Sssshhh....I'm listening

 

The Importance of Listening

        Let's face it, as a paralegal, you have to do a lot of listening.  You listen to your co-workers, your supervising attorney(s), your clients, and others.  Are you listening correctly to achieve the end goal as the front lines at your firm?

        Coming soon is my five part series on effective listening skills.  I welcome any suggestions for information to include.  I intend to cover various types of questions you can ask which I learned through Collaborative Divorce, and which can apply to any practice area.  

        In the meantime, start thinking about your own listening skills and send me your comments with any tips and tricks you think should be included in this series!

Update that Website!

Keep it Current!

        The firm I work for recently had a meeting to discuss updating our website.  Highly informative! Some things I knew, some things I didn't.  I wanted to share some of the information I learned with you! 

        Your firm, whether large or small, is one of approximately 1 billion websites, at least!  Each and every one of those sites want to be seen!  Depending on your role at your firm or organization, being a paralegal may include helping with marketing. The firm I work for in Connecticut, The Law Offices of Donna Buttler, is small, and I welcome you to visit the website at www.dbuttler.com.  We haven't made changes to the site, but plan to soon.  (As an aside - I'm trying to create a list on this website of firms and resources, please send me your comments with firms around the country I can include!)

        You should make periodic updates to your website.  Whether these are big changes (such as adding new attorney profiles or an entire new section of your site such as a blog), or small (such as adding new language to an existing section of your website, i.e. FAQ), this will help search engines notice you. 

        Make sure you schedule periodic reviews of the website to ensure everything is up to date. You want people who find your site to receive relevant and current information. 

        Try creating a blog.  Having a routine where you create a new post can keep your website fresh.  You can also link this to your Facebook or other social media accounts to keep those active.

        Don't underestimate the power of social media.  Odd as it may seem, more and  more people are reviewing social media pages for companies when making decisions on who to do business with.  

        Ask for reviews! Don't feel ashamed to ask your clients to provide a blurb for your website or ask them to go to sites such as SuperLawyers to post a review.  This could be a great conversation after a successful outcome for a client. 

        The only way any business can succeed is to be known, and your webpage is the first thing many people will see.  Keep it current and keep the new client's coming in!

        Consider your website to be vital to the health of your company, but don't forget to prioritize your own health!  If you need a safe outlet, Better Health may be able to help!

                                          https://www.betterhelp.com/rpc/4ccc425357094062-1-01

Have any comments or suggestions? Topics you'd like to see covered?

A tip or an article you'd like to share?

Use the suggestion form on the left side of this webpage!

Prioritize Your Health

 

YOUR HEALTH IS IMPORTANT!

    Ok, maybe this goes without saying but your health is important!!!  In a "normal" world life can be stressful.  You are only going to be as good at work as your health.  Take a moment to prioritize you!!!

Go to the doctor Make time for those annual wellness checks; your employer should be fine with this!!!! If your supervisor truly gives you a hard time about prioritizing your health, talk to your Human Resource department or manager!  We learned about it when we were kids (or maybe I'm aging myself!)

Take time off Give yourself a break!  Don't be one of those employees that doesn't take any time off.  We all need a break from time to time and not only when we are sick.  

Use that lunch break! Most employers give you a lunch break, whether paid or unpaid.  Don't make the mistake I did in the past and not take that break! People will start expecting it of you.  Go to lunch - leave the office if you need to. Perhaps go for a walk, make a phone call, etc.  Something to disconnect for a little while. 

Ask for help Don't get overwhelmed.  Take a minute if you need to and ask for help if it's busy.  Your attorney should be more than willing to help you prioritize your tasks if you are unsure what to do first.  There are some times when there is too much to do.  It's okay to let someone know!  We all need help sometimes!

Leave work at work  So you leave the office at 5:00 - did you mentally leave?  If you clock out of the day or weekend, leave work! Don't worry about it until you get back in.  Don't get me wrong - we all think about work from time to time when we are not there, but don't let it occupy your time.  Do your absolute best during the time you are there every day.  When you leave, take some time for you! A topic I plan to explore in future posts is finding balance between your personal life and work life!

Remember that mental health matters  Mental health is part of your overall wellness.  If you ever feel like the combination of work and home becomes overwhelming, or you need a safe place to vent, it's okay to go to therapy!  Follow this link for a free week with Better Health! Some of the work we do is stressful and between that and our home life, it's okay to need to talk!

https://www.betterhelp.com/rpc/4ccc425357094062-1-01