CLE Leadership & Management
Ideas, Resources, and Techniques for
CLE Professionals
A periodic e-newsletter
By Chuck Bingaman - chuck@chuckbingaman.com
#36 December 2007
Leadership  Congratulations to Pat Nester, Director of the Texas
State Bar Professional Development Program, on his appointment as Executive
Planning Chair of the ACLEA/ALI-ABA Summit. A terrific choice! And congrats
to Nora Crandall on becoming permanent Executive Director of Illinois Institute
for Continuing Legal Education. Another great choice! Finally, kudos to
Virginia CLE Director Gary Wilbert on landing veteran CLE hand Jim
Hatch as his new director of seminars. Good for each of you!
Management
Several
veteran CLE administrators have consulted recently about leaving where they
are to pursue new opportunities in CLE or elsewhere. While everyone’s
situation is different, here are five questions to consider in thinking
about a change. First, how do I really feel about working closely with lawyers five
or more days per week? While it’s MY cup of tea, it isn’t for everyone,
and that’s a threshold question for CLE people. Second, and closely related
to the first, do I look forward to going to work each day? Life’s too
short to face a job you hate! Third, do I enjoy spending time with my co-workers?
This may not be the clinching issue because people come and go, but it’s
pretty important. Fourth, does my organization provide paths to my personal
and professional goals? If not, why am I here? Or still here? Finally, can
I picture myself in my current position a year from now? Two years? If the
answer is no, you better start planning a change. It may well take that long
to find something better! Two
time management tips: 1. Kick the habit of asking anyone to do anything for
you “ASAP”! It can be disruptive
and ambiguous at the same time. Rather, explain what you need done and negotiate
an agreed, specific target time taking in consideration all other projects
then in motion. That way, confusion is minimized and goals reached on schedules
you need. 2. Set time limits for yourself to complete projects. Don’t
let your work expand to fill your day. Rather, set personal, internal goals
to “finish that brochure by 9:30” or to “return all emails
and calls by 12:15”. Given self-imposed deadlines, you’ll be surprised
how much more you can pack in in a day!
Resources I highly recommend All Marketers are Liars: The Power
of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low Trust World by Seth
Godin (Goe’ din as I was recently told!) (Portfolio, 2005).
Typical of all Godin’s books, it’s full of stimulating,
yet common sense ideas that are directly adaptable to the
CLE setting. This would be a perfect book for reading with
all of your staff. At a recent SkillPath course I attended,
I was as impressed with the on-site packaging and offering
of related products and services as I was with the program
itself. The package of materials given me offered one free
book with a $100 publications purchase, three free books
with a $200 purchase and five free books with a $300 purchase.
Also they offered free shipping and discount prices for on-site
registrants for many publication titles in their catalog.
Further, the course booklet included appendices with a vacation
checklist, a computer maintenance checklist, a project evaluation
checklist, a discount coupon on a future course, and a certificate
of attendance. For a valuable web site to rely on as the “fog
of politics” descends in even thicker clouds over the
next 12 months, see www.factcheck.org. This blog, supported
by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of
Pennsylvania, calmly and thoroughly analyzes claims and promises
by politicians of all stripes and then lays out research-based
context and actual facts. Highly recommended! And, for true
political junkies, try www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/stumper.
Written by Andrew Romano, it’s a stimulating analysis
of what’s happening nationally in the election and
elsewhere by a Newsweek columnist. Finally, though it has
nothing to do with CLE, I recently had occasion to meet and
hear Greg Mortenson, author of New York Times bestseller “Three
Cups of Tea…One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace
One School at a Time” (Penguin, 2006). He’s a
national, actually an international, treasure and you will
find his story told in “Three Cups” vastly inspiring!
Special
Offer for CLE Administrators I recently completed a 13-page report on Managing
Multiple Projects, Priorities & Deadlines with special notes
for CLE administrators. It’s filled with specific tips and techniques
to enhance your effectiveness. I’ll email it to you for $95. You
may use it as training material for yourself personally or for your CLE
staff. I also offer half and
full day in-house CLE staff training in the area.
Following 20 years as Executive Director of a major American CLE organization,
I now consult on CLE strategic planning, marketing, management challenges
with CLE organizations, bar associations,
law firms, and law schools. I welcome your inquiries on projects designed
to enhance your
organization’s effectiveness.
You can contact
me at chuck@chuckbingaman.com,
at 1-603-756-9268, or at P.O. Box 390, Walpole, NH, USA 03068-0390. Past
issues of this newsletter are archived at www.chuckbingaman.com.
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