Getting the Most Out of Your Coaching Calls          

When attorneys first join the Academy, we start them off with weekly then eventually monthly coaching calls with one of our experienced Practice Building Coaches. It is one of the keys to implementing and maximizing their Membership.

For many, it’s the first time they’ve had a coach and they aren’t entirely sure what to expect from the calls. They are typically a combination of consulting and coaching conversations. The consulting and advising conversations focus on implementation, training and the how to’s of Academy systems. The coaching conversations focus on the Member’s goals, barriers, insights, breakthroughs, and meaningful actions.

As coaches, our commitment is to create supportive and trusting relationships with our Members to help them discover and create the lives and businesses they dream of. As guides, we provide a space for them to look beyond their everyday world and see what’s possible and within their power to achieve. We help them identify goals and opportunities that are most important to them. Our goal is to have them leave our calls feeling challenged, inspired and taking action.

Some of the topics and support we provide include:

• Big Picture Planning – Strategic planning, goal setting, organizational structure, personnel (hiring, managing, training, job descriptions, performance issues, etc.), partnerships, and succession planning.
• Mission and Purpose – Help attorneys and firms to effectively identify and create their law firm and personal WHY.
• Communication – Powerfully communicate with others, including prospects, clients, team members, centers of influence (other professionals), etc.
• Personal Performance – Increase effectiveness with personal goals, time management and execution.
• Leadership and Team Performance – Increase individual and team accountability, strengthen law firm culture, organizational focus, and identify as well as track, which training is a priority for the attorney and each team member, based on their positions.
• Workflow Systems – Ensure workflow systems are operating smoothly from client engagement to delivery of completed services through audits and review.
• Training – Supplementing our online training by answering specific questions on Academy systems and providing one-on-one training on topics the firm needs a deeper dive on.
• Marketing and Business Development – Create and execute a marketing plan (in 5 marketing channels), lead generation and conversion review, including online and in-person presentation skills and effectiveness in consultations.
• Financial Management – Pricing and fee structures, cash flow, expense management, marketing budgets, profit & loss review and analysis of opportunities, associate attorney compensation plans, and Academy financial benchmarks.

And our coaching support doesn’t stop with these topics or with the Practice Building Coaches. Each Academy team member brings a wealth of knowledge and experience. If there is a topic one of our team members has additional expertise in, we pull them in to share their wisdom and insight as well.

Looking to up your ante on your coaching call results? Here are a few tips to get the most out of your calls.

• Show up – To quote Denis Waitley, “The results you achieve will be in direct proportion to the effort you apply.” We can attest to that. Showing up to your coaching calls, being present and “on the court” is where the magic happens.
• Come prepared – Identify a goal, issue, or outcome you are looking to get some traction on. It can be an idea or an issue that has been weighing on your mind or it could be a bigger goal you want to get clarity on and create action items around. Big or small, it all matters.
• Be open to change – We are committed to creating a space for you to be open and honest about how things are, where you want to be and what could be getting in the way of your vision. Breakthroughs happen when you have an open mind and desire to shift how you view things. Approach our conversations with a clean slate, try on new ideas, and resist tendencies to react with an “I already know that, tried that, etc.”
• Prioritize and keep things manageable – We’ll help you prioritize and break down big picture goals into smaller, needle-moving steps that are manageable and less overwhelming, yet productive and meaningful.
• Trust in yourself – We have a lot of training and advice, and we’re always happy to share it. However, we’ll also encourage you to draw upon your own wisdom and instincts to be your own changemaker. You hold the key to creating change for yourself and your firm. We’ll help you uncover how you want to solve problems and create opportunities that work with your own way of being and acting.
• Take action and be accountable – Once you identify your priorities, the next the step is to get into action and report back how your progress is going. If no action was taken, we’ll identify what got in the way and what can be done to eliminate or minimize the obstacles so you can get back on track with your desired outcome.

Do you think coaching would be useful for yourself and your firm or would you like to learn more about our coaching program? Feel free to reach out to us for more information at info@aaepa.com. We’re here to listen and provide that extra support you may find useful.

Susan Russel
Practice Building Consultant
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com