Difficult people; we’ve all got them in our lives. They’re our colleagues, acquaintances, or even family and friends outside of law, and it’s an experience that isn’t unique to just legal professionals. But while running into challenging situations where we have to deal with difficult people is a normal part of our professional lives, it doesn’t have to be as painful or frustrating as it is right now. 

 

In a legal environment where there are high stakes, high profile deals, and clients’ livelihoods on the line, it’s no surprise your relationships become heightened and difficult. Whether you feel like you don’t have reliable support, your boss is a bully, or you’re intimidated by opposing counsel, my objective this week is to help you strategize and come up with new, more sustainable ways to deal with difficult people.

 

When my clients first come to me, they present the pain and challenges they’re going through. They have a weight on their shoulders, or they’re struggling with something in their lives. But what very quickly comes to light is how they’re fighting to keep whatever is broken, even though they know they want a different future.

 

Whether you’re looking to grow and you don’t think that’s possible in your current organization, or you want to make a brave, bold move, there are so many reasons we tolerate and hold on to what no longer serves us. I’ve heard and experienced it all myself, from the belief that I’ve worked too hard to let something go, or that I’m not going to concede, to telling myself I’m too busy to redirect that energy.

 

Delegation has come up a lot in conversation with clients recently. It’s one of those topics that we need to explore a little more deeply because drama around delegation not only costs us our time, but it might be costing you financially in some ways you wouldn’t expect.

 

We know delegation is important, however, the Canadian Bar Association Women Lawyers Forum conducted a compensation study that suggested your ability to delegate is something that is evaluated when deciding on your compensation. So, with that in mind, we’re talking about all the things that holding you back around delegation, and the respective solutions.

 

In honor of International Women’s Day, I have the privilege and honor of delivering a presentation to the European Law Students’ Association this week. I love any opportunity to connect with women all across the globe, and I’m especially excited about speaking with female students about the challenges and opportunities out there. 

 

So this week, we’re doing something a little different. I’ve prepared a Q&A session for this upcoming presentation, and the questions I received were so good I knew I had to share them with you on the podcast. The questions we’re diving into today span a wide range of topics, from procrastination and whether I miss the legal profession, to the advice I would give my younger self if I could turn back time. 

 

Many lawyers I speak to reach out to me because they’re unhappy with their current situation. They don’t love their job, and some even want to leave law altogether. Often, the experience that’s shared with me is that the path they’re on right now felt like the best choice, but it was never the one they truly desired.

 

Going to law school or working at the firm you do might have seemed like the right decision, but like in many areas of our lives, we sometimes grow out of our roles. Whether you’ve reached a career plateau, or you’ve convinced yourself there’s nothing better out there for you, you’re in the right place because this week, we’re diving into how to create the job of your dreams. 

 

Feedback is an underrated skill that none of us are really taught, and yet it’s an incredibly useful and valuable tool that we can all benefit from. You can probably think back to instances where you were given feedback or asked to provide feedback, but there’s so much more to be gained when we understand how to best leverage it.

 

As busy professionals, feedback simply doesn’t always make the cut in our day-to-day lives. We’re often juggling work, our kids, and everything in between, so it makes sense that we haven’t mastered the art of giving or receiving feedback. My goal this week is to offer practical strategies so you can start seeing opportunities for using feedback in your professional and personal life.

 

As a young lawyer, I was once told by my mentor that I was lacking confidence. He suggested I keep my head up, push my shoulders back, and speak louder. It came from a place of good intention and I definitely tried it on in intimidating situations, but as a generally soft-spoken person, the notion that I was lacking confidence and how to fix it was always in the back of my mind.

 

The topic of confidence comes up often in my coaching conversations, ranging from my clients wanting to learn how to make decisions confidently, or trying something brand new for the first time. It can be a barrier for all of us, no matter what profession or stage of life you’re in. But the best news I’ve discovered is that you don’t have to employ strategies that don’t feel authentic to you in order to excel. 

 

This week, I’ve got two amazing guests on the show who are going to be your lighthouse if you’re considering going solo in your practice. Ashley Syer and Amy Grubb both have experience going solo and they both offer support and resources to other lawyers who want to do the same.

 

Ashley is the founder of The Lawyer Incubator; a space where lawyers who want to start their own practices can get the type of mentorship that is often missing from this realm. Amy is a lawyer and legal consultant who transitioned from Big Law on Bay Street to a solo practice, and she provides guidance to those in the same position, as well as to more established firms who may need some help.

 

This week’s episode is dedicated to all of you working parents. After two years of a pandemic, juggling your careers while also taking care of your family, or transitioning into the workplace after having kids, I know you’re in need of support. Whether it’s just a friendly reminder that you’ve got this, or an extensive guide for navigating this maze, this is for you.

 

My guest this week wears many hats and knows your experience well. Lori Mihalich-Levin is a healthcare regulatory lawyer, founder of Mindful Return, author of Back to Work After Baby, and mom of two boys. Her area of expertise lies in helping new parents transition into the workplace, and she’s here to share her infinite wisdom on the challenges we experience as working parents. 

 

I say this with love for all of you, but lawyers often aren’t the best at setting boundaries. This was definitely my reality and still can be at times, and it’s an experience that I know is familiar to many of my clients. It’s not that you don’t know how to, but when the time comes, it can be challenging in the moment to assert them. 

 

If you find yourself fearful of leaving people high and dry, even when you don’t have the time or energy, and resentment is an emotion that comes up often for you, chances are boundary-setting is your work. So this week, I’m helping you cross the threshold from wanting to set boundaries but feeling paralyzed, to actually following through on them.