so many leaders run from them? Easy. They can…sort of suck. We’ve all heard horror stories from other leaders about crucial conversations that went wrong. From tantrum-inducing talks to angry exchanges, the prospect of talking about a difficult topic is fraught with potential landmines. A lot of leaders relay a litany of fears like:

Not understanding why the team member is struggling in the first place.
Wanting to avoid the difficult personalities on their team.
Not believing they can change anything.
Knowing they have a team member who doesn’t accept criticism well.
Believing the conversation will become too emotional.
Not wanting to take the time to have the conversation.
Worry that this conversation will only address the tip of the iceberg.

Those fears can be paralytic and, when given the power, can stop you from having candid conversations. Don’t allow them to do so. Pushing past these fears is a vital part of a leader’s growth. There is a way to approach candid conversations that will provide you with both the needed preparation and the right mindset to effectively navigate the natural course any conversation takes. Let’s dig in.

The right approach

When we honor the role candid conversations play in our organization, we actually empower our team by garnering their trust, respecting their positions, and honoring their experiences. If you have a situation that necessitates a candid conversation with a team member, try utilizing these tips to help ensure the product is positive and desired.

Have more of them. That’s right. If you want to get better at having tough conversations, practice makes perfect (or as close to perfect as you can actually get in regards to human interactions). I know they’re uncomfortable. My advice? Force yourself to be uncomfortable more often. The more times we’re willing to engage in a candid conversation, the more we’ll learn. Magic rarely happens inside our comfort zones. In fact, I’ve even heard it said that success is measured by your willingness to have uncomfortable conversations.

Be clear about the purpose of your conversation before it begins. If you need to talk to a team member whose productivity has taken a sharp decline, take some time before the conversation begins to clearly identify the purpose of your conversation. Are you seeking information? Are you providing a warning? Are you providing additional training? Are you trying to motivate? Once you identify the purpose of the conversation, you’ll be better able to stay on track when it takes place.

Outline the conversation before you have it. Develop a loose agenda for the talk. Don’t feel tied to it, but use it to guide the conversation so that you don’t miss the important elements. This preparedness tip can really help young leaders learn to stay focused and on task during candid conversations. Remember, these conversations can easily get overly emotional and take weird turns. If you don’t set some parameters for yourself, you’ll find that you often leave these conversations wondering what you were actually able to convey to your audience.

Be open and be vulnerable. If you’re in a position of leadership and are having a conversation with a team member, I can assure you that they are feeling a myriad of emotions, including worry, discomfort, stress, anxiety, and concern. It’s important for you to honor their journey by being open as well. By being vulnerable, we show our team that there is strength in it. We show them that everyone, including leaders, struggle. That sends a powerful message. That also creates a safe space for your team and encourages candor and honesty. There is great power when your team feels comfortable talking to you.

It can be awkward. Let that happen. Yes, candid conversations can feel very awkward. That’s okay. Don’t run from that feeling and don’t allow a sense of awkwardness to redirect you away from important subject matters. Being uncomfortable during these conversations is normal and, I would argue, totally necessary. The more comfortable you can become with being uncomfortable, the more you’ll strengthen your leadership skills.

Don’t just dip a toe. Dive right in. Look, once you’ve made the decision to have a candid conversation and put in the prep work required, you can’t hesitate when the time comes. You really have to dive in and have the conversation. Dancing around what needs to be said doesn’t work. Nor does skirting the real issue. You know why you wanted to have the conversation, you know the purpose of the conversation, now you really just need to be willing to have it.

There are two at least two people involved in a conversation. Remember that. You’re sitting across from another human being, one who may have a completely different perspective from you. Their life experiences have shaped them in ways that may drastically differ from your own. Consider their perspective. Hear them out. Be understanding of the differences in opinion they may possess.

Assume the best of people. It’s entirely human for your mind to jump to the worst-case scenario when someone isn’t saying or doing what you expect. Fight that urge. Work and home life is so much more pleasant if the default assumption is that people are doing their best, trying their best, and have the best intentions. If we come from a place of good rather than assuming the worst, we can tame emotions and better understand someone’s position.

Never say never! You know how when you fight with your significant other, and they say, “You always….” or “you never…” and how that’s almost as bad as someone telling you to calm down? Yeah, don’t do that. When you make sweeping accusations and use hyperbolic language, tensions run high. You want to address behavior or issues as they stand, not create an always or never monster that becomes the focus of the conversation.

Don’t keep score. Candid conversations aren’t a zero sum game, and no one wins when your team feels you’re out for the “gotcha”! You can hear someone out, understand their position, and then calmly advocate your side of something. There is almost always some mutual ground where you are both right. Come back to this mutual ground if things get sideways.

The power of candor

Every meaningful relationship can benefit from candor. People truly connect when they leave all pretense and camouflage behind. Speaking openly, honestly, and directly with good intentions is a key leadership skill, one that must be practiced and perfected over time. Relationships improve when there is trust, care, and openness. Push yourself outside of your comfort zone. I can promise you’ll find yourself a stronger, more impactful leader on the other side. Stretch that candid conversation muscle!

Who Do You Think You Are?!

In my career, I’ve enjoyed a fairly steady progression of achievement, growth, and leadership. I fancy myself to be a lifelong learner, hungry to attain new skills and hone the ones I have. I enjoy helping other leaders grow and develop, and I like to think I’m fairly intuitive when it comes to people’s emotions, motivators, and inherent coaching needs. Despite more than 20 years in the plaintiff personal injury law firm space, there are still moments when I doubt myself – when I feel myself being questioned or challenged and retreat to wondering if maybe I haven’t done enough. Maybe I am a phony who accidentally achieved this level of success, and my colleagues and clients will no doubt discover this in time?

There’s a name for that feeling: Imposter syndrome. It’s that nagging sense that maybe you’re a fraud…that belief you have fewer skills or less knowledge or experience than you need, regardless of an amazing track record. It’s not easy to just shed the feeling either, but it’s critical that you do. Living with a constant undercurrent of doubt leads to burnout, depression, and anxiety.

What is Imposter Syndrome?

The term was coined in the 1970s by psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes in a research paper. They broke it down into three main areas:

  1. Believing that others have an exaggerated view of your abilities
  2. Fear of being exposed as a fraud
  3. The continuous tendency to downplay your achievements

People who suffer from imposter syndrome often feel like their success is the result of pure luck or being in the right place at the right time. They struggle to accept that their accomplishments and career trajectory were the result of hard work, education, dedication, and ability.

Imposter syndrome can rear its ugly head at pivotal career moments, like when accepting new responsibilities, getting a promotion, changing roles, or changing jobs. Those critical moments can turn from times of celebration and achievement to overwhelming feelings of anxiety, self-doubt, obsession, and guilt.

For women, in particular, there can be a debilitating focus/obsession on ensuring everything is perfect or working twice as hard just to prove you belong. A significant majority of women who have achieved high levels of professional success report also experiencing imposter syndrome. In fact, often, the higher they climb, the more crushing the feelings of self-doubt and worthlessness become.

How, then, can you combat the imposter syndrome beast?

Reframe Your Thinking

If you find yourself diminishing your own accomplishments, questioning whether you belong, or overworking to prove you deserve to be where your education and experience has rightfully gotten you, try to reframe your thinking.

Instead of “I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m a fraud”, try “I don’t know what I’m doing, so I’ll make a plan to figure it out.” We all learn and grow, and there is so much beauty in admitting when acquiring a new skill or piece of knowledge would be helpful.

Instead of “self promotion,” try “self enthusiasm.” I love this one. It’s easy to deflect compliments or shy away from touting the things you’ve accomplished. I see people, particularly women, shy away from deserved praise. Instead of a simple, “thanks!,” we try to deflect, credit others, or pretend it wasn’t a huge deal to get that project across the finish line. Of course, give credit where credit is due. Acknowledge your incredible team. But don’t make yourself smaller. Be enthusiastic about your work and your achievements. Talk to yourself in the same voice you talk to other team members with when you help them celebrate accomplishments.

Instead of looking at setbacks as failures, try instead looking for the lessons. What did this experience teach you that is now a tool in your arsenal for next time? Be curious as to why something didn’t work. There are valuable lessons to be learned in examining the why with grace. It reminds me of the Edison quote, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The lightbulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”

Focus on the Moment

Be present in the present. I can’t stress enough how helpful it can be to slow down and take a deep breath. This allows you to control your emotional responses and focus on the question, task, or problem at hand. It’s also helpful in dealing with imposter syndrome thoughts.

If you focus on the now, it allows you to be pragmatic about the current moment and situation. It means you don’t make space for worrying about what could happen or what someone might say. You simply acknowledge the reality of the present moment. This can be helpful in squashing thoughts of being sub-par or worrying about what people might think.

Track Your Wins

If you’ve spent time around any Vista team member, you know we love our reports. A good scoreboard helps a firm to see if they are winning or losing and gives a quick snapshot of firm successes. Think of your own personal scoreboard and track your wins! When you see your own career scoreboard, it can help you be more objective about all the amazing things you have accomplished.

Look at all those projects you had a hand in completing! Look at that class you took or the degree you received! Look at that person you helped mentor and grow into their potential! Look at that crucial conversation you skillfully navigated! You’ve done so much right to get where you are. Celebrate that. For those who love a spreadsheet, create one that you keep open on your taskbar. Track the projects you complete and the tasks you did to get them accomplished. This becomes a running list of your achievements.

Surround Yourself with Sources of Affirmation

The legal industry is tough. It’s competitive, and many of you bear the heavy weight of seeking justice for injured victims, facing off against a goliath insurance industry, and being an ear for victims of traumatic incidents. You alone cannot shoulder the weight of an entire industry, but you can surround yourself with people who lift you up and encourage you. Find a tribe who will help you move from negative self-talk to positive affirmation. In an ideal world, your colleagues would provide support, encouragement, and validation.

However, you may need to look outside your department, your team, your pod, or even your organization to find the affirmation you need. I’m incredibly fortunate that my Vista colleagues believe a rising tide raises all ships. We celebrate individual accomplishments and team wins regularly. If I’m ever feeling unsure or stuck, I can count on my colleagues to help me reframe my thinking, provide a connection, and cultivate positivity. If you don’t have that with your work team, seek it out among your professional network, friends, family, or affinity groups. Find a tribe that truly celebrates your accomplishments. Surround yourself with people who lift you up and push you to be the best version of yourself.

Be the Light

When you see others exhibiting signs of imposter syndrome, diminishing their accomplishments, working doggedly to prove their seat at the table is deserved or doubting whether they belong, take time to build them up. Within your own role and your own abilities, be the affirmation and light for others.

Those in leadership positions can work to mentor and support all team members. Allow your voice to be heard to create inclusive workspaces. If there is not already a mentor or role model who looks like you, BE that role model. Helping others feels good and allows you to focus on lifting others, which in turn lifts you.

For many women and people of color, finding a role model in this industry can be challenging. When you don’t see a multitude of people in positions of power who look like you, it can be hard to believe you’re as qualified as the leaders in the industry. Don’t let that current reality influence your thinking. It’s simple: Know that it is an industry problem, not a YOU problem. Change will come, and there are some things you can do to help move it along. You can shoulder the responsibility of acting as a mentor to younger colleagues, helping them navigate the industry by providing them with the experience and insight you’ve gained throughout your career. Mountains can be moved one rock at a time.

Make a Plan

One of the defining traits of leadership is lifelong learning. If there is a skill you’d like to hone or a task you’d like to learn, be strategic about seeking out that knowledge. Making a growth plan allows you to focus your energy on executing that plan rather than worrying about a lack of knowledge. Even the most successful among us have space to learn, grow, elevate, and change our minds or mindsets as we obtain more information and education. It’s a beautiful thing!

Diagnose Correctly

Make sure that the feeling you’re experiencing really is imposter syndrome and not simply a culture that is toxic, a workplace steeped in bias, or an organization that isn’t inclusive. It can be tough to admit, but the legal industry isn’t perfect. What may look and feel like imposter syndrome could actually be a response to an industry that is highly competitive, male-dominated, and not always known for nurturing, positive cultures.

While you can put in the work on yourself, you don’t need to bear the weight of fixing an industry alone. That’s a job for all of us to shoulder together, and Vista is a great place to start for leaders who want to help their team channel healthy self-doubt into positive motivation.

Imposter syndrome can exert power over you, making you feel small and turning natural lessons into what can feel like catastrophic failures. Practicing an open, positive, almost inquisitive approach can help to alleviate that tight grip and allow space for true change within yourself and your organization. It takes time and effort to retrain your brain, but it can happen. There is great power in embracing the simple idea that YOU EARNED YOUR SEAT AT THE TABLE.

We are Not the Same, but We are Together

If I’ve learned anything from years of HR classes and training, it’s that people perform better when they can be themselves. Each of us is a unique individual, with a rich background and unique experiences that shape us and our perspectives. Those varying voices and perspectives are critical to a successful and profitable business.

As a member of the LGBTQ+* community, I feel fortunate to work for an organization where I can bring my full and authentic self to work every day. I am comfortable sharing details about myself and my family with my colleagues, having my wedding photo on my desktop, and celebrating important milestones in my life with my work family safely and happily. The sad truth is that not everyone is able to bring their authentic self to their place of work or experience a welcoming environment. This can make team members feel isolated and scared and be a major contributing factor to poor productivity. That’s right – it can affect your bottom line.

I once heard an analogy about diversity designed to showcase the importance of different perspectives. It has to do with looking at a building from street level: No matter what your angle, you as one individual can only see two sides at a time. There is no place to stand that allows you a full and complete picture of the whole building. To see the entire building at the same time, you need to collaborate with someone else, allowing multiple perspectives to build upon each other and unveil the building as a whole.

What a wonderful analogy for business! For every problem, idea, concept, workflow, and opportunity, there are different perspectives – different blind spots. That’s why workforce diversity is so critical and positive. It’s crucial not only for team members but remember, at law firms, we work with the public, that diverse crowd of people whose shoes we must place ourselves into to serve them best. We can do so most effectively by employing a diverse workforce and ensuring everyone’s voices are heard. Representation matters because it helps us understand and appreciate other perspectives. It broadens our worldview.

As we approach the end of Pride month, it’s the perfect time to discuss how you as an employer can better support your LQBTQ+ team members and have a safe, comfortable, and inclusive workplace.

Illustration of a group of people getting along.

Inclusive policies should be set and enforced

This is a fundamental step in having an LGBTQ+ friendly workplace. Address it in your handbook! Ensure you have non-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation and gender identity. By the way, if you’re not a part of the LGBTQ+ community, you may not realize the importance of using the term, “sexual orientation” vs. the term, “sexual preference”. “Sexual preference” is considered a dated and offensive term that reinforces a harmful view of sexuality as a choice. Review your policies and cut out that dated language.

Too, read through other handbook policies. Does your company dress code reinforce gender norms? If so, modify it to ensure that your team members embody your firm’s professional image and brand while removing gender-specific language. This allows team members to come to work and feel comfortable and authentic. That promotes a positive and inclusive work space and helps encourage loyalty, dedication, and commitment amongst your team members. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation suggests some gender-neutral dress code language like:

  • Employees may wear earrings no more than two inches in length or diameter.
  • Employees must wear a suit to meetings with clients.

Take a look at how your benefits are described. Is there inclusive language in your health insurance applications and other paperwork? My wife has been listed as my husband on health insurance documents, requiring a phone call and a change simply because the application paperwork made assumptions based on my entered information! If these things are not on your radar, you may not realize how heteronormative your handbook, paperwork, and policies may be. Again, consider different perspectives in order to broaden or embrace new policies that make for a healthier, more inclusive environment.

You’ll notice this section was intentionally titled. It’s critical to not just set policies, but to enforce them. Workplaces are not safe and inclusive if anti-discrimination policies are not enforced. It’s not enough to check the box that the paragraph is listed in the handbook. Creating a safe and inclusive workspace means that you address discrimination when it happens.

Train Train Train!

You may have heard this Vista fundamental phrase: Tools, Training, and Expectations. We believe these three things are crucial for team members to succeed. You’ve set your policies and ensured they are inclusive. Now it’s time to train. Training can help ensure that discomfort or preconceived notions do not lead to discrimination and help all team members treat each other with the respect and dignity they deserve.

Illustration of two people shaking hands in a meeting.

Diversity training can be incredibly impactful for your team. If you expect all team members to sit down and read your well-crafted policies and understand fully the meaning and intention behind them, have I got a timeshare for you! Training ensures that the heart of the policies you have worked so hard to create are understood by your team. The training can also help team members understand why rights and diversity are important.

Words matter

You may have heard this OTHER Vista fundamental phrase: Words matter. We believe the language we use is important. This extends to your LGBTQ+ team members as well. You can make all team members feel welcome and included by simply shifting your language to gender neutral terms. This comes with practice. I am a part of the LGBTQ+ community and still have to intentionally force myself to not say, “hi guys” in mixed company! It gets easier as you practice and become aware of it. Small changes make a big difference here.Illustration of celebrating someone's success.

  • Instead of, “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen”, say “Welcome, everyone”.
  • Instead of “he or she”, try “they”.
  • Instead of “hi guys”, try, “hi all!”

One easy way to use your words to support your team members is to normalize sharing and asking about pronouns. I recently attended a conference where the speaker began with, “My name is SOANDSO, and my pronouns are she/her.” By introducing herself that way, she created a safe space for others to say their preferred pronouns. As a member of the community or as an ally, this is an easy way to normalize pronoun usage. You can include your pronouns in your LinkedIn profile, email signature, website bio, and in face-to-face conversation. You can even begin meetings by sharing your name and pronouns. It should go without saying, but once someone shares their pronouns, respect them!

Be an ally

One way you can respect and support your LGBTQ+ coworkers as a colleague is by using your voice to ensure that all team members experience a respectful and inclusive workplace. If you hear someone misgender a team member, kindly and respectfully remind them of the correct pronouns or name to use or alert the person at the firm who handles Human Resources. If you hear an offensive or derogatory term, ask that language like that not be used in the future or alert HR.

Illustration of two people shaking hands.

Every single one of us has biases, some of which we are aware of and some of which are unconscious. They get formed through our lived experiences and through our relationships. It’s important that we acknowledge our biases and try to look at all the buildings in our lives from every perspective, even when it means we need someone else to describe the other two sides! We must work together to create and maintain a safe, welcoming environment for all team members. As leaders, we should never stop striving for greater heights. That means, sometimes, cracking open our world and ensuring we are capable of creating spaces that are big and inclusive.

Happy Pride!

*LGBTQ+ includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. Under the LGBTQ umbrella, there are other sexualities, including those questioning, hence the use of the plus symbol. Just as there are many different sexualities and gender identities, there are a variety of ways to ensure your LGBTQ+ team members are supported, included, and safe in their workplaces.

Unlocking the Mystery of Mindful Leadership

Recently, I integrated a new habit into my normal day-to-day life that has created profound change and inspired new ways of thinking. Let me first say that this practice is so unlike me, so foreign, so…new age…that I’m still surprised I even tried it. And even more surprised how impactful it’s been on me! I’ve shared this practice with my team, with my clients, and with my family.

What is it? I started meditating and practicing mindfulness. It’s a few minutes every day. An intentional practice where I allow space to just…be. Kooky, right?

I know what you’re thinking – how in the world can meditation and mindfulness have anything to do with my law firm and how I lead my team? Well, it actually has everything to do with it. There is growing evidence that suggests leaders who practice mindfulness and become, in essence, mindful leaders are more likely to garner deep respect from their team, influence, inspire, and motivate others, and create a safe and healthy workspace. In order to demonstrate this, let’s take a look at two different leaders. One who does not employ mindfulness and one who does:

Tom – The Frustrated (and Frustrating) Leader:

Tom wants to see results. His team walks on eggshells around him because he’s known for huge mood swings and shocking levels of unpredictability. He’s not steady. In fact, being in his presence is like riding a roller coaster. His team members never feel like they’ve got his full attention. He’s always on his phone, responding to emails, or taking calls. His “hold on a minute” finger often goes up in the middle of conversations.

For this reason, his team members just try not to bother him. He demands his team sacrifice like he had to and expects team members to work long hours and deliver completed projects as quickly as possible. “Just get it done,” is his motto. While he constantly and loudly demands results, his team is often unable to deliver. He doesn’t take the time to check in with his team and newly onboarded team members often only know him because his name is on the sign. He’s an intimidating, unpredictable, disconnected, and frustrated leader.

Tim – The Mindful Leader:

Tim takes a different approach. Tim takes the time to connect with his team. When they speak with him or attend a meeting, they feel like he’s locked in and listening. They feel heard. He seeks out and cultivates relationships with his team members. They feel connected and committed to him and to the cause of the firm. He listens to all of the information about a problem or situation and takes the time to digest it before he reacts.

He allows his team to speak openly and candidly to him. In return, they feel empowered. He constantly shares his mission and vision for the firm with his team. And, maybe more importantly, he quietly and steadily embodies the essence of that mission and vision. He shows his team how to serve the firm’s clients; he doesn’t just tell them. When things go wrong, he’s steady and non-reactive. The way in which he handles moments of disruption or chaos serve to anchor his team, and they’ve learned to follow his example. They have, in fact, become more equipped at handling problems without needing to seek him out. His leadership style is best described as calm, connected, steady, and mindful.

We all know and have worked with or for a Tim and a Tom. Heck, we’ve all been a Tim or a Tom at some point in our career. I know which leader I’d rather work for and which I’d rather be! It takes work to be a Tim. It takes an understanding of ourselves and a true emotional intelligence that comes from looking inward.

The path to becoming a mindful leader

Becoming a mindful leader takes a refocusing of one’s approach. Learning how to remain centered takes time, dedication, and commitment. It’s much easier to react quickly than it is to approach whatever happens with calmness and balance. Remaining grounded is the real key, but understanding how to do that in a way that allows you to embrace the ideals of being a mindful leader is much more complicated. The ideals of being a mindful leader include:

Seeing problems from a new perspective

You no doubt, as a leader, have fires to put out, challenges to solve, and work to do. It’s really easy to get caught up in the day-to-day work that is life at the firm and not take a minute to come up for air. Working like this leaves little time for strategic thinking. Mindfulness and mindfulness training allows the time and space to let go of thinking about the everyday fires, the administrative tasks, and the daily firm operations. Freeing up that clutter leaves space for thinking at a more strategic level and approaching problems differently.

Developing self awareness, self regulation, and empathy

Mindfulness is amazing at helping us develop a deep awareness of ourselves and our emotions. By being in tune with ourselves and observing, without judgment, our thoughts, fears, and emotions, we become better able to regulate ourselves and approach situations, problems, and opportunities thoughtfully. We are able to take the time to listen, really listen, to others as opposed to composing our response to them while they talk or hurrying them through. We develop empathy for others as we become more aware of ourselves.

Remain calm

As humans, we are hardwired for survival. When emergencies arise or problems happen, we jump to extremes, creating a thousand catastrophizing “what if” scenarios. We make problems bigger by thinking of all the reasons why something is bad and could get worse. You would be shocked at how a simple reframe of thinking can help. If and when you find yourself thinking of all the reasons why something could go wrong or turn out badly, change your thought process from a “what if” to a “what is”. “What is” thoughts are simply statements of fact about the current situation, a pragmatic assessment of the issue. “What is” statements say, “I am having a problem. It feels big and scary, but here are the facts: I have a great team, and I stand by my firm and its service delivery. I can learn and grow. I can work to make things right.” That is what IS. Not panicking has a tremendous impact on your team as well. Others notice when you take a calm approach and thoughtfully respond. It makes you more open and approachable as well.

Improving your decision making

When we experience strong emotions, our ability to make decisions is negatively impacted. In fact, the stronger the emotion and the more swept away by it you become, the worse your decisions become! Mindfulness allows us to take a proverbial beat to examine our emotions and better regulate them. Once we are free from the hijack effect that emotions can bring, we are able to look at situations more objectively and make sound decisions based on fact, past experience, and objective data. We’ve all made decisions in the past based on emotion. I know I have, and those are some of the decisions I regret most!

Innovate

Mindful leadership and the ability to look inward without judgment allows a leader to push past cognitive bias and the status quo. In general, most people avoid stepping out of the norm. We tend to value our ability to fit in. However, the status quo is often what holds us back. It’s our fear of failure, of the team’s failure, of disrupting the way we have always done things that makes innovation difficult or scary. Taking the time to examine ourselves, our emotions, our problems, and our opportunities allows space for new ideas and a productive challenge of the status quo. It can do wonders for innovation by helping us confront our fears and recover from them more quickly. If we aren’t afraid to fail and leave space for that, imagine the possibilities! This enhanced capacity for innovation has an effect on your team as well. When you leave safe space for failure, for brainstorming, for trying…your team becomes more open to innovation and problem solving as well. It’s a fantastic trickle down effect!

The time put into practicing mindfulness pays off dividends, and it is a practice that you can hone over time as you learn more about yourself. There are plenty of books and online resources that can help you with mindfulness. Personally, I have begun my dipping a metaphorical toe into the deep waters of meditation by using the Calm app. There are other apps that make the practice feel approachable and seamless. The few minutes I have been taking in the morning and afternoon to stop and practice mindfulness have been a form of self care for me that I can’t seem to stop talking about to my friends and colleagues. It’s the art of putting in the work on something that does work on you. That’s a good way to spend a few minutes of the day. I find myself calmer, more balanced, and better able to handle whatever the day throws at me. I challenge you to take a step into the new age (don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone you’re trying it).

Why a Vision and Mission Statement Can Be a Game Changer for Your Firm

We hear from many firms that they know they “should” put together a firm mission/vision, but still view the project as unimportant at best and too “in your feelings” at most. At Vista, we believe having a defined vision for your law firm gives you and your team a focal point on which to base decisions, guide actions, and provide inspiration. Considering today’s job market, having a vision for the future may help your current team stay invested in your cause and may even attract talent who want to work toward something meaningful. Think about it…we are in the personal injury business. It’s personal, and you and your team enter the lives of your clients during some of their most difficult, painful, and heart wrenching moments. The work your firm does is not only meaningful, but also impactful in the lives of others and often serves to shape the future. Taking the time to define your firm’s vision helps your team understand their place in the greater scheme of things and can motivate, inspire, and guide.

So, how do you go about defining your firm’s purpose? Begin introspectively, but also consider involving your team. Surveying the people who work on your cases every day can uncover some fascinating points of view and thoughts about where the firm is headed. It also serves to help the team feel involved and invested. Best of all? Technology makes surveying your team quick, easy, and inexpensive!

Your vision for the firm is big picture and should give you a lofty point on which to focus – something you and your team will work hard toward accomplishing in the future. Some questions you can ask yourself to come up with a vision statement are:

What do you ultimately want to achieve in your practice?
What do you want to be known for?
What kind of reputation do you want to have?
What kind of clients do you want to serve?

Think hard about those questions and consider combining your answers into a short statement that spells out an aspiring vision for the firm. Don’t be afraid to go big!

Do you want to be the BEST personal injury law firm in your state?
Do you want to change the lives of people in need?
Do you want to change the narrative about what it means to be a personal injury attorney?

Great! The vision should be inspiring and give you and your team meaning for the future.

Your mission helps determine the firm’s daily direction. Don’t think of your mission as a marketing statement or a way to tout your credentials as a lawyer or an outline of the firm’s big wins. Instead, your mission statement should focus on your clients. Consider their needs and determine how your firm will serve those needs in a way that sets you apart from your competitors. Again, it should be inspiring, both to you, your team, and your clients. Others should read the mission statement and think, “this is exactly why I want this firm to represent me.” The mission should be how you work every day to get you closer to achieving that lofty vision you’ve defined.

Think of it this way:
Your vision is the “someday.”
Your mission is the “every day.”

Many firms don’t stop at a mission and vision statement, but take it even further and develop performance standards and values. These are a set of guidelines for you and your team relating to how you act, how you treat each other, how you treat clients, and what is acceptable. Speaking about others as if they are listening to our conversation is one example. It serves to reduce gossip and ensure we talk about our clients and each other with kindness, even when they are not listening.

Developing your mission, vision, and values is not a one-and-done situation. While the statements themselves should have longevity, the process of developing them is fruitless if you don’t USE them. How can you make the most of the time spent developing your firm’s purpose?

Signage and Reinforcement

Once you have developed your purpose, ensure the sentiments remain top of mind. Reinforce them regularly through signage. Consider framing and displaying your firm’s “why” in high traffic areas where team members and clients can see and be inspired by them. Some firms even use their purpose in swag for their team.

Talk About It!

This is crucial. As a way to reinforce the importance of these statements, you should talk about them and encourage your leadership team to talk about them, as well. Remind team members when you can. Team members tend to gauge something’s importance by how often leaders talk about it. That means if you want your employees to remember your vision of stellar customer service, you need to talk about it whenever it’s possible and makes sense. Fortunately, there are many opportunities to remind your team about your firm’s purpose. Consider making it a part of:

Team meetings
Daily huddles
Monthly team newsletters
One-on-one meetings
Casual conversations
Annual performance reviews

Serve as an Example of Your Vision and Mission

You as a leader are the best example of the mission and vision in motion. Your buy-in and actions are the easiest way to remind your team and ensure they are aligned with the “why.” Let your leadership style, your everyday actions, and your decisions be an example of your firm’s mission and vision in action. Suggest ideas and procedures that align with the vision. Ensure your words and actions are purposeful and mindful and reinforce the goal of the firm.

Remind the Team at Appropriate Times

Remember that your team is human, and humans need reminders. That’s why ongoing training is so important. Take the time to remind your team regularly about why you do what you do. Did you send an email to a case manager with no response? Remind that team member about your performance standards and values! Did you find a case with no client contact in two months? Remind that team member about our vision and who we are here to serve! Many conversations can be tied back to the firm’s mission and vision.

Get the Word Out

Many companies create a culture page on their website to describe what it’s like to work for them. It’s a recruiting tool, but it’s also a prime opportunity to promote your customer service-driven vision. You can promote this content on your social media pages too. This message is important, and incorporating it into your public-facing presence will mean something.

Remember Your Why

The work law firms do can take its toll. It can challenge us emotionally and put a heavy weight on our shoulders. Working with difficult, scared clients can be taxing for your case managers, paralegals, and attorneys. Team members can get burned out. It’s critical that we provide the team with inspiration and guidance and help them see the greater picture and how they fit into the larger firm “why.” That’s what a vision and mission statement can provide to your firm: inspiration, a cause to rally behind, and a guiding principle by which to make decisions and embrace roles. It’s a fundamental foundation of every successful business.