Blog

​What is the most common reason that team members (a/k/a employees) fail? New team members fail because they do not know what is expected of them. And why is that?  Because you did not take the time to explain clearly what you expect from them. The next time that you hire a new team member take more »

At a mastermind, a 30-year old lawyer makes a bold proclamation, “I want to be a malpractice lawyer.” The lawyer is met with more than a healthy dose of negativity by the members and is told that he should avoid malpractice work due to its complexity and substantial cost. I did not agree.  I told the more »

 Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, writes an annual letter to shareholders. The letters inspired and reinstilled the message that Amazon’s core values will never change and no matter how successful Amazon is, they will always live by the “Day One” values of being frugal, having a “beginner’s mind” and taking a long-term view.  These annual more »

This was easily one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen. Outside of a meeting room during a mastermind, a small group of lawyers huddle around each other.  The focus of their attention is on a lawyer who is showing them something on his laptop.  This piqued my curiosity and I moved closer to find more »

 What is the biggest challenge facing most law firms?  Most law firms do not have an organized onboarding system for new team members and simply ask a member of the team to train new employees. This is not a system—it’s a recipe for failure.“The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave more »

Have you ever wondered why a few lawyers are wildly successful while most struggle?  There’s one thing for certain, success is not based upon luck.  The most successful lawyers have proven systems that they’ve learned from years of taking chances, making mistakes and discovering what works. You see the outward signs of a successful law firm, more »

 Preparation is everything when it comes to expert testimony.  When you see a brilliant expert testify at trial, you are only seeing the end result of 2-3 years of preparation and hard work.  Spend 10X more time preparing your expert than the defense will spend with their expert. Preparation of the expert is the key more »

What do the top law firm owners do better than anyone?  At a moment’s notice, these law firm owners have a mastery of the most important numbers for their law firm. Without exception, knowing your numbers is the most important thing for your law firm’s success. Do you know your law firm’s most important numbers at more »

Your personal manifesto (a/k/a “The Guide to Working with John”) provides insight into your personality and how you prefer to work. Expose the whole firm to this and share it when onboarding new team members.  The more that people know about you, the better. The Guide to Working with JohnThis is a guide to my preferences more »