On Law Practice - Don't Let the Urgent Drive Out The Important
I recently read an interview with Henry Kissinger and it reminded me of the practice of law. Former Secretary of State Kissinger was discussing the challenges that come with being Secretary of State or National Security Advisor. In talking about the decisions he made, he remarked -- "at the end of every day you almost have to make a decision - whom are you going to insult by not dealing with his or her problems?" While not all jobs are 24/7 triage, it's all too common a problem. According to Kissinger, "one of the problems of government is to separate the urgent from the important, and make sure you're dealing with the important and don't let the urgent drive out the important."
That same comment could apply to running a law practice. For every client, their problem is the most important one - and from their perspective it should be. The tricky part is, of course, actually making it work. That's a management skill many people don't have but those that do tend to have the most successful firms and the happiest clients. Some people are able to do this instinctively, but I tend to believe that the really effective practitioners give it conscious thought and have developed a system that works within the unique constraints of their practice. How do you avoid letting the urgent drive out the important?
