Firing is the most dangerous action a manager ever takes. "Yet almost everybody does it poorly," says Joseph Godwin, a management consultant with F&H Solutions Group, a human resources consulting firm in Asheville, NC. Any fired employee is depressed and fearful of the future—and not averse to calling an attorney. Every manager needs to know how to fire without asking … [Read more...] about Seven guides for a safe and somewhat pleasant firing
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90 minutes of unpaid time off ends a bookkeeping nightmare
A Kentucky office manager has devised a method to control time off, focusing on making the paperwork easier. Keeping track of 45-minute appointments or an hour of personal leave is a bookkeeping nightmare, says the administrator, whose office has 26 staff. So she combined vacation, sick, and personal leave into a single pool of paid time off and made it a rule that the time … [Read more...] about 90 minutes of unpaid time off ends a bookkeeping nightmare
You know dressing for success is important. But do you know how to do it?
Whether you're speaking to a group, to the lawyers, or to a new client, your looks count, says image consultant Sandy Dumont of The Image Architect in Norfolk, VA. And Dumont backs up her assertion with research—limited research, but research nonetheless. She recently sat in a courtroom "for hours predicting which attorneys would win based on how they looked." And each time, … [Read more...] about You know dressing for success is important. But do you know how to do it?
Look for opportunities to improve your staff quality
By Steve M. Cohen bio Here's something you'll consider too obvious to mention: To improve your overall office performance, work to replace marginal employees with better ones. That is obvious and I know most managers are ready to do that whenever possible. But what I'm promoting here is a long-term, sustained policy that ultimately may target weak employees for … [Read more...] about Look for opportunities to improve your staff quality
Scarcity marketing: How playing hard to get may win you new clients
Want clients to appreciate the value of the firm's services? "Make the services hard to get but easy to buy." says Trey Ryder, a law firm marketing consultant in Payson, AZ. Give the appearance of being in high demand with limited time available and let people know they are competing for a limited resource. It's called marketing with scarcity, and there's good psychology to … [Read more...] about Scarcity marketing: How playing hard to get may win you new clients
Chicago firm discovers in-person interviews can sharply increase client service and satisfaction
A Chicago law firm goes the extra mile to ensure client satisfaction, sometimes even getting on a plane to do so. Like many firms, 37-attorney firm sends out client satisfaction surveys. But unlike most firms, it gets the responses via in-person interviews held at the clients' places of business. The visits are limited to the largest revenue-producing clients, says the … [Read more...] about Chicago firm discovers in-person interviews can sharply increase client service and satisfaction
Make sure your staff follow these 5 basic rules when dealing with clients or employees with disabilities
The Americans with Disabilities Act does not require it, but good manners do—proper etiquette toward persons with disabilities, both clients and employees. Mistakes in manners often occur in professional offices. Here are some of the more common blunders to watch for: 1 The handshake A common error is not offering to shake hands with a client or employee who has a hand … [Read more...] about Make sure your staff follow these 5 basic rules when dealing with clients or employees with disabilities
The importance of making your expectations clear
By Steve M. Cohen bio Many employees at all levels are guilty of taking their positions for granted. As a manager, it's something you should be on the look out for, even in your own work. Even in a healthy job market, the attitude can be costly. I was once involved in a case with an employee who had an $80,000 a year position. The individual had been employed for … [Read more...] about The importance of making your expectations clear
How to prevent violence . . . and deal with it when it happens
On the topic of violence in the office, "people are in denial," says one security management consultant. "They can't believe it's going to happen." But it does happen, and it comes from a lot of sources – unhappy clients, unhappy employees, employees' unhappy spouses, and even from outsiders wandering in. In one office in North Carolina, for example, a client's husband was … [Read more...] about How to prevent violence . . . and deal with it when it happens
How to test the climate of the firm and staff’s satisfaction with it
What makes a staff a satisfied staff? One human resources expert cites three core items: management’s communication with staff, management’s commitment to supporting staff, and staff’s trust in management. To find out the level of each as well as where and how to make improvements, use a climate survey, or an opinion survey on the climate of the office. … [Read more...] about How to test the climate of the firm and staff’s satisfaction with it