Are You A Linchpin?

I highly suggest you read the book Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin. 

And let me tell you something: you want to be a Linchpin. In a nut shell, if you are great at what you do … you will become an artist. Artists are unique and cannot easily be replaced, copied or outsourced.   

In the book, Godin says it’s time we stop mindlessly complying with the system – or being a cog – and start creating our own maps (ways of doing things and uniquely solving problems). We all have art to create, and the longer we spend our time solely following other peoples’ rules, the bigger of a hole we’re digging for ourselves. If your entire job can be penned out in a manual, you are replaceable. If you ever catch yourself saying, “not my job,” you are not a linchpin. If you do everything your boss tells you, no less and no more, you’ll be one of the first to go when the company downsizes. 

If you make some decisions without asking for permission, use your creativity while producing, and ship assignments only you are capable of doing, then you are indispensable. You must become indispensable to thrive in the new economy.  

This book is required reading for anyone that wants to succeed in todays ever-changing workforce. It’s thoughtful, it holds your hand through the steps of becoming indispensable, and it’s reassuring.  Seth says, “You have brilliance in you, your contribution is valuable, and the art you create is precious.” 

Now it’s time to start creating the Linchpin within you.

[Photo from sethgodin.com]

Lessons We’ve Learned From Years of Managing Contracts

1. You must actively manage your deals and relationships. Keep in touch with your contacts; make sure contracts are up-to-date. You never want a client to bring it to your attention that a contract has expired.

2. Share the lessons you learned with each deal. Remember why deals went sour or why they succeeded, then share the love with others … perhaps they’ve learned lessons that you’ve yet to stumble upon.

3. Use a process. This way you’ll never miss anything you need to cover. Whether you want it laid out in a mind map or a thorough checklist, a process is the framework of a successful negotiation.

4. Know the essence of what you want when you do your deals. Understand the essence of your goals. For example, we might have a goal of not wanting to have exclusivity in the agreement. The essence of this goal is flexibility. Understanding this creates bigger boundaries for creativity for both parties. Understanding that you might be okay with a very narrow and limited exclusivity (if it gives the other side more incentive to market your service) still gives you flexibility.

5. The value of your business is the sum total of its deals. Make good deals, have a good business. Enough said.

What have you learned from your time managing contracts? Are there any learned lessons we should add onto our list?

[Photo from this website]

Ten Things We’ve Learned from Hugh MacLeod

Hugh has taught us a lot, and we want to spread the love:

1. Drawings don’t have to make sense

2. Having a dream is the first step to success

3. World domination requires an evil plan. If you don’t have one, don’t plan on dominating

4. Nonsense is cooler than sense

5. Mediocrity is for the birds

6. Being called crazy is a compliment

7. Anyone can become an entrepreneur

8. Simplicity is always key

9. Sharing is cooler than reading

10. Even people who doodle on business cards can become successful

Why is Hugh MacLeod relevant to us at WieseLaw Firm? Because he rocks, and was recently named Babson College’s official cartoonist. His purposeful art says far more in a handful of words than most books do, making him the perfect fit for Babson. We’re stoked to see more of what this new marriage comes up with. And if it’s anything like the piece displayed on this article, it will be good. (Hint, it says, “quit your yappin’ and go create something.”)

Need we say more?

[Awesome illustration above from http://gapingvoid.com/]

The Role of the Right-Brainers

Deal People -- We need to think beyond our transactions!

This means looking at the world of interaction and influence, and looking at the world beyond common left-brain skills (like accounting and law, for example). Daniel Pink, super blogger and author of some outstanding books, has given us a key to the world of interaction. Specifically, A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule The Future. In it, Pink introduces readers to six right-brain senses we need to supplement our left-brain senses with in order to successfully differentiate ourselves. They are the following:

· Design

· Story

· Symphony

· Empathy

· Play

· Meaning

Once we adopt these senses and the accompanying mindset of interaction (in addition to the left-brain skills), we will provide our clients with a differentiated value.

So go out there and master storytelling, bring design to your practice, and place a real importance on laughing and playing. If you haven’t yet read A Whole New Mind, I highly suggest it. It is a life changer.

You can find it here.

[Photo Credit: Mercedes Benz ad from here].

The Power of Entrepreneurial Thinking Everywhere

Oftentimes people think you have to be a certain type of person in order to become an entrepreneur. I’m here to say they’re all wrong. Being a good entrepreneur requires a specific mindset, and one that anyone can take on.

In this day in age we need entrepreneurial mindsets to be able to create and innovate in situations of great ambiguity. Here at the law studio we use a framework called ET & A (Entrepreneurial Thought & Action), developed by Babson’s College President Len Schlesinger, in its simple form:

The 4 questions you answer are:

Who am I?

What do I know?

Who do I know?

What am I willing to lose?

Once you have answered those questions, the proper entrepreneurial mindset will be yours. Just remember – the next key element is action.

(Photo -- from here).

Deal Day Questions

There are a lot of unknowns in the deal world, but one thing is crystal clear to us: you need to ask the right questions. In September we wrote about some good questions to ask your opponent while at the negotiation table, but those aren’t the questions we’re talking about now. What we’re interested in are the three questions you need to ask yourself before you make a decision on your deal.

BE SURE TO ASK YOURSELF:

1. Is this deal worth my time and effort?

2. What are the key terms in the deal?

3. Can we be successful with those exact terms?

If the answer to numbers one or three are “no” or “maybe,” run far, far away. If the answers are a solid “yes,” then you’re golden.

What questions do you ask yourself before you make your final decision?

Finding Your True North

A compass is an instrument for finding direction. One of the most powerful assets in our lives is that only you can be you. Your core challenge in life is to find your true north – your authentic self – using that magnet within you that is called your soul. And, upon such discovery, to focus your being toward advancing the human condition.


In the deal world, your compass should be filled out as follows:

North = Knowing what you want (the essence – it's more than time and money)

East = Knowing who you know that can help you with this particular deal

West= Knowing what resources you have to work with

South = Knowing who or how you can fairly share the risk

Have you ever used a deal compass like this? Has it proved helpful?

[Photo Credit: http://www.nateriggs.com/]