End-of-the year-goals: Connecting, Listening, Inquiring, Collaborating, and Keeping

"Instigating discussion, ideas, and better business" is the tagline of Instigator Blog written by Benjamin Yoskovitz. The topic of discussion and ideas he is trying to instigate currently is what he calls Post-Thanksgiving Goal Writing Project. Other bloggers are posting their goals for December and Yoskovitz then links to their goal posts. (After I typed the end of the last sentence, I realized I will never see a football game quite the same again.)

I smiled at these goals:

Starbucker creates his very own slogan, “A Leap to the New Year” and then extends the metaphor with 4 goals using the acronym F.R.O.G. - Focusing, Relaxing, Opening and Giving.

Reading FROG, I recalled my acronym CLICK and chose to use them as my goals for the remainder of 2006. CLICK is  a networking method for developing more clients but I am expanding it to all people in my life, even those yet to be met. (I have taken these excerpts from my article "Lessons from Mayberry."

CONNECT

We each are a part of the tightly woven network of humankind. This network is sensitive and receptive and active. When you talk to one, you are talking to a multitude.

Deposit a smile in the network and its joy can travel widely. Dump a word of pessimism or fear in our network and its message or feeling can be broadcast to huge numbers.

LISTEN

One of the greatest gifts we can give another is to truly listen. Hear what the other person says without snarling up your mind with judgment and thoughts of other things. Cut the static by imagining a clear channel from the other person's signals (words, body language, intonation, etc.) to your mind and heart.

INQUIRE

So many interactions, both personal and professional, are dueling resumes and battling boast reports. These interactions take a lot of energy and are brittle links in the large network of which we are a part.

Relax, soften your ego, and ask questions. Make it your foremost purpose, even mission, to find out what is important and what matters to the other person. Elevate and honor the "quest" part of the word "question."

COLLABORATE

The principle of service is the best guide in this component of CLICK. How can I serve this person? Do I have the resources to serve this person? Do I know of someone or something else that can serve this person?

KEEP

The word "rapport" has French roots meaning to bring back, to bring again. Bring back and bring again the connection with this person. Stay connected. Keep them in mind. Keep their needs in your awareness. Keep serving.

Life IS an echo. What you send out is what you get back. I hope this month brings back to you all that you have sent out in 2006.

What are your goals for the tail end of this year?

 

Comments

[Terry Starbucker]

Well done - I like these better than FROG! Well, maybe a "click frog" :-) Great advice in any case; thanks and all the best.

[RJON@HowToMakeItRain.com]

Hi Stephanie,

Thanks for your note. I recently had the opportunity to examine past goals when an old friend I lost touch with suddenly reappeared in my life.

It was very telling, what we each chose to devote our limited time to share with eachother to get caught-up.

Having helped hundreds of lawyers build their small law firms I can tell you that the ones who’ve had the greatest successes are those who developed the "right" kinds of goals. That is, realistic and measurable goals which address all of their TRUE motivations, not just financial.

In my experience, the right kinds of goals are those that address your Financial, Social and Professional needs. And to put it bluntly, if your law firm business isn’t serving each of these needs, you’re in trouble.

Before I help them establish their goals for 2007 I'm going to suggest this exercise to all of my rainmaking coaching clients:

1. Write a letter to an old friend you have lost touch with to catch him or her up on what's going on in your life.

2. Categorize what you talk about and what you exclude from the letter.

3. Make sure whichever acronym you choose for your 2007 goals, is consistent and drives you towards the categories that get top billing in your letter, not just how you want your law firm to perform financially.

Respectfully,

RJON ROBINS
www.HowToMakeItRain.com
Helping Lawyers In Small Firms Make ALOT More Money

Please visit my website to subscribe to my FREE Newsletter and check out other FREE marketing & management resources developed just for small law firms.

[StephanieWestAllen]

Hello, Rjon. Thanks for your comment. I so agree that the goals need to be rounded for many people. I always hesitate to say anything categorically as we are each so different. One of the biggest things I keep in the front of my mind when working with clients and their goals is one size does not fit all. Here's a post on that:

http://westallen.typepad.com/trackknacks/2006/05/gratitude_for_a.html

Wish you well with all those activities you have described in your comment.