Successful Barrister

In today’s episode, Diana and Marc focus on Kaizen, the simple but powerful concept that can empower your firm to grow continuously without committing to large changes. The concept is detailed in The Spirit of Kaizen by Rober Maurer. Kaizen is a favorite concept of Marc Whitehead, and he employs it regularly in the firm. Learn how Kaizen can be a small but game-changing addition to your firm’s strategy. 

For detailed show notes, navigate using the time stamps below: 

[1:20] Today’s podcast is about the concept of Kaizen. Kaizen is the idea of continual improvement through small and persistent step. It came from an American consultant in the Japanese auto industry who introduced the idea of continual improvement that eventually leads to big change.

[3:24] Marc’s favorite saying in the office is “we’re going to Kaizen the shit out of this.” One of the firm’s core values is excellence, and excellence to Marc means pursuing continual improvement.

[5:09] People are naturally opposed to change, so small changes over time are easier for people to deal with than larger changes. This makes them more effective over time.

[9:44] There are five perspectives to Kaizen. The first is the psychological perspective, which involves overcoming the fear of change using small actions. Taking small steps helps bypass the brain’s fear response.

[12:11] Marc Whitehead and Associates is currently testing different mediums during the onboarding process, including visual media for easy access to information. This is a minor change that is contributing to a big difference. 

[13:55] Small changes are also a good safeguard against unintended consequences of bad decisions. They also safeguard against people becoming attached to their decisions – people are less committed and thus less invested.

[14:49] The second perspective of Kaizen is the business management perspective. Continuous improvement promotes a culture of ongoing growth. Rather than relying on organizational restructuring, incremental changes allow businesses to make small changes, assess, and act based on the results.

[17:34] The third perspective is the personal development perspective. Kaizen provides a framework for self-improvement that can apply to your health, work, and relationships.

[21:43] The fourth perspective is the perspective of innovation and creativity. Small manageable questions involved in Kaizen stimulate the brain without overwhelming it. This allows you to bring out the best ideas from your staff instead of stifling them. 

[24:12] The final perspective the book offers is the cultural perspective. Marc finds this concept to be a bit “squishy,” but it refers to Kaizen’s benefits as a mindset. Kaizen encourages mindfulness and focus, which can be beneficial to your productivity. Kaizen allows you to step out of the whirlwind and see the big picture.

[28:30] Consistency is key to success, and consistency is built into the concept of Kaizen. As Miley Cyrus says, “it’s the climb.” Changing your mindset to focus on daily attainable tasks can allow you to overcome big challenges.

[33:55] The Spirit of Kaizen by Rober Maurer looks at success as a sequence that is built up over time. It also encourages readers to build in small rewards to grow momentum.

[37:09] Marc and Diana recommend listeners read The Spirit of Kaizen as well as The Compound Effect and The Slight Edge – all of these books are short reads that cover similar ground. If you want to discuss the books or the podcast, reach out at [email protected] 

Read

Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ 

Visit the Marc Whitehead & Associates website: https://disabilitydenials.com/ 

Buy The Spirit of Kaizen by Rober Maurer: https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Kaizen-Creating-Lasting-Excellence-ebook/dp/B009Q0CQMA 

Listen to The Spirit of Kaizen by Rober Maurer: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Spirit-of-Kaizen-Audiobook/B009R8XQ7K

Buy The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=the+compound+effect&hvadid=409929688930&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9008455&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=12077442470786840554&hvtargid=kwd-20018472067&hydadcr=22538_11318432&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_5a8ygfnne1_e 

Listen to The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Compound-Effect-Audiobook/1982648066?source_code=GO1PP30DTRIAL54704252491HA&ds_rl=1261256&gclid=CjwKCAjw_4S3BhAAEiwA_64YhgKbk9Ba0T2dnjyl_GzihOcXXLJavesFNpn59Aw4i0HuDXloHdTjkBoCZPcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds 

Buy The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson and David Mann: https://www.amazon.com/Slight-Edge-Turning-Disciplines-Happiness/dp/1626340463 

Listen to The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson and David Mann: 

https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Slight-Edge-Audiobook/B0C1CV7B7M 

On this episode of The Successful Barrister, Marc and Diana discuss how to create a marketing plan – and why being wildly profitable is good for your client. Learn Marc’s six strategies for marketing success and adopt them for your firm. Discover the best practices for paid marketing, how to measure your ROI, and why most firms have more problems converting leads than they do generating them. Generate public interest in your firm and get your intake department ready to respond to that interest. 

For detailed show notes, use the timestamps below to navigate the episode:

[1:20] This episode focuses on how your law firm can create a marketing plan. This subject is a passion for Marc, who developed the marketing plan for his firm. 

[2:18] Why is marketing so important? According to Marc, it is a law firm’s duty to be wildly profitable. From the perspective of a firm, your revenue is based on the success you generate for your clients. This means that your interests and your client’s interests are aligned. When a firm is wildly profitable, that benefits the clients – you can implement better technology and hire better experts, allowing you to produce better outcomes for your clients. 

[4:25] Lawyers who get disbarred do not go into law hoping to act unethically. Instead, they tend to face financial obstacles that lead them to take shortcuts. Being profitable limits this pressure. 

[5:30] You must maximize your revenue and cut expenses to become profitable. How do you improve your firm revenue? You can either bring in more cases or bring in better cases – both require you to improve your marketing. 

[7:13] Lawyers always need more cases. But when a lead walks into your firm, do you have a reliable way to convert that lead into a case? Marc’s strategy is to focus on your intake department before spending a cent on marketing because there is no point in generating leads if you cannot convert them. 

[11:58] Marc implemented six strategies to improve his marketing, the first being creating an effective intake team. 

[14:52] You always have to match your marketing budget with the strength of your intake team and the friction in your firm. Spending money on marketing when you cannot convert clients into cases is a waste of money.

[16:22] Marc’s second strategy involves generating interest. His main method is utilizing search engine optimization (SEO) to generate interest through Google searches. He also reaches people through paid search ads and social media.

[19:23] Marc’s third strategy can be inexpensive or even free, but it may take time. Marc recommends marketing to other experts in similar fields. For Marc, PI lawyers are a great referral source because they are not direct competitors, but they work with similar clients.  

[21:44] The referral strategy requires follow-ups. Lawyers often forget names and refer people to the last relevant firm they spoke to. Marc Whitehead & Associates does this through its newsletter, The Successful Barrister. 

[24:28] Marc’s fourth tip is to market to your client base. Marc Whitehead & Associates also follows up with its clients through newsletters, social media, and other check-ins. These follow-ups are different than those targeted at lawyers. Marc suggests providing a mix of personality and useful information.

[28:27] The fifth tip is to maintain community relations. This can be a bit difficult. In the case of Marc Whitehead & Associates, connecting with disease advocacy groups is important because clients are frequently disabled by diseases. The firm also offers scholarships, which can bring in positive community attention and awareness. 

[30:42] Lastly, Marc presents his specialty niche strategy. This came from an audit where the firm determined that disabled doctors and dentists tend to be the most lucrative clients. Because of this, March Whitehead & Associates develops materials that appeal specifically to this client group. 

[34:42] How do you measure the results of your marketing? Usually, you look at ROI, or return on investment. In Marc’s opinion, an ideal return on investment is between five and seven to one. Marc Whitehead & Associates uses call trackers, specialty URLs, and other tracking methods to accurately check where conversions came from. 

[39:50] The highest return on investment for Marc Whitehead & Associates is SEO. However, SEO is not scalable. The second best ROI has been the firm’s attorney marketing campaign, which has a return of about 10:1. The firm’s client marketing campaign falls just below that. These top three tend to be consistent across firms. 

[41:33] How long should you allow experiments to run? It depends on the progress you see. If a strategy is staying at a consistently low return, you might eliminate it after four months. However, some strategies take longer to build up over time. 

[45:11] Marc created a marketing template that is over 50 pages long. He offers it to people in Word format so that they can take the pieces that apply to them and edit it. 

If you would like access to the marketing plan, email Marc at [email protected].

Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ 

Visit the Marc Whitehead & Associates website: https://disabilitydenials.com/ 

Firm owners often find themselves juggling many tasks at the same time and struggling to get everything done. If you find yourself wondering how you can get all of your work done, you may be asking the wrong question. Learn how to delegate tasks with Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals by Accelerating Teamwork by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy. Delegation can take many forms, including the hiring of both fractional and full time employees. Discover how your network can help you find your “who” – and also help you learn who to avoid.

For detailed show notes, navigate the episode using the timestamps below:

[1:36] As the owner of a firm, you will have many tasks to complete. How do you get it all done? This episode is about Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals by Accelerating Teamwork by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy, which tells professionals to avoid getting stuck on the “how” and focus on the “who.” Learning to delegate tasks is crucial to your success.

[4:11] Marc attempted to build his own website before WordPress existed by learning to code as a full time practicing lawyer. After two weeks of attempting to teach himself to code, he realized he should hire someone else to do it. This is a great example of Who Not How. 

[8:28] Who Not How is partially about a mindset shift to not needing to be in control of everything. Another concept from the book is humility – while delegating takes confidence, you also need the humility to understand that you do not know everything, and there might be someone else who could complete tasks for you more effectively.

[11:56] Diana and Marc discuss the term “fractional”, which refers to hiring a staff member on a part time basis. Marc Whitehead & Associates brought in a fractional CFO with experience in the industry to help the firm grow. 

[14:58] There are lots of experts that firms can bring in on a fractional basis. A fractional CMO might help balance costs using industry-standard benchmarks. The fractional concept is also easy-in, easy-out: fractional relationships are easy to begin and easy to get out of. 

[17:52] Marc considered hiring a fractional COO before hiring Diana, but realized that it was a full time job. The operations work was going to members of the team who did not have the time or experience to deal with it, and there was no process for decision making. Choosing to hire a COO was a key example of Who Not How at Marc Whitehead & Associates.

[24:09] The fractional team members Marc has hired have largely been referrals from people already working with them. This is another example of using your network to solve your problems.

[27:15] Your network can also help you vet candidates and find out who not to work with. This can help your firm minimize risk in new hires. 

[28:47] Who Not How is written by Benjamin Hardy through his interviews with Dan Sullivan. Despite being listed as a co-author, Dan Sullivan did not write the book – Hardy is the “who” in the relationship.

[31:28] A project-pitch is a one-page tool that Atticus came up with. The pitch helps explain to teams why your project will benefit them. 

[34:19] When using Who Not How, it is important to consider the workload of the “who” you are choosing. For example, if Diana is assigned too many tasks, some of them will have to be prioritized over others. 

Listen to Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals by Accelerating Teamwork by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Who-Not-How-Audiobook/1401960774 

Buy Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals by Accelerating Teamwork on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Who-Not-How-Accelerating-Teamwork-ebook/dp/B0867ZJ151 

Visit The Successful Barrister Website: https://successfulbarrister.com 

Visit the Marc Whitehead & Associates Website: https://disabilitydenials.com/ 

In this episode, Marc and Diana discuss the flywheel, a concept introduced by Jim Collins in Good to Great and expanded upon in his monograph Turning the Flywheel. Learn what the flywheel can do for your firm and how to translate its concepts to a legal setting. Find out if your firm is asking the five essential questions – and if you have the right answers to build momentum.

[0:50] Diana and Marc introduce the concept of the flywheel. Turning the Flywheel is a monograph by Jim Collins that explored the concept of the flywheel, which he introduced in Good to Great.

[2:15] The purpose of the flywheel in real life is to regulate the engine, keeping it running when you hit the break. The flywheel as Jim Collins describes it is a pillar that involves six concepts that compound upon each other to build momentum. 

[4:22] Marc Whitehead & Associates did a leadership boot camp around the flywheel in which the team created their own flywheels for the firm. 

[5:28] Marc explains an example flywheel that describes Amazon’s model. It involves setting low prices and expansive offerings, increasing customer visits, attracting third-party vendors, and expanding the store and its distribution. This allows Amazon to continue offering low prices. 

[8:10] According to Collins, all aspects of the flywheel must be working for the flywheel to work. Marc explains that Marc Whitehead & Associates would not succeed if it had poor customer service, for example. 

[10:18] Marc explains the concept of the flywheel in more detail and how it applies to Marc Whitehead & Associates. The first question in the flywheel asks who your clientele is. Marc Whitehead & Associates serves individuals on the consumer side of law, so its services cater to individuals. Specifically, Marc Whitehead & Associates serves disabled individuals.

[13:33] It took Marc a decade to build his practice to a point where he could choose his clients. As he built his revenue, he increased his choices. 

[14:15] The second part of the flywheel asks how the ideal client will find you. Marc used to use the Yellow Pages to find business. He now uses a marketing plan.

[16:32] Marc Whitehead & Associates has three components to finding the ideal client. The first is a strong internet presence, the second is a strong referral base, and the third is a strong client base. 

[18:23] The next part of the flywheel is determining why your ideal customer would choose you. Customers have choices, and they will consider multiple options at a time. Even though lawyers do not usually like to think of themselves as salespeople, they are. 

[19:55] Marc Whitehead & Associates has an intake team to find leads and close deals, thereby removing attorneys from the process. The firm found that giving this task to attorneys and paralegals led to a bottleneck – they were too busy to handle intakes effectively.

[22:20] Marc toured a mass tort call center and took inspiration from its model when designing his intake team.

[24:38] The next question the flywheel asks is what value your business provides. Marc explains the separate wings of Marc Whitehead & Associates, and Diana emphasizes the importance of that separation in helping teams become subject matter experts. 

[26:24] The other part of providing value is the amount of technology in the firm. Diana explains the firm’s exploration of AI options, integration of QBO, and use of Salesforce. According to Collins, leveraging the right technology can be a gamechanger for businesses. 

[27:44] Marc Whitehead & Associates is a volume practice due to the low profit margins of disability cases. Technology helps the firm manage the large volume of cases and fix bottlenecks. 

[29:13] Another system the firm uses is Case Status, which is the avenue the firm uses to communicate with clients. Diana describes it as a Domino's Pizza Tracker for legal cases, allowing clients to easily see where they stand. 

[31:05] The final piece of the flywheel asks how you will maintain your client relationships. It does not matter if you did well if the person you served does not remember and forgets that you did well. Firms have to stay in front of their clients so they can refer people to you. 

[32:48] Marc Whitehead & Associates stays in contact with clients through virtual town halls, newsletters, and social media. 

[34:48] Applying the flywheel to legal services is difficult. Marc learned about the five questions for every law firm at an Atticus session. Those questions are: What market are you serving? How will your clients find you? Why will they choose you? How do you provide value to your clients? And how will you preserve your relationship with your clients? This struck Marc because it helped him understand what a flywheel would look like for a law firm. 

[38:26] Email Marc at [email protected] for the 50-page Marc Whitehead & Associates marketing plan – he will send it to you in full!

Buy Turning the Flywheel by Jim Collins on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Turning-Flywheel-Monograph-Accompany-Great/dp/0062933795 

Listen to Turning the Flywheel on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Turning-the-Flywheel-Audiobook/0062933817 

Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ 

Visit the Marc Whitehead & Associates website: https://disabilitydenials.com/ 

Is Good to Great a relic of the past or the key to your future? In this episode, Marc and Diana discuss the classic book Good to Great by Jim Collins and examine the book’s relevance over twenty years after its publication. They consider arguments against the book, break down its key points, and explain how your firm could benefit from its principles. Dive into Good to Great’s best tips to move your business forward discover the importance of hiring the best of the best, and learn why you should care about hedgehogs. 

For detailed show notes, read below and use the timestamps to navigate the episode:

[1:02] Is Good to Great by Jim Collins still relevant, or is it a relic? This episode discusses whether or not the classic book is still required reading for entrepreneurs. Some of the twelve companies that the 2001 book covered no longer exist, it does not use a large sample size. Another criticism is the fact that Collins only used public companies. 

[3:57] Marc’s thesis for this episode is that in spite of all of these criticisms, the book is still relevant – especially to small firms. This is because smaller companies and firms do not have the ability to absorb big mistakes. 

[6:28] The principles in Good to Great are extremely relevant to small businesses in general and law firms in particular. The most important principle of the book to law firms is to confront the facts. Many firms focus on their services and let their data take a back seat. 

[8:30] Legal service is a service business, meaning that firms are people businesses. Because of this, the people you have on your team are essential to success. 

[10:50] Marc and Diana delve into the nuts and bolts of Good to Great. Diana highlights the Stockdale Paradox. The paradox says that successful people maintain faith that they will prevail in the end while confronting the harshest realities in front of them.  

[16:32] Growth is expensive. Marc Whitehead & Associates is spending on hiring, space, and new technologies. These investments are discouraging in the short-term, but they will pay off in the long-term. 

[18:05] A hedgehog is a small, simple animal that does one thing and does that well. The point Collins tried to make with the hedgehog is that the best companies are like hedgehogs: they do one thing well. Expanding outside of that core for the sake of expanding can have serious consequences. 

[20:11] Marc has violated the hedgehog concept by starting a separate mass torte section within the firm. Mass tortes do not fit into Marc Whitehead & Associates’ model straightforwardly. The implementation process involved lots of testing in the beginning so Marc could learn where to invest, and where investments were not worth it. 

[23:14] The culture of discipline is another favorite concept from Good to Great. Collins's theory is that disciplined people are necessary for disciplined thought and that disciplined thought is necessary for disciplined action. Where Marc Whitehead & Associates is, the firm cannot execute its growth plan without disciplined people. 

[25:05] The final principle Marc and Diana discuss is disciplined action. The best advice Marc ever got was that the quality of his life as a lawyer would be determined by the quality of people he let through the door. Marc has since become very picky about the people that he lets into his business, which he thinks of as his community. This community takes disciplined action.

[27:23] Marc interviewed Diana four or five times before he hired her. The hiring process involved multiple tests, a screening, and many hours of conversation. This interview process is extremely rigorous and designed to bring in the best people.

[29:30] The entrepreneurial operating system has also helped the firm take disciplined action, specifically through Level 10 meetings. Level 10 meetings have a set agenda that helps the team deliver on their goals. 

[31:40] The team is currently working on integrating a new client portal, which will be the primary way that the firm will communicate with clients. This change requires discipline to break old communication habits and practices. 

Listen to Good to Great by Jim Collins on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Good-to-Great-Audiobook/B003UDDK7O 

Buy Good to Great on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996 

Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ 

Visit the Marc Whitehead & Associates website: https://disabilitydenials.com/ 

In this episode, Marc Whitehead and Diana Berry share the tips and tricks they learned from Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek. The book teaches leaders how to build trust with their teams, lead intentionally, and create an environment where leaders underneath them can lead. Learn why failing to delegate tasks could be costing you and your leaders. Listen to Marc and Diana’s thoughts on leadership and their personal leadership styles. Lastly, discover how you can shift your mindset to view leadership as a privilege.

For detailed show notes, read below and use the timestamps to navigate the episode:

[1:09] This episode is about leadership and specifically covers the book Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek. The book touches on many issues that Marc Whitehead & Associates dealt with as a firm. 

[2:42] Diana introduces the concept of the leadership boot camp. The boot camp acted as a precursor to EOS, or the Entrepreneurial Operating System. Marc assigned the executive team a book every quarter, and the quarter would conclude with a half-day boot camp where the team would explore the book’s concepts. 

[3:59] As a part of the boot camp, all of the attendees had to create a presentation about the material in each book, expanding upon how they would apply the lessons of the book to their position. This allowed the lessons of each book to become built into the culture.

[5:18] The title Leaders Eat Last comes from the military practice of officers eating last. Letting your subordinates go first is a sign of leadership, since the officers are meant to serve for the benefit of those who enlisted. By eating last, the officers contribute to a “circle of safety.”

[6:54] In the professional world, we try to remove distractions so our team can operate to their fullest potential. This is one way that leaders promote a circle of safety. Marc explains that the job of the leader is to put their team in a position to succeed. 

[9:12] Marc speaks about one of his favorite quotes on leadership from President Eisenhower. He was able to motivate soldiers in World War II by developing leaders beneath him, who then developed leaders beneath them, thereby building a network of leadership. Motivating people is about getting people to do what you want them to do. 

[11:07] Only about twenty percent of Americans love their jobs. In this environment, how do we inspire people to want to do what we as leaders want them to do? Diana speaks to Marc’s ability to develop people, and Marc speaks to his own imposter syndrome as a leader. He acknowledges how difficult it can be for him to hold people accountable. 

[14:12] Sinek explains that decisions become part of the culture, so when people are not held accountable, those decisions spread. 

[15:19] Diana explains that her weakness as a leader is that she focuses on the greater good, and sometimes sacrifices the feelings of individuals in pursuit of that good. This makes her a great contrast to Marc’s personality and leadership style. 

[18:30] The context of Sinek’s book allows for more honest conversations between team members about leadership. Because they are speaking through the frameworks Sinek provides instead of solely from their own feelings and perceptions, they can explain their difficulties without their criticisms feeling personal.

[20:51] The ability of a group of people to do remarkable things hinges on how well those people pull together as a team. A leader’s job is to put together and motivate a team. As you scale, you have to continue building teams, and eventually, you will not be able to lead every team. Marc now has to develop leaders.

[23:02] Leadership is about trust and accountability. One of the key features of developing leaders is the ability to step back and let the new leaders lead. When you are unwilling to delegate, you stifle the growth of your leaders. Marc is always there as a safety net, but he believes that his leaders have to make their own mistakes in order to learn. 

[25:06] Being a good leader is a choice, like becoming a parent. It is a privilege to lead people, and that privilege comes at the expense of self-interest. Marc now has the privilege of leadership, and reframing his mindset to see it as a privilege motivates him. 

[28:03] Leadership as laid out in Leaders Eat Last is a continuous process of growth, and reading the book is not an endpoint. Leadership should happen intentionally because if it is not done intentionally leadership will emerge accidentally.

Listen to Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Leaders-Eat-Last-Audiobook/0593291352 

Buy Leaders Eat Last on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Leaders-Eat-Last-Together-Others/dp/1591845327 

Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ 

Visit the Marc Whitehead & Associates website: https://disabilitydenials.com/ 

In this episode, Marc Whitehead and Diana Berry discuss The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling, also called 4DX. The system is making waves, with implementations from the Naval Medical Center to Marriott. Learn how the Four Disciplines can help your firm move past the daily whirlwind and execute their strategic goals. Determine your wildly important goals, your leading and lagging measures, and create your own scorecard so your team can visualize their contributions. Lastly, learn into why creating a cadence of accountability is both the simplest and the most difficult tenet of 4DX. 

For detailed show notes, read below and use the timestamps to navigate the episode:

[0:45] Marc Whitehead introduces himself and Diana Berry and the topic of the episode, which is 4DX, which stands for the Four Disciplines of Execution. 

[2:02] 4DX has been in the news since the Naval Medical Center began to implement 4DX. Even the military, with hundreds of years of tradition, is looking for a new system! Marriott also implemented 4DX and saw impressive returns. 

[3:09] Planning is much easier than executing your plans. We all have our daily whirlwinds, or things we have to do every day, that leave us stuck and unable to execute the strategic projects that can move our firms forward.

[4:46] Attorneys and litigators also deal with the daily whirlwind. Litigators especially have schedules that are subject to change, making it difficult to block out time. 

[6:27] Marc explains the Eisenhower Matrix, which was part of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. The Eisenhower Matrix splits your time into four quadrants: “important but urgent,” “important but not urgent,” “unimportant but urgent” and “unimportant and not urgent.” It advises people to live in the “important” quadrants of the matrix. 

[7:53] 4DX goes beyond dealing with what is important. It helps businesses get ahead and execute their larger goals over time by keeping strategy from becoming reactive. 

[10:01] The four core tenets of the Four Disciplines of Execution are focus on the wildly important, act on lead measures, keep a compelling scoreboard, and keep a cadence of accountability. To focus on the wildly important, you have to determine your highest priorities and have the courage to say no to other things.

[11:58] Your “WIGs” are your wildly important goals. Ideally, people should keep close to one WIG at a time and should stay below three WIGs. Breaking WIGs down to bite-sized goals each quarter allows firms to execute them over time. 

[12:55] How does Marc Whitehead & Associates determine its WIGs? Firstly, there are different WIGs at different levels. The firm has a firm-wide WIG, and different subgroups have sub-WIGs that align with the overall WIG of the firm.  

[14:23] One firm-wide WIG for this quarter was implementing QBO, or QuickBooks Online with Litify, a case management software to get financial data to “talk to” their production data. This was a difficult project that fell outside of the daily whirlwind.

[16:40] Limiting your WIGs also means not making your whirlwind your WIG. WIGs should focus on strategic goals that fall outside of the daily grind. WIGs also require prioritization, since it is impossible to work on many of them at once

[18:23] The second tenet is to act on “leading” measures as opposed to “lagging” measures. You cannot influence lagging measures – an example would be the profits from the last quarter because they already happened and cannot be changed. The leading measures can be influenced; this would be your profits for the next quarter. 

[20:12] Leading measures tend to be difficult to quantify and track. Revenue, for example, is a lagging measure because you cannot determine revenue until it has already happened. New leads or contracts signed might be leading measures because they are signs of what your revenue could be down the line. Some people’s leading measures could be other people’s lagging measures. For example, cases signed could be a leading measure for the firm as a whole, but a lagging measure for the intake department. 

[22:28] Once you have determined what your lead measures might be, how do you act on them? First, you have to determine a way to quantify what your leading measures are, since they tend to be more difficult to measure. For example, Marc Whitehead & Associates initially had difficulty determining how to measure its intake department’s productivity. 

[24:15] The third discipline is keeping a compelling scorecard. Marc describes the scorecard as analogous to a scoreboard in a football game – it exists so everyone involved understands whether they are winning or losing. Diana explains that one of the most demoralizing aspects of life in the whirlwind is that you don’t know whether you can win. 

[26:31] Marc uses a whiteboard setup to motivate his teams. When employees can see their contribution to the win, they are more motivated to get through the daily whirlwind. 

[28:28] The four characteristics of a compelling scoreboard are: 1. Is it simple? 2. Can I see it easily? 3. Does it show lead and lag measures? 4. Can I tell at a glance if I’m winning? 

[28:57] The fourth tenet of 4DX is to create a cadence of accountability. This tenet is the most difficult to execute, but it is also deceptively simple. This is because it requires you to change a habit. 

[30:12] Marc Whitehead & Associates have melded the EOS and the 4DX systems to create a cadence of accountability. 4DX acted as a primer for EOS in that many of the concepts and principles are similar. Weekly accountability meetings for 4DX are comparable to Level 10 meetings in EOS. 

[32:29] Marc and Diana discuss The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling. Applying the book requires persistence and trial and error since the process is not linear. Holding people accountable always comes with a level of pushback since you are disrupting people’s whirlwinds. This is especially true for attorneys, whose schedules are very reactive. 

[35:54] You should expect that your WIGs will change over time, so they require a big-picture mindset. It can be difficult to sell the changes to people who are stuck in the daily whirlwind. Marc Whitehead & Associates builds their WIGs into their bonus structures to incentivize employees to buy into the changes. Changing the bonus structure to meet quarterly WIGs helps get employees on board.

Buy The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Disciplines-Execution-Achieving-Wildly-Important/dp/145162705X 

Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ 

Email Marc Whitehead: [email protected]

In the second episode of The Successful Barrister, Marc Whitehead and Diana Berry discuss the implementation of EOS, or the Entrepreneurial Operating System, at Marc Whitehead & Associates. Implementation takes place over two years and is facilitated by a certified implementer. Learn about the six core components that make up EOS, the tools to implement the system, and the simplicity of implementation. Dive into the origins of EOS in Traction by Gino Wickman – and maybe even email Marc Whitehead for a summary of the book. 

For detailed show notes, read below and use the timestamps to navigate the episode: 

[1:16] EOS, or the Entrepreneurial Operating System, is making the news as over 40,000 companies are currently using it. The genesis of EOS is from Traction by Gino Wickman, and Marc Whitehead & Associates is currently implementing EOS in its practice.

[2:18] EOS gained traction in the legal industry. It helps Marc Whitehead & Associates focus on leadership and team building.

[4:10] When you grow a business, you have to scale and hire more people. The more you grow, the harder it is to ensure that all employees share the same vision. EOS helps foster a collective vision between employees. 

[5:44] According to Diana, the beauty of EOS is its simplicity. It has clearly defined Diana’s role as the integrator and Marc’s role as the visionary, and where their roles start and end. The process also encourages accountability. 

[8:29] Scaling Up was written by Verne Harnish, whom Geno Wickman once worked for. Scaling Up and EOS are direct competitor systems. Marc considered both systems for Marc Whitehead & Associates, but chose EOS because of its simplicity and compatibility with the size of the firm. Scaling Up is best for much larger companies. 

[10:43] Christine Spray is a licensed EOS implementor. Her job is to help Marc Whitehead & Associates implement EOS. The process is a two-year commitment. 

[12:37] One of the first steps organizations must take within the EOS system is determining the leadership team. Employees on this team will be present at EOS meetings. For Marc Whitehead & Associates, these team members are employees who are responsible for generating revenue streams. 

[15:07] The EOS model is made up of six core components: people, vision, data, issues, process, and traction. EOS uses a simple rating system to determine where organizations stand with each of the six core components.

[18:11] Everybody has a motivation that gets them to work every day. This motivation should correspond with the organization’s purpose. For Marc Whitehead & Associates, this purpose is to improve the lives of disabled and injured clients. The organization’s vision is a comprehensive expansion of this purpose; involving a 5-year plan. 

[20:42] The simplified 5-year plan for Marc Whitehead & Associates is to double the number of families that the firm assists. When Marc Whitehead & Associates helps clients, they also help their families, so they think of families as an extension of the client. 

[21:36] It is crucial to define the benefits of expansion to employees. For Marc Whitehead & Associates, these benefits include career opportunities, raises resulting from revenue increases, and bonuses. Everybody in the firm needs to know and buy into the vision.

[23:30] Marc and Diana discuss Traction by Geno Wickman, which they recommend to the listener. They read the book during their quarterly leadership bootcamps. The vision and people components make up the early chapters of the book. 

[25:12] Chapter 5 covers the data component. Each component has a specific tool, making EOS simple to implement. The scorecard is the implementation tool for the data component. It covers revenue, new leads, Google reviews, outstanding balances, and net promoter score.

[28:55] The difference between a dashboard and the EOS scorecards is the ability to view the data as an issue. If something is awry in the scorecard, it becomes an issue in the Level 10 meeting. This ensures that problems in the data are recognized and addressed.

[30:26] The following chapter is the issues chapter. Many firms have issues that linger and are not addressed. Part of the EOS process is dealing with issues on a weekly basis. Level 10 meetings are a weekly meeting with the leadership team that follows a very specific format. Most of the meeting is spent in IDS, which stands for identify, discuss, and solve. 

[32:58] The final chapter is the traction component. Sometimes the way to solve an issue is to create what EOS terms a rock, or a 90-day goal. 

[33:53] The process component involves finding your way as an organization. While it is easy to write a process, it is very difficult to ensure that the process is followed by everyone. Section-level meetings help implement processes at other levels of Marc Whitehead & Associates. 

[35:17] The Level 10 meeting is the traction component of EOS. It involves measuring milestones and determining whether areas need to be revisited.

Buy Traction by Geno Wickman on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Traction-Get-Grip-Your-Business/dp/1936661837 

Email [email protected] 

Visit the Successful Barrister website: https://www.successfulbarrister.com/ 

In the inaugural episode of The Successful Barrister Podcast, Marc Whitehead and Diana Berry discuss law firms as a business that requires an entrepreneurial outlook. They delve into the Atticus Practice Growth Map to examine the three phases of building a practice in detail. Learn how to avoid burnout, grow like a business, and build teams that can function without you. Explore the concept of the “entrepreneurial seizure” – and learn its cure. Lastly, gain valuable insights from an analysis of Michael Gerber’s The E-Myth Revisited and The E-Myth Attorney.

For detailed show notes, read below and use the timestamps to navigate the episode:

[0:52] Marc Whitehead introduces cohost chief operating officer Diana Berry. Diana explains her role as chief operating officer and how it interacts with sales and marketing. 

[2:28] The EOS is the entrepreneurial operating system from the book Traction by Gino Wickman. The book introduces the concept of the visionary and the integrator. The visionary is responsible for big solutions and ideas while the integrator focuses on the details and operation. Within Marc Whitehead & Associates, Marc is the visionary and Diana is the integrator

[4:10] The Successful Barrister podcast is for law firm owners, people who want to own their own law firm, or those who run parts of a law firm. It is intended for individuals with an entrepreneurial spirit and vision. This podcast will help entrepreneurs to build a sustainable practice, not a prison.

[6:26] Marc and Diana discuss a U.S. News article about lawyer burnout that put stats behind it: 77% of attorneys interviewed report some form of burnout. Lawyers feel burned out more than half the time. Diana notes that the nature of legal work is very reactionary, which can take a toll on your mental health. Merc notes that many lawyers wrap their identities up in their careers. 

[9:32] Marc explains his history in law. He used to take on much of the available work in his firm, which led to burnout. He began to follow Mark Powers and his advice, including Atticus Coaching, to better delegate his work. 

[12:26] Marc’s main focuses are the “three Ms:” management, marketing, and mentorship. This allows him to have a sustainable work-life balance. 

[15:52] Diana speaks to Atticus Coaching’s tools and benefits, which she has taken advantage of herself. The Atticus Practice Growth Map is a tool firm owners can use to map their career trajectories. Marc explains that some people feel that their understanding of the technical side of the law will allow them to run a successful practice. However, running a practice is a business, and running one without a business skillset will be an uphill battle. 

[18:46] Marc talks about scaling. Importantly, scaling the size of your business also involves scaling up the complexity. Legal services are starting to put business professionals behind their firms. 

[21:15] After shifting your mindset to an entrepreneurial outlook, the first phase is the technician stage of the Atticus Growth Map. In this stage, everything involves improving your technical skills as a lawyer. Many lawyers never leave that stage and aren’t able to build a firm that can function without them. 

[22:25] The second stage in the Atticus Growth Map is the practice leader stage. In this stage, you go beyond the technical side and learn how to lead people who can do the technical work for you. This involves developing profit centers that revolve around other people; usually other lawyers. Those lawyers become sources of revenue. Other roles like paralegals contribute to profit generation less directly. 

[25:23] From an operations perspective, this transition involves getting foundational systems into place. This involves the development of training modules, technology, procedures, and systems of accountability. 

[27:01] After the practice leader stage, firm owners move on to the final stage: the market leader mindset stage. In this phase, you no longer directly generate revenue. Instead, you gain the freedom to manage the firm, market your services, and mentor lawyers. 

[28:02] Removing yourself from the day-to-day process of your firm requires a mindset shift. A firm is practically more valuable the less dependent it is on the revenue production of the owner and the day-to-day participation of the owner. 

[31:11] Now Marc’s job is to manage his firm. Diana says that transitioning to management requires building a team that you can rely on. Inherent to this step is ensuring that you are leading an effective team. 

[33:02] If everything you’ve built relies upon you, your business is not sellable because it cannot exist without you. 

[35:17] Marc and Diana discuss The E-Myth Revisited by Micheal Gerber. In his first book E-Myth, Gerber writes chapters as fables about struggling entrepreneurs, followed by chapters commenting on their actions. In The E-Myth Attorney, Gerber uses the same format and applies it to the legal profession. In this section, Marc and Diana will be discussing both The E-Myth Revisited and The E-Myth for Attorney in combination. 

[37:32] The first premise Gerber discusses is the “entrepreneurial seizure” – a mindset shift where a legal professional decides that they understand the technical side of being a lawyer but do not want to work for someone else, and want to run their own profession. 

[40:10] When you start your own practice, you become both the technician and the manager. Many people find managing themselves to be difficult. 

[41:28] The solution to the entrepreneurial seizure is learning to develop the processes and systems to run the business. Once a system is created, you must build a team that will make that system work. This is the main idea of The E-Myth: entrepreneurship involves creating systems that will run your business, and hiring people who will run those systems.

[46:46] The Successful Barrister will be a regular weekly podcast that covers a variety of topics. It will provide listeners with valuable advice on owning and running a successful law firm. 

Listen to The E-Myth Revisited by Micheal Gerber on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-E-Myth-Revisited-Audiobook/B002V1LGZE?source_code=GPAGBSH0508140001&ipRedirectOverride=true&gclid=CjwKCAjwko21BhAPEiwAwfaQCIPn_jlFo6wTat0qI9K03FA8tC9TcMWS6UDcdIfMBy-MWnzTrW_UBRoCKUgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.dsm 

Listen to The E-Myth Attorney on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-E-Myth-Attorney-Audiobook/B003M5F7PI 

Buy The E-Myth Revisited by Micheal Gerber on Amazon:

Welcome to the one and only podcast that's more thrilling than a last-minute court adjournment, 'The Successful Barrister! The podcast discusses marketing, management, and life skills for lawyers, which probably won't get you disbarred.