Articles
Browse every published article connected to Alvah Parker, with exact attribution and full-archive search.
Articles
Browse every published article connected to Alvah Parker, or search within this exact expert archive.
My friend, Dovid Grossman, who is the father of nine children, told me he intended to have a website and teleclass series dedicated to the Hero’s Journey for Dads. He wanted to use the framework of a Hero’s Journey to engage in a discussion with fathers on parenting. I was somewhat aware of ...
Many atto eys and other business owners start interviewing people for a job without clearly understanding what kind of person would best fit into the organization. Hiring is often done out of desperation. The atto ey or business owner has a large amount of work to complete and knows he/she can't get it done on time alone so he/she looks for someone to help. Good hiring decisions are made with planning. Your goal is to find someone who find the job meaningful and will be happy at work. Here are some ways you will want to prepare before the interview.
Clients work with professionals whom they trust. Building trust is an ongoing process. Here are 10 ways to build trust with both old and new clients. 1. Keep your agreements with your clients – If you promise delivery on a particular day, make sure to deliver when it was promised. Even ...
Social Networking (Web 2.0) The buzz about it is unbelievable. Are you wondering why? It's because using social networking can be the key to your positioning yourself as an expert in your field. By blogging or using sites like Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter, you can reach hundreds ...
When I got my job with AT&T in 1982 my father told me I was set for life. His generation really admired Ma Bell as AT&T was called. Having lived through the Depression job security was very important to my father. I was pleased my father was happy for me but I wasn't quite sure I wanted a "life sentence". Maybe a whole new generation of people today will be looking for that same job security based on the recessions we have been through in the last 10 years. Unfortunately it may be hard to find. Business Week recently had a cover story entitled The Disposable Worker.
This article was written because this past week I have seen three examples of emails that were read by people other than the intended recipient. In one case an atto ey published a whole email exchange between the atto ey and an applicant for an associate position in her firm. It should have embarrassed them both and was the subject of a lot of web conversation. In the other two instances I received a group email that was intended for only one person to read. One was harmless but the other made some really derogatory comments about a class that a member of the group was planning to give.
In difficult economic times it is easy to let go of standards and take on a client who does not fit your vision of your ideal client. When few clients are in the pipeline it often looks attractive to take the ones that show up. When you do this you run the risk of having an angry client or worse one who is out a real energy drainer. Here are ten warning signs that tell you to avoid the client.
Meaningful and engaging work is the key to a profitable business. When people feel their work is meaningful the end result is a more productive office with a satisfied and fulfilled workforce. What do I mean by meaningful and engaging work? Here is a story to illustrate: There once was a traveler who jou eyed all over the globe in search of wisdom and enlightenment. In the midst of one village, he came upon a great deal of noise, dust, and commotion.
Everyone wants to start a new job on the right foot. Having a strategy for making your mark in the first few weeks is a great idea. Here are 10 traps that can undermine your efforts during your first couple of months on the job.
Career transitions create discomfort. Often times it is not clear where you are headed. At other times you aren't sure if you really want to make a change. Like a snake shedding his old skin you had adjusted to the "old skin", your current career, but it just doesn't fit any more. As you get more and more uncomfortable you realize you must make a change.
What makes you happy? It is easy to stay happy when times are good. It is more challenging when life has thrown you a curve. In difficult times it is important to be resilient. Resilience is that quality that enables people to face adversity and adapt to it without lasting difficulties. A resilient person can "roll with the punches". Some people are born with more resilience than others. We all can become more resilient. Knowing the characteristics of resilient people can help you to become more resilient yourself.
About three years ago I began to work with an Alexander Technique teacher. If you are not familiar with this technique it is a method of working with the body to insure that you are in proper alignment. People use it to strengthen their voices, get rid of chronic back pain, and improve their golf swing. (There are many other reasons. These are just a few.) My Alexander teacher works with my body alignment in the same way that I work with my clients to be aligned with their values and vision.
The key to having meaningful work and a fulfilling life is to become more self aware. Know what you want - sounds simple doesn't it? But is it really? It takes time for self reflection to get in touch with yourself. If you are looking for meaningful work, gaining self awareness is the first step. Here are 10 questions to ponder to become more self aware. 1. What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?
A recent NY Times article focuses on a group of women in their 90s that play bridge with each other regularly. Researchers believe there are a couple of components to longevity - social interaction and using the mind. The game of bridge has both. Similarly when you are managing your career, you want to make sure to have lots of social interactions with like minded people (networking) and you also want to challenge your mind in way that helps you to grow intellectually in your chosen profession or occupation.
Cash flow is critical to any professional service firm but especially small ones. How do you prevent clients from delaying paying their bills or worse not paying at all? Here are 10 tips: 1. Establish ground rules during the initial appointment with the client. If you don’t have a written payment policy, now is the time to write one. This policy should then be reviewed with the client in the first meeting. Include in the policy when payments are due and how overdue bills will be handled. Give the client a copy of the policy.
One aspect of meaningful work is being compensated adequately for the work that you do. It is important then to negotiate a good job offer. Several people have told me recently that they had job offers. I hope that means that the economy is improving. Some tell me they were willing to take ...
One aspect of meaningful work is being compensated adequately for the work that you do. Whether you are currently in a practice having survived a lay off or negotiating for a new job, you are probably finding that raises are small or non existent and offers are lower than what you were used to. ...
“You don’t have to like your banker, you just have to trust him”. I read this quote of Honore Balzac in an article on the web and thought it would be perfect to start an article on trust. Trust is the key to building relationships even today. Balzac, a French writer, was born in 1799. Some ...
As the economy shrinks businesses must think in terms of cost cutting. Business owners must start by looking at all costs. Finding ways to save money may be challenging but it will be important for surviving and thriving in a down economy. Here are 10 ideas that the Kiplinger Letter lists as ...
The best way to find a job is through the people you know. If you want to establish some new relationships, networking is one way to do this. Some people think of networking as going to lots of meetings. That is only one piece of networking but not the total picture. By attending meetings ...
There is a big payoff to a successful job search and that is finding the job of your dreams. Imagine being asked to work at a job that seems totally suited to your skills and talents. Better still you find that the work environment of the company is one in which you know you will thrive. So ...
If you are looking to earn more money working for an employer, there are lessons you learned that may be getting in your way. Do these warnings sound familiar? • Don’t brag about yourselfnn • Don’t be a job hoppe • Don’t be a “social ...
Job satisfaction seems like a dream to some. It is amazing to me how many people really hate the job that they have. Feeling stuck can really make you feel depressed and discouraged. It is difficult to find a way out. If you are someone who is unhappy at his/her current job, try making a ...
In all the years I have been working with atto eys I am always amazed at how many of them hate to delegate work. What frustrates most atto eys or any professional is the time it takes to explain what they need and then to review and correct the work once it is done. Most will concede that ...
These ten interview preparation tips will help you to prepare for the interview. There is a lot to think about when you have one scheduled. Following these 10 tips will allow you to feel more relaxed during the interviewing process. 1. Clothes - The day before the interview (or earlier) decide ...
When you leave a job after having had a demanding manager, you may feel like you just took off a tight pair of shoes. What a relief! Even if you have been laid off and you are not sure what your next step is there can be a feeling of freedom. Being accountable to someone else is ...
A vision of your dream can move you toward success. It can motivate and energize you. At our first meeting Terri told me she had recently broken off a relationship with someone. Her former fiancé was consumed with building a boat to sail around the world. His enthusiasm for the project was ...
At first glance communication with another person seems relatively easy. This month I had two different experiences that showed me how tricky it is to understand what a person does or doesn't say. Taking the time to listen to others is important whether you are lawyer, a manager or an ...
Remember the first day of first grade? Scary time! It felt veryn strange to be in a new school room with some friends but mostly new kids andn a teacher you had met just that day. It probably didn’t take long ton realize that things would be ok though. What did the teacher do to make ...
What is your life purpose? Is it helpful to know what it is? Thisn list provides some ideas about life purpose that may be helpful to you ifn you have ever wondered about yours. 1. Your life purpose is something you have always known eithe consciously or unconsciously. 2. Your life ...
As a former telephone system sales person I have listened to many people as they make and receive telephone calls. Some people are really good at it and others need improvement. Today with so many cell phone users calling from just about anywhere we all can be authorities on what makes a good ...
At a Women’s Bar Association lunch one of the atto eys ordered a diet soda and then explained to the rest of us that her children were doing a “healthy living” program so she stopped buying diet soda to drink at home. She said having this diet soda was a real treat for her. She then ...
A new client recently admitted to me sheepishly that she often didn’t get to complete a client’s work until the client called to see if it was ready. I admired her honesty if not her time management skills. I’ve had times in my past sales career when my work load got so out of control I ...
60 Hour Work Weeks – Can You and Your Career Survive Them? In the 80s while I was an account executive for AT&T most people in my organization worked normal (for then) business hours. By that I mean they arrived close to 8 or 8:30AM and left between 5 and 5:30PM. By 6 PM the office was empty. ...
When was the last time you asked a client for feedback about your services and how your office staff works as a team? You might turn up some useful information by doing a client feedback session when their work is complete. I recently had an experience with a hospital that is an example of how frustrating a poorly working team can be. I wish they had asked for feedback!
The Internet was abuzz this past year with the Steven Slater incident on the Jet Blue flight. He was the flight attendant who got annoyed with a demanding passenger and announced his irritation on the plane’s PA system and then quit his job by dramatically taking a beer and sliding down the plane’s emergency slide.
So many of my clients tell me they go to a networking meeting or two but give up because nothing happens. My response is usually that you must give the group a fair trial. Building relationships takes time so you will need to attend a few meetings of one organization to see any progress. That said however some organizations may just be wrong for you and the sooner you decide that the less time you will waste and the faster you can move on to a group that will work for you. Here are some questions to ask yourself in order to evaluate the group.