These five tips, according to Atty. Dennis García, are framed in the philosophy that we all have the ability to develop our intelligence by adopting a culture of continuous learning, instead of thinking that our skills, abilities and qualities are written in stone Law tutors.
According to the columnist, all lawyers and legal organizations will be able to improve their performance by changing their philosophy to “learn everything” instead of “know everything”, which they can do by following the following tips:
Always stretch
It is always very easy to stay in comfort zones, especially in the legal field which is full of commitments and a lot of stress. However, for the author, the only way a lawyer can develop and grow is by putting themselves in situations that are uncomfortable and challenging.
Whatever the opportunity, as a lawyer, you should look for opportunities that help you stretch, learn, and grow.
Failure is not fatal
All lawyers make mistakes every day. Good organizations recognize that failing or not succeeding in a cause is something that can occur in its development and on the path to success. That is particularly likely in the legal profession, where lawyers operate under some uncertainty about what will be decided and help their clients take certain risks once they are guided. The key, according to García, is to demonstrate resilience and actively learn from our mistakes.
Be diverse and inclusive
The world is becoming more diverse and therefore lawyers must properly represent the growing needs of a more varied population. Attorneys who are open to learning about their own biases to change their behaviors and who actively value differences in viewpoints will be better advocates for their clients. Lawyers who embrace inclusion will help their firms better serve their clients.
Proactively Seek Feedback
Experiences have made the columnist understand that lawyers should appreciate feedback as a gift. Therefore, they should not seek feedback only from their colleagues, but from their clients, co-workers, direct and indirect reports, administrative assistants, paralegals, opposing attorneys, judges and anyone else who has had the opportunity to observe you.
So, once you have collected that feedback, you must learn from it and reciprocate it, actively sharing your opinion with your peers.
Encourage and reward growth mindset
In the workplace, a culture of continuous learning should be rewarded and encouraged, so if you work as a team, learning and insatiable curiosity should be rewarded and encouraged. Individuals and teams of legal professionals who exemplify adopting that growth mindset should be celebrated, recognized, and appropriately rewarded.