One of the biggest challenges for growing a collaborative
practice is finding the time to learn new skills, attend
meetings and trainings, and implement strategies for
building a collaborative practice.
How can professionals with busy lives, demanding clients,
and the need for maintaining a certain number of billable
hours transform their practice?
In my work with collaborative professionals, I have discovered
that the key to accelerated growth comes from the choices
professionals make about how they are going to spend their
time and money, and with whom they will spend it.
Successful collaborative practitioners have made a deliberate
choice about their commitment to growing their collaborative
practice, and it is this commitment that has provided the
foundation for their accelerated growth.
When my clients tell me they "don't have the time" to attend
forums, go to trainings, or implement practice growth
strategies such as meeting with referral sources to educate
them about collaborative practice, what they are really
saying is, "I have made a choice that something else is more
important."
It may seem like there are no choices and the thought of
transforming a practice is beyond your control. However, you
have more control than you realize. In the book The Power of
Living Your Values, by Hyrum Smith, he crystallizes this
thought: "We can be in control of our lives, and that
control comes partly from realizing that we are constantly
making choices."
I just returned from the 6th annual IACP forum in San Diego
where over 600 people, including representatives from eight
countries, attended a three-day conference. At the conference,
new relationships were formed, newcomers learned from
experienced practitioners, and the majority of attendees left
with a renewed sense of confidence, excitement, and a clearer
sense of direction on how to transform their practice.
The professionals who attended the meeting made a choice to
spend money and time on something that was important to
them.
The choices we make, including those about time, are a
matter of confirming what really matters to us. Ask yourself, "What
matters most to me? What would I really like to accomplish? The
answer to these questions will act as a guide for making choices that
are in alignment with your values, passion, and goals.
Jennifer Tull from Austin, Texas is one of the collaborative
professionals I have had the privilege to work with during the
last four years. I have watched her practice grow from a
handful of cases to more than 145 collaborative cases. I
asked her what formed the foundation for her success in growing
her practice.
Her answer: "I was passionate about Collaborative Law and the
benefits to clients, to children,to me, and to society as a whole.
I bought the concept 100 percent, and saw this as a way that I
could continue to practice family law and do other things that I
wanted to do. I made the decision that I was going to say, 'yes' to
everything that supported me in doing this practice, and
'no' to everything else."
My goal in writing this newsletter is to remind you that you
have the control to create a practice that brings you joy
and improves the lives of your clients. This control comes
from making choices about how you spend your time and
resources.
One strategy I have found helpful is to start each day
asking the question, "What am I going to do today to close
the gap between what I am doing and what matters to me?"
At the end of the day, ask yourself, "What have I done today
that is consistent with this value? What do I need to do
more of? Is there anything I have done that does not reflect
this value?"
You will begin to see results by simply increasing your
awareness of what is important to you and how you spend your
time.
"He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how."
--Nietzsche
In next month's newsletter, I will focus on the "how" of growing your practice.
I would like to hear from you with your comments, insights or challenges
on building and expanding your practice. Please comment on my
blog.
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