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Author Archives: Jay Sullivan

Complete Communicator: Framing the conversation

Leaders in burgeoning practices have multiple stakeholders to satisfy on a daily basis. Leaders shift their focus constantly from incoming client emails, to the discussion with their partners about allocating resources, to reviewing the work of mid-level associates, to speaking to the ...

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The Complete Communicator: Broaching ‘business’ with a personal contact

In the Apple TV+ series Severance, the characters’ memories are surgically divided between their work and personal lives. In case that sounds attractive to you, please note that Severance is classified as a horror show. Many people in the real ...

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Complete Communicator: The art of the client-focused conversation

When communicating in a professional setting, a person can only talk about one of three things. They can talk about themselves, about their content, or about their audience. Those are the only options. Most audiences don’t care about the speaker; ...

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Complete Communicator: The right answer to: “So, what do you do?”

While many professionals believe the art of communication is to know what to say, the true essence of effective communicating is to know how to be heard. That means putting yourself in the place of your listener. Easy to say and ...

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Complete Communicator: How to manage key stakeholders

On a good day, running a law firm is a juggling act.  On a rough day, it’s a goat rodeo, with tons of activity, tremendous energy, and just a bit too much chaos.  How do you pay attention to the ...

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Communications: Tips on giving feedback to associates

As the year draws to a close, associates will be receiving their annual performance reviews.  How they receive that information will depend in large part on whether the review takes them by surprise or confirms the feedback they have been ...

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Complete Communicator: Artificial Intelligence vs. genuine wisdom: Why lawyers remain necessary and continue to add value

AI looms over every conversation these days, equal parts promise and threat. While there is much talk about how chatbots and generative AI will start writing briefs and crafting arguments, those discussions miss the point.  The real value lawyers bring ...

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Complete Communicator: #1 Goal for 2024: Pay attention

We’re all now six weeks into our New Year’s resolutions. We’ve already figured out which ones we’re likely to stick with and which ones we’ve already abandoned. Hopefully, one of your personal or professional goals requires improving your skills and ...

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