idealawg

Excellent ways to sabotage almost any organization (even a law firm)

The Simple Sabotage Field Manual (pdf) from the Office of Strategic Services (indirect precursor to the CIA), written in 1944, includes much advice on sabotage. It looks to me as if several people working in organizations of which I am aware have the Manual memorized. Some examples:

Insist on doing everything through "channels." Never permit short-cuts to be taken in order to expedite decisions.

Make "speeches." Talk as frequently as possible and at great length. Illustrate your "points" by long anecdotes and accounts of personal experiences. ...

When possible, refer all matters to committees, for "further study and consideration." Attempt to make the committees as large as possible — never less than five.

Bring up irrelevant issues as frequently as possible.

Haggle over precise wordings of communications, minutes, resolutions.

Refer back to matters decided upon at the last meeting and attempt to re-open the question of the advisability of that decision.

Advocate "caution." Be "reasonable" and urge your fellow-conferees to be "reasonable" and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on.

Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon.

When training new workers, give incomplete or misleading instructions.

Hold conferences when there is more critical work to be done.

Give lengthy and incomprehensible explanations when questioned.

Act stupid.

Be as irritable and quarrelsome as possible without getting yourself into trouble.

Blog Glob: "When the Powerless Rise Up"

Excerpt from "When the Powerless Rise Up: Power leads to positive action, but only when acquired legitimately" (Association for Psychological Science):

In an effort to reconcile the science stating that power leads to action and lack of power leads to inhibition -- despite constant historical reminders of the powerless rising up and taking action -- new research in the June issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, suggests that the legitimacy of the power relationship is an important determinant of whether power leads to action.

The research, led in part by Kellogg School of Management Professor Adam Galinsky, sought to determine at what point the powerless rise up and take action. ... These findings are the first to clarify when, and lend insight into why, power leads to behavioral approach, or action.

According to the researchers, when power is acquired or wielded legitimately (e.g., following a fair election or when actions are within authority), the likelihood for

New edition of ABA's LAW PRACTICE now online

This edition of ABA's Law Practice focuses on professional administrators. Some of the articles in the April-May 2008 issue:

How to Hire Your Next Administrator by Karen MacKay

An impressive group of next-generation administrators is taking charge in law firms today. Firms are seeking professional management to not only keep the trains running on time, but to help engineer a better train. What role should an administrator play in your firm? What qualifications and competencies are important for success? Here are strategies for identifying the ideal hire for you.

The Evolution of the Professional Administrator by Robert W. Denney

From office managers to top business officers, Law Practice’s “Trends” columnist reports on one of the biggest developments in the legal profession: the rise of the professional firm administrator.

Choosing Your First Administrator: Pointers and Pitfalls Learned Through Experience by Tom Grella

Once you realize it’s time to hire a full-time administrator, tough decisions are ahead. Here, the managing partner of a midsize firm discusses the crucial decision to either promote from within or seek help from outside the firm.

Invitation to Succeed: Advice on Integrating Professional Management into Your Firm by Russ Balcome, Cynthia Bauer, John Cummens, Robert Lalley and Paula Torke

A managing partner prepares to welcome his firm’s first administrator and wonders what to do now to position her for success—and what potholes to avoid. Will his partners support her? Are the goals she’s being given realistic?

Professional Development: The Expanding Scope of Lawyer Training Programs by Courtney Goldstein

These days professional development directors do much more than track CLE credits or hold first-years’ hands through orientation. Officers from Fulbright & Jaworski; O’Melveny & Myers; Proskauer Rose; Stroock & Stroock & Lavan; and Theodora Oringher Miller & Richman explain how their firms are taking lawyer training to the next level.

Much more in this edition, including the next installment of my new column "Reading Minds."

For this second installment of our new Reading Minds column, a stellar crew of contributors tells us which single book most inspired them to their personal best. As you will see, our group—Marian Lee, Bruce MacEwen, Michael Melcher and Catherine Hance—have made some intriguing selections, while also providing very thoughtful reasons for their choices.

Are coaching, organizational development, and appreciative inquiry like "applying leeches"?

You may find that some rich thoughts are provoked as you read "The Future of Leadership," an interview of Art Kleiner, in Shambhala Institute's Fieldnotes. Here are two excerpts I particularly appreciated.

I’m fond of Elliot Jacques’ statement that “management today is where medicine was before the discovery of circulation of the blood.” I think many s+b readers see much of what’s going on in management change as an example of “applying leeches” without really being sure that it is going to make a difference. This year it might be coaching, two years ago it was organizational design, and two years before that it was appreciative inquiry. All these different methods have varying degrees of applicability and validity, but nobody reliably can say why they’re effective, when they’re effective, and where they’re effective. There’s no unifying field theory of management.  . . .

And, of course, being a fan of the brain, I liked seeing the mention of neuroscience here:

At the same time two things have happened. One is that there are now ways of understanding people at work that are more revealing and have more depth than previously was the case. There is a greater understanding that there are significant things going on in organizations that are not necessarily easy to see at the individual level but that colour the direction of the organization. The application of neuroscience in management practice is a developing field that is leading to very interesting insights. Another emerging field is social network analysis—the work of such people as Karen Stephenson and Duncan Watts, who are mathematically analyzing patterns of communication as people share knowledge informally.

Kleiner is editor-in-chief of strategy+business in which was published "The Neuroscience of Leadership."

"Have you been “duded” yet? Bridging the generation gaps in today’s law firms"

This month, Rocky Mountain LMA presented a program on the generations now practicing in law firms. Janet Raasch has summarized the program in her article "Have you been “duded” yet? Bridging the generation gaps in today’s law firms." Denver-based Mary Crane was the speaker. Read the article for Crane's theories about the generations currently practicing law together.

Newest edition of LAW PRACTICE TODAY is online

A new edition of Law Practice Today is up and available. Articles include

• "Marketing and Sales: Different Roles in Support of a Common Goal" by Janet Ellen Raasch
• "To Engage or Not To Engage – That is the Question" by Edward Poll
• "8 Keys to Client Relationship Management Success" by Milton W. Zwicker
• "Your Office: Don't Leave Home Without It" by Brett Burney & Adriana Linares

Beauty a factor in the hiring process? This study shows that attractiveness can help but points out the need for decision-makers to be aware of their biases

In an article from today's Science News "Hiring Practices Influenced By Beauty" we may read about a new study on the role of attractiveness in hiring practices.

“When someone is viewed as attractive, they are often assumed to have a number of positive social traits and greater intelligence,” say Carl Senior and Michael J.R. Butler, authors of the study. “This is known as the ‘halo effect’ and it has previously been shown to affect the outcome of job interviews.” The study explored the influence of the halo effect in a mock job negotiation scenario where male and female interviewers were shown pictures of attractive or average looking male and female job applicants.

In this study

Female interviewers were found to allocate attractive looking male interviewees more high status job packages than the average looking men. Female interviewers also gave more high status job packages to attractive men than to attractive women. Average looking men also received more low status job packages than average looking women. Male interviewers did not differ in the number of high or low status job packages

"Lessons About Life, Enterprise, Learned from Baking Christmas Cookies"

In this column by Tom Peters, he described 11 lessons he learned from making Christmas cookies. Peters writes:

A couple of hours in a hot kitchen can teach you as much about business and management as the latest books on re-engineering or total quality management. That's my take, anyway, after a bout of Christmas-cookie baking. Here are 11 lessons for life (and enterprise), fresh from the oven:

I appreciated most of the 11 but these two are my favorites:

2. A plan. I'm not keen on planning in general, but a time-tested recipe is a godsend. First, it's roughly "right." More important, it gives you the confidence to get started.
Lesson: Any plan is a help; it gives folks the sense they aren't aimlessly flailing.

3. Art. The plan is an outline—not Holy Writ. Plans, including recipes, are made to be tinkered with—and eventually torn up. Cookie making, software design, and real-estate lending are art. And it's the artists, not the slavish followers of others' recipes, who land in the world's halls of fame.
Lesson: Blind devotion to any plan is downright dumb!

How about you? See any lessons you like?

Image credit: kakisky at  morgueFile

New edition of THE COMPLETE LAWYER: The focus is workplace bullies

Vickie Pynchon at Settle It Now blog has previewed the new edition of The Complete Lawyer which focuses on bullies. She linked to several articles. They are

Why Lawyers Are Unhappy…And Make Others Unhappy, Too by Vickie herself

There are many of us out here, feeling trapped by our own success, wishing we could find a way out. There is a way out.

The No Asshole Rule by Robert Sutton

It all began because we wanted a better work environment.

How To Spot And Deal With Jerks by Julie Fleming-Brown

Learn when and how to confront, disengage, and manage the jerks in your life.

Create A Blueprint For A “Bullying-Free” Workplace by Gary Namie

It makes good business sense to voluntarily adopt a proactive, preventive approach to bullying.

Defining And Legislating Bullying by Garry Mathiason and Olga Savage

Behavior that does not reach the level of unlawful harassment or discrimination is intended to be regulated by employer supported standards or guidelines for professional conduct.

Yes, There Are Ways To Reform Workplace Jerks by Allison West

Focus on the culture of your company.

Thanks, Vickie, for the early heads up on these bully articles.

Added—Some commentary on this edition of The Complete Lawyer:

• focus on law office bullies by David Giacalone
• Special Issue on Workplace Bullies at The Complete Lawyer by Bob Sutton

Note (added December 27, 2007, 7PM Mountain): A few of the other articles available now that the whole edition of The Complete Lawyer is online:

• Fill The Glass With Huge Rocks by Monica R. Parker
• To Succeed Don’t Sacrifice People Skills by Lac D. Su & Nick Tasler
• Are You Considering A Sabbatical? by Dennis Coyne

Upcoming in Denver—"Brains On Purpose™: Change Your Mind, Change Your Brain"

I will be giving a course "Brains On Purpose™: Change Your Mind, Change Your Brain" here in Denver in February and again in April.

The dates are:

Tuesday, February 5 and 12, 2008, 6-8:15 PM

Or

Wednesday, April 9 and 16, 2008, 6-8:15 PM

Click here for all the other details.

Please feel free to pass the word along to any of your friends or colleagues in the Rocky Mountain region. Thanks.