I’m filled with beliefs that don’t hold up under scrutiny. I’m sure about things that just don’t hold up when held up next to the data. I know things with absolute certainty that turn out to be absolute fantasy.
It’s kind of odd that I can be sure of so many things that turn out to be false.
Interestingly, sometimes I meet others who share my beliefs. When they also happen to be lawyers, they usually believe them strongly. Lawyers have strong opinions, right? We’re pretty certain we’re right even when we aren’t.
Here are three of my beliefs that, even today, knowing they’re wrong, stick with me. These have a pretty solid hold on parts of my brain. I’m not letting them go easily, even though every bit of proof I’ve ever gathered tells me I’m wrong.
First Belief: More People Means More Money
Yep, that’s wrong. Way wrong. In fact, more people often means less money. More people means more inefficiency, more management, more bureaucracy, and more internal issues. More people means more mess.
This belief gets reinforced when one lawyer asks another, “How many lawyers do you have?” Lawyers ask that question like it matters. It doesn’t. I know lawyers making tons of money all by themselves. Small is beautiful, right? The economics of the law practice have very little to do with how many people you’ve got. Build a practice supported by numbers-based evidence. Don’t get caught up in this wrong-headed belief so common to lawyers.
Can you make more money with more people? Sure. But it’s not about the number of people. It’s about the business model, the marketing, the management, and the quality of the services/products provided. Using the headcount as a measure is never a good idea. Profits and headcount don’t correlate.
Second Belief: Your People Can Just Do It
Also wrong. We want to believe they’re like us. We can just do it, right? We’re creative, smart, curious, aggressive, persistent people who figure it out. We get it done regardless of the obstacles. Well, guess what? Your people aren’t like that. They’re different. They’re not you, and if they were you, they wouldn’t work for you. You wouldn’t work for you, would you?
Your people need training, support, encouragement, connection, mission, and attention. Your people need you to give them the tools, education, information, and reinforcement they need in order to be able to do it. They’re not equipped to walk in on day one and crank it out without your help. They just aren’t.
And—and I know you’ll be disappointed by this—they aren’t going to get dramatically easier over time. They’ll still require team meetings, weekly one to ones, motivation, and feedback. They’re still going to need you to check in with them, check up on them, and maintain and grow your personal relationship.
Maybe you can just do it, but they can’t. They need your help. Many of us, when forced to go back in time and reflect, realize we couldn’t just do it either. Somebody, and often a group of somebodies, came along and helped us grow and develop to become who we are. Stop expecting your team to just do it. This expectation is at the root of many of our problems with hiring and retaining the best employees.
Third Belief: There’s a Magic Bullet
This is my personal favorite. I’m sure there’s some trick, secret process, or brilliant advisor that’ll help me get what I want without paying the price in energy, effort, and money. I know I’m just an infomercial away from buying the secret off late night TV. I’m confident that there’s an Internet guru who knows exactly what I need and will sell it to me for just $19.99 (in three easy payments).
I really want my magic bullet.
So, instead of doing the work, I often find myself flipping from website to website, watching one promotional video after another, ready to buy what they’re selling. I’ve even found myself outlining the material presented on the free webinars. I’ll download nearly anything and file it neatly away in Evernote. I know the magic is just one click away.
I really want some magic. Could it be Tony Robbins, Frank Kern, or Eben Pagen? Maybe I’ll divine the lessons by watching Mark Cuban on Shark Tank? Maybe I should buy another copy of E-Myth (and their supplemental coaching services)? Come on, one of these “experts” has the answers, right?
Sadly, there’s no magic bullet. Deep down, I’ve known this for a long time, but I continue the quest. It’s hard to give up the search. The search almost feels like progress. It’s kind of like work except that it’s not. Yep, there’s no magic bullet.
These Beliefs Are Counterproductive
Believing these things doesn’t get us where we want to go. In fact, it’s just the opposite. These beliefs waste time, money, and mental bandwidth. They distract us from the target. They slow us down, cost us hard-earned cash, and keep us busy with thinking that should have been devoted to something that matters.
When we find ourselves believing unhelpful things, how about we turn our focus to something we know is true?
What if instead of answering the “how many lawyers” question we turn it around and build a stronger relationship with the lawyer asking the question? Networking.
What if instead of being frustrated by someone on our team needing more help, we let the frustration go and offer the help the person needs? Managing.
What if instead of buying the latest Tony Robbins seminar rant and rave with his giant head and hands bobbing uncontrollably we simply turn back to executing our plans for our business? Executing.
Letting go of the beliefs and moving forward with behaviors supported by the data—
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- building our networks,
- managing our team, and
- executing on our plans
—gets us where we’re trying to go. Doing the right things, as supported by the evidence, gets us where we’re trying to go. Let go of the beliefs that hold you back.
These beliefs we carry around aren’t helping. They’re not. It’s time to talk ourselves into believing the things we need to believe in order to succeed.
