Everywhere you look there seems to be a "Top 10" of something or other...so this post is really for myself as a reminder...but you're welcome to look and use if you feel like it. (They are not in any particular order of brilliance...but for me they are all brilliant)

1. Card Munch – Turn business cards into contacts by taking a photo of them. This is a great free app for managing business card clutter. It automatically adds them to your LinkedIn social network.

2. My1Login - If you use the same or similar passwords and Login details for more than one website (I know you do!) Then you MUST use this website.  Utterly brilliant for storing confidential details.  And totally free.

3. Duedil.com - UK Companies House information on all UK Registered companies and directors.  Warning, this site is very addictive. 

4. Waze – Waze is more than a maps app, it’s a fun, hands free, voice operated, community-based traffic & navigation app, 20 million strong. If you want up-to-date local travel news...this is the best one to use to avoid the jams.

5. Dragon Dictation – Dragon dictate turns your voice into anything written, blogs, emails, social media entries, briefs, To Do lists, you name it. It gets better the more you use it.  You can use the desktop or the app.

6. Google + and others – From one site anyone I authorise can update my online diary. There are many other uses to numerous to mention here, but if you're not using this (and are using Outlook instead) then you should consider changing

7. Hootsuite – The popular social sharing app that helps you manage and schedule your tweets, Facebook and LinkedIn updates, all from one convenient place.

8. Evernote – The terrific Read It Later app. Save articles, blog posts, videos and web pages for later viewing on your phone, tablet or computer. Upload on one and it automatically syncs to all the others.

9. Prezi – Create stunning presentations — whether you are pitching an idea, teaching a lesson, telling a story, or igniting a movement  Prezi is the best.

10. Smart Dockets – Presently USA only - This app aims to remove calendaring errors, one of the leading causes of legal malpractice law suits, by providing lawyers and legal assistants with the ability to calculate dates and deadlines using court rules.

Great heading isn't it?


I'm guessing you've come here looking for some tricks, tips and insider secrets that will take you and your firm out of the doldrums and back to the land of milk and honey (known to most lawyers as as Pre 2008)


Well the good news is that there are some tips.


But like anything worth having, they are elusive.

I could suggest to you that the best way to find out exactly how the most successful firms motivate themselves is to go directly to a website with a big list...then simply follow the list.  That would be too easy.

So I'll start with a story and a very short list.

About three years ago I was approached at a legal seminar by a partner of a medium sized firm.  He had read this blawg after someone recommended it to him and he knew I would be at the seminar, so he had done his homework on me and decided that I might be in a position to help him and his firm. (I know that because he told me).

Anyway, we chatted for about half an hour over pre-dinner drinks and it became clear to me that not only could I help him, but I could instantly save him about £100k in "overheads" ( and that was before even letting one member of staff go).  I didn't tell him this in so many words, but I did see a chance to formulate a great offer and a guarantee.  After all, his traditional law firm were very nervous about letting anyone know their true financial position and wanted to be absolutely sure that any spending on "consultants" would be money well spent.

So the offer was this; I will do a free initial consultation on the firm. That takes a whole day and involves most of the staff.  Following that, I will make my offer.

However.

I will only start work with you IF I can save you at least £100k in year one.  You will pay me a monthly fee.  If I cannot save you AT LEAST £100k then I will return any money you have paid me plus interest at 8%.

He admitted that it was a good offer and he would speak to the partners when he got back.

That was three years ago.

I have spoken to the partner about four times in the last three years and he "...still wants to do something..."

Yeah, good luck with that.  My last conversation with him in November 2012 was to say that my offer was withdrawn.

Why?

Obvious really. But I'll spell it out.

I used the guarantee because when it comes to the best way to get started, there is an easy format that states:

1. Identify something you want
2. Accept that there is something that you can actually do about it
3. It is within your means and
4. Taking action is within your level of acceptable loss (i.e the cost is minimal if the action doesn't work out)

Despite all that fitting in to place, they still have not taken action.

So, when it's put that way, there are only four logical explanations for why they are not:

1. Habit.
2. They don't actually have the means at hand
3. The perceived cost is too high. Or
4. They are lying to themselves about what they want.

The fourth is rarely the case. Most people setting goals who say they want to get a new job, or meet someone or lose weight really do want to find new employment, find that person or get thinner. As for habit, in this case, that’s “simply” a matter of getting used to taking action. 

So this means is if you aren’t taking action toward what you want, you either perceive taking action as either being too costly, or too risky.  Or for a room full of law firm partners...both of these!

What’s the solution? 

Reduce the cost and risk to acceptable levels, so that you could get under way.

That was done, but still no decision.  The firm were too busy (or in this case they all convinced each other that they were all too busy) to make any real decisions on their future.  This is commonly known as "...arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic..."

The simple fact is that they were too busy hoping that everything would return to normal and if they could just sit out the storm long enough they would be ok.

Real life is not like that and the sooner decisions are made the better.

And that's how successful businesses motivate themselves.