ok

this is tricky and depends on context

my first instinct with more junior colleagues is to tell them to take the time to get it right

the more junior you are, the more core technical accuracy is to your work; in a way

take your time

keep me up to date

if timing needs to be managed with the client, that’s my job. tell me. I’ll manage it. But don’t compromise quality.

That works when they’re maybe <5PQE

it they’re getting beyond that - coach them on prioritisation 

and non-procrastination; the two are different; so try to discern which is the problem

think about what will detail the deal or lead to loss if it’s not right

deal with that first

believe in yourself. most procrastination is driven by fear of failure, take your best shot. don’t make decisions or recommendations you can’t justify, but once you can justify them, make them, and then move on, Fire and forget. Do your best and then move on.

That is very intelligent and insightful, Laz.

tx m8

Another thing re time management.

I always tell juniors that if they’ve spent more than 45 mins considering a particular problem or point, and still can’t solve it, they’re probably looking at it from the wrong angle or are missing something. At that point stop, take a 15min break, ideally do some basic exercise eg walk round the block and get some fresh air, and the. look at it again.

If you can then crack it in 10-15mins, talk to a colleague about it.

You’re smart, Or you wouldn’t work here. We wouldn’t have hired you. Don’t believe dafties like risky, Lawyers are smart and law firms know what they’re doing. If you can’t crack it then either you’re just looking at it wrong or it’s really, really hard, Either way don’t spend hours assaulting yourself about it.

If you’re junior and a firm leaves you regularly in a position where you have to face this kind of problem alone in the middle of the night and you can’t easily access a colleague to discuss with - something that happened to me often in the early phases of my PP career - then you work for the wrong firm, simple as that.

 

Good advice. Often we forget that we need to spend time actually thinking/mulling over a problem/scenario.

Had exactly that yesterday, client phoned without any prelim email, firing questions off about a tricky agreement I had looked at fairly briefly last week. 

Was tempted to shoot from the hip, but had a nasty feeling about him, so said I would need time to review and consider and would get back to him this pm.

And indeed, my advice today was completely different to the advice I would have spurted out yesterday… Thank fook.

PP - if you like it m88 - LIKE IT.

Not often written on ROF, but wot Laz sed.

Thanks very much Laz. Lots to help my colleague here 

 

Chz m4.