Monday, February 15, 2016

Managing Your New Legal Assistant

Levitt & Associates, Inc. shares 3 keys to effective leadership...



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Congratulations, you accepted a position at a new firm! Now you have a new legal assistant. Each of you depends on one another to complete your tasks. 

Here are 3 effective communication strategies to help you develop a successful working relationship:

  1. The message within the message. Put yourself in their shoes - you (as an assistant) take the time to send a lengthy and detailed email and your boss replies with a simple, "Thanks." How would you feel? You might think they didn't take the time to read it. You may feel demoralized. You may have appreciated a more lengthy response.  
  2. Get to know your legal assistant. When you know your legal assistant on a more personal level, you can interpret what they mean to say based on intuition and cut back on guesswork. Making the effort to learn about them can only enhance your work experience.  
  3. Listen. This is often the most overlooked communication skill. You won't miss any important information if you pay close attention to what they're saying. Active listening takes practice. It's a challenge not to interrupt others and even more challenging to welcome differing perspectives. 

Levitt & Associates, Inc.