I have always found the word solo as in solo practitioner to sound autonomous, John Wayne-like, and detached. Plus solo is so close to silo and the phrase "separate silo" has come to mean something in an organization that is not integrated. I never could figure out an alternative to this word solo to which I do not warm until I read this paragraph from The Myths of Innovation by Scott Berkun . . .
The myth of the lone inventor
Everyone knows that Neil Armstrong was the first person on the moon. But how many people helped him get there? Of course there was the rest of the crew: Buzz Aldrin and the oft-forgotten Michael Collins. Then, just like in the movies, there were the dozens of worried-looking mission-control staff on the ground, and notables like Van Braun—intellectual forces who drove the entire program.
But what about the people who made the many complicated parts needed to construct Apollo 11? And what about the managers, designers, and planners who conceived the ideas, organized engineering teams, and coordinated years of work? The numbers add up fast. More than 500,000 people worked on the NASA effort to put a person on the moon. For Armstrong to succeed required contributions from an entire metropolis worth of people, not including the millions of taxpayers who paid the bills, and the president who challenged a nation to believe. Neil Armstrong is a household name only because his contribution was the most visible. However, the most visible contribution isn't necessarily the most significant.
Who is involved in a solo's contribution? Of course, any staff but who else? Perhaps spouses, children, mentors, past professors, parents, vendors, strategic alliances, churches, clients, bar associations, service clubs, what else?
When someone asks me what I do with lawyers and law firms, the follow-up question is often "are you solo?" or "are you alone?" I have never felt comfortable saying yes because of the reasons described above, but have not found a good way to respond. Perhaps next time I am going to say something like this: "I have no formal partners, associates, or staff. But I am glad to say that, in one way or another, many people are part of the fabric of my practice." Or maybe: "It takes a village to raise a solo."
Any suggestions?
