End-of-Quarter Management

Watch this short video where Tim shares his number one tip for managing the end of the quarter as a legal pro. He covers the importance of hard work, visibility, and maintaining an air of calm to communicate directly in high-stress environments.

Transcript

Question: What is your number one tip for managing the end of the quarter?

Answer: Work really hard. That's a that's a little tongue in cheek, but it's true. Like, expect to work the long hours, and I think be visible. Right? Being visible for the for the sales team that's actually in there and doing the real work.

Be there for them. You know, I think about one of the things that we do here is end of quarter. Like, the last week of the quarter, the legal team is in the office, and our sales team is in the office, and everyone's meeting in person and all of that.

There's a little bit of this, like, we're on the same team, bit of camaraderie that can really be fostered when you're physically in the same place together. So that's a big one if you're remote and or hybrid and have the opportunity to be there, like, shoulder to shoulder with your sales team. You should do that. The other thing I think that that's particularly important for departments is maintaining an air of calm. Everyone knows you have a lot of contracts, but even if it is crazy, like, keep yourself under control. Understand that it is arguably more important to communicate clearly, directly, and calmly in high stress environments.

You just don't want you don't want to present a chaotic attitude to the people who are depending on you to get a process that shouldn't be chaotic done. If you're a lawyer and you want to panic, like, panic on your own time, but when you're in front of the people who are depending on you, don't let them know that you're secretly panicking inside.

Question: As a legal leader, how do you keep your team motivated and also instill that level of calmness and confidence?

Answer: As far as the calmness and confidence, I tell them to fake it till they make it, to be perfectly honest. Like, just keep it in the front of your mind. And if it's in the front of your mind, you you will be conscious about how you're appearing to others.

That's sort of the first thing. I think as far as, like, staying motivated, I've been fortunate enough to have people who are in the role that really enjoy it. They actually really enjoy the pressure. And most lawyers that I've met really do thrive in those environments.

You think about it for a contract attorney at the end of quarter and quarterly sales cycle business. Contract attorneys don't really have, Super Bowls, you know, like, trial attorneys. It's the oral argument, opening statement, closing arguments, cross, doing cross or direct on witnesses. They have that trial moment after spending so long writing different pleadings, briefings, and all of this sort of stuff. And I think that for commercial attorneys, that quarter end is your Super Bowl moment. That's your opportunity to get in there and really deliver the good stuff for for your team. I found that people are actually just really self-motivated there, maybe I'm just lucky.