<b>Practice Building Skills:</b> Think and Work SMART to Achieve Your Business-Development Goals

As we start the beginning of a new year, it is the time when we look back at the past year and set our business goals for the next 12 months. How many of you will have achieved all of your new origination goals for 2006? What can you do to ensure that you will hit your goals for 2007 and create a path of success for yourself and your firm?

We find that every year, we meet attorneys who have high expectations and set lofty goals, yet they always have a difficult time achieving those goals. We talk to more and more people each year who are frustrated because they, or their firm, have not achieved their origination goals. We realize that very few people create 'SMART' goals and follow and track a plan. Our experience tells us that most attorneys do not plan or track business development behaviors to ensure their financial success each year.

When you set goals, make sure that you create SMART goals. Set a Specific goal. When setting origination goals, make sure that you have a number in mind. The surest way to fail is to set wishy-washy goals. Saying that you want to bill more than last year, or that you want to originate more than last year, are not an acceptable goals. How many new clients do you want to develop? How much do you want to bill next year? What origination dollar amount do you want to set for yourself or for your firm?

Next, make sure that you can measure the results. The goals you set should be quantifiable, so that throughout the year the goals can be checked against a benchmark.

There are many different goals that you can set. Some examples of SMART goals include: dollar amounts for origination, improved percentage dollars or hours originated for the year, number of new clients brought to the firm, or setting goals to improve the average number of practice areas that each client uses (for larger firms). The point is that you need to choose goals that you can measure throughout the course of the year.

Your goals also should be attainable. One of the biggest roadblocks that you might encounter is to set a goal that you cannot reach. It might make you feel good to set lofty goals in December and January, but when you hit fourth quarter and you have no chance of accomplishing the unrealistic goals that you set, you will not work very hard to reach those goals.

Your goals should also be realistic. You need to stretch when setting your business goals, but make sure that you are realistic. If you produced $500,000 in client origination last year, $5,000,000 next year may not be realistic.

Finally, your goal should have a Timetable. When you set a goal without a deadline, it is a dream. Turn your dream into reality by assigning a timetable to your goals.

If you do not set SMART goals for yourself and have a plan for the upcoming year, you will find that you are very busy, but that you will not accomplish what you set out to achieve. If you are not setting your own goals and taking control of your own activities, you become a part of someone else's plan. You are responsible for setting SMART goals, then creating a behavior plan to ensure that you will achieve those goals.

When you set your 2007 goals, don't just keep them in a drawer in your office to be looked at in December 2007. Make sure that you treat your goals as a living, breathing part of your practice. You need to look at, measure, and track your goals throughout the year. You also need to share your goals with people who are important to you. Share your goals with a mentor or peer who you trust. You may also need help to accomplish your goals. Seek out a professional coach who can help you set goals, hold you accountable, and help you to make adjustments throughout the year so that your business goals can be accomplished.

The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again, but to expect different results. If you did not reach all of your goals for 2006, it is time to try something different. It is time to set SMART goals and be held accountable.

As we start the beginning of a new year, it is the time when we look back at the past year and set our business goals for the next 12 months. How many of you will have achieved all of your new origination goals for 2006? What can you do to ensure that you will hit your goals for 2007 and create a path of success for yourself and your firm?

We find that every year, we meet attorneys who have high expectations and set lofty goals, yet they always have a difficult time achieving those goals. We talk to more and more people each year who are frustrated because they, or their firm, have not achieved their origination goals. We realize that very few people create 'SMART' goals and follow and track a plan. Our experience tells us that most attorneys do not plan or track business development behaviors to ensure their financial success each year.

When you set goals, make sure that you create SMART goals. Set a Specific goal. When setting origination goals, make sure that you have a number in mind. The surest way to fail is to set wishy-washy goals. Saying that you want to bill more than last year, or that you want to originate more than last year, are not an acceptable goals. How many new clients do you want to develop? How much do you want to bill next year? What origination dollar amount do you want to set for yourself or for your firm?

Next, make sure that you can measure the results. The goals you set should be quantifiable, so that throughout the year the goals can be checked against a benchmark.

There are many different goals that you can set. Some examples of SMART goals include: dollar amounts for origination, improved percentage dollars or hours originated for the year, number of new clients brought to the firm, or setting goals to improve the average number of practice areas that each client uses (for larger firms). The point is that you need to choose goals that you can measure throughout the course of the year.

Your goals also should be attainable. One of the biggest roadblocks that you might encounter is to set a goal that you cannot reach. It might make you feel good to set lofty goals in December and January, but when you hit fourth quarter and you have no chance of accomplishing the unrealistic goals that you set, you will not work very hard to reach those goals.

Your goals should also be realistic. You need to stretch when setting your business goals, but make sure that you are realistic. If you produced $500,000 in client origination last year, $5,000,000 next year may not be realistic.

Finally, your goal should have a Timetable. When you set a goal without a deadline, it is a dream. Turn your dream into reality by assigning a timetable to your goals.

If you do not set SMART goals for yourself and have a plan for the upcoming year, you will find that you are very busy, but that you will not accomplish what you set out to achieve. If you are not setting your own goals and taking control of your own activities, you become a part of someone else's plan. You are responsible for setting SMART goals, then creating a behavior plan to ensure that you will achieve those goals.

When you set your 2007 goals, don't just keep them in a drawer in your office to be looked at in December 2007. Make sure that you treat your goals as a living, breathing part of your practice. You need to look at, measure, and track your goals throughout the year. You also need to share your goals with people who are important to you. Share your goals with a mentor or peer who you trust. You may also need help to accomplish your goals. Seek out a professional coach who can help you set goals, hold you accountable, and help you to make adjustments throughout the year so that your business goals can be accomplished.

The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again, but to expect different results. If you did not reach all of your goals for 2006, it is time to try something different. It is time to set SMART goals and be held accountable.