One of the conditions I see repeatedly in the beginning of many of my coaching engagements is, what I call “stuckness.” This condition has a host of symptoms: failure to take advantage of the right opportunities when they reveal themselves; grasping at shiny objects which, in fact, do not move my client or their business forward in a meaningful way; shying away from their worth as an advocate and human being, just to name a few. Many believe being stuck is the failure to take action. This isn’t so. Stuckness is both the failure to engage in necessary action and engaging in the incorrect actions for achieving your goals.

Meet J.S, an outstanding attorney who teamed up with me to get him unstuck, focused on the things he needed to do to achieve his big vision, and to grow his firm’s bottom line. It is important to know, also, J.S. is a trial lawyer, as opposed to a mere litigator. He loves being in the arena; he loves the combat and the scoreboard; he loves to win on behalf of his clients, his firm, and himself.

Getting to Go.

When J.S. and I first explored working together some 2+ years ago, he wasn’t ready to hear what I had to say. We went through the exploration portion of my discovery process and, honestly, J.S. wasn’t willing to recognize what ailed him. As I mentioned, he’s a trial lawyer and, so, his ego was strong and the armor he wore quite thick. 

The discovery portion of my process with potential clients is to determine whether I’m a good fit for them and they’re a good fit for me. It is not window dressing. It is meaningful. I do not offer to coach everyone who wants (or thinks they want) me on their team. I am very particular. My potential clients are very particular. That is how it ought to be. 

Late last year, J.S. realized he wasn’t going to be able to achieve his goals without a seasoned guide. He reached out. This time, during the discovery process, it became readily apparent he was ready. We engaged.

A Stuck Mindset.

J.S. identified big goals during the portion of my coaching framework known as “Roots.” He had had the goals for quite a while; he simply was stuck and not moving forward. He said he wanted to achieve the goals. In fact, he was an 8/10 committed to goal achievement. The final two points was his what was holding him back not only as the CEO of his law firm, but other important areas of his life. I knew he needed a quick win or two to get him unstuck and to move forward. Honestly, J.S. had more than a bit of trepidation and angst when I caused him to be stretched beyond his comfort zone. The thing is, without getting uncomfortable, no one can ever move forward.

Not only was J.S. not moving forward, he was down on himself for not doing so. Such a mindset did nothing but cause him to experience stress. As we know, stress begets stress. We can’t see a clear path out and, so, we simply spiral and stay stuck.

The One Thing That Changed Everything: Increased Confidence.

When we first teamed up, J.S. let me know he was going to “have” to get out of three of his current cases because the clients were not paying their legal bills. When I told him it was 100% his doing, he pushed back and then got curious. I let him know, first and foremost, he was not alone. The condition plagues more law firms than you can count. The reason he was going to have to withdraw from those relationships was a lack of confidence in setting appropriate retainers. On the one hand he wanted to serve, on the other hand he failed to set the clients up for a successful engagement because he did not have the confidence to demand (yes, demand) a retainer in the amount consummate with the complexity of the matter he was taking on. 

J.S. is a trial lawyer. You’d believe he exuded confidence everywhere. Not so. He was extremely confident in the arena which is the courtroom. His confidence wained when it came to his value and his ability to draw clients who understood that value and would be more than happy to compensate him appropriately from the initial retainer to payment of the monthly bills.

After six weeks of working with me, J.S. demanded his highest retainer ever. He showed up confidently and had a “take it or leave it” mindset because he understood what the representation was going to entail and no longer was willing to settle for less. The client didn’t blink an eye. The client wired the funds.

In another matter, J.S. again demanded the retainer which, in his professional judgment, was required. This potential client balked. Because of his confidence, J.S. didn’t budge and allowed the client to walk.

J.S.’s motto is “excellent representation at a fair price.” He has conversations with potential clients with this motto in mind. He now has a roster of clients he truly enjoys working with.

When we discussed this change, here’s what he said: “I knew I ought to set retainers at the correct level. I had lost my way and made some incorrect decisions because I love to serve others. Now, I’m back!” 

Virtually all attorneys get into the business of the law to serve. The thing to remember is service includes serving others in ways to ensure they don’t lose sleep during our representation. It also includes serving ourselves and our businesses. When we don’t no one wins.

My clients are the best attorneys in their field. They increase revenue, master their time and focus, and improve performance while enjoying more free time and suffering less burnout. You can too. Schedule a complementary 30-minute discovery session with me here, or send me an email.