BusinessLawGuy's Blog

In my role as a partner at a law firm, I have seen the positive impact that employee happiness can have on a company. Happy employees are more productive, engaged, and committed to their work. In turn, this can lead to increased profitability and growth for the business.

Employers have a legal obligation to provide a safe and healthy work environment for their employees. However, providing a workplace that promotes employee happiness goes beyond mere compliance with the law. Employers should strive to create a positive work culture that fosters a sense of community, supports employee growth and development, and recognizes the contributions of its workforce.

One way to promote employee happiness is by offering competitive compensation and benefits packages. Treating employees fairly should be the rule and not just lip service. It’s part of taking care of those who are your company.

Employers should also provide opportunities for training and career development to help employees feel valued and invested in the company’s success. Lifetime learning is something we all should strive for. Business owners should provide learning opportunities because it’s good for the employees and the company, and the employees help drive that success.

Employers should also be mindful of the work-life balance of their employees. Implementing flexible work arrangements and providing resources for mental health and wellness can help employees maintain a healthy work-life balance. Happy employees are less likely to experience burnout or turnover, which can save companies time and resources in the long run.

Promoting employee happiness should be a priority for all businesses. Employers who invest in the well-being of their employees can reap the benefits of increased productivity, engagement, and commitment. In fact, promoting employee happiness is not only good for business, but it is also the right thing to do.

You read that correctly. When you apologize for some action or inaction there may well be a reason. If you explain that reason as part of the apology you’re making an excuse, not making an honest apology.

An easy example is when you’re late to pick someone up. The reasons could be the drive was longer than you thought, you lost track of time and left late, you were stuck in traffic, or some similar reason. Of course there was a reason or you would have been on time (or even early). Does it matter why? Not when it comes to saying you’re sorry to someone for being late. By explaining yourself instead of just apologizing you cheapen your apology. The person may ask why you were late. If so you can decide whether to explain yourself or just say “it doesn’t matter, again, I’m sorry I was late.”

Many people offer the reason/excuse first and then apologize. This is no better than providing it after apologizing. It may be worse too. Let your apology stand alone. It means something because this is about you making an honest apology, not how it’s received.

The person you apologize to may not acknowledge your apology or accept it. All you can do is put it out there. Once you do that there is no guaranty of anything other than you put it out there with sincerity, intent, and no excuse. The next time there is reason for you to apologize to someone, do it and see how it feels.

It’s important to try to maintain some level of organization and structure in your life, as this can help you to feel more in control and reduce stress. However, it’s also important to recognize that some level of chaos and unpredictability is inevitable, and it’s okay to embrace it to some extent.

There are many different ways to organize your chaos and therefore your life. The best approach for you will depend on you. Here are a few suggestions to avoid chaos being your default mode:

1. Make a schedule: One of the most effective ways to stay organized is to create a schedule for yourself. This can help you allocate your time effectively and ensure that you are able to get everything done that you need to.

2. Use a planner: A planner can be a helpful tool for staying organized, as it allows you to keep track of your schedule and appointments in one place. You can also use a planner to set goals and track your progress. There are many apps you can use for this purpose or go old school with a physical planner you can carry with you, but just make sure not to ever leave it anywhere!

3. Set priorities: It’s important to prioritize your tasks and focus on the most important ones first. This can help you avoid getting overwhelmed and ensure that you are making progress on the things that matter most.

4. Get rid of clutter: Physical clutter can be distracting and overwhelming, so take some time to declutter your space. This can help you feel more organized and in control.

5. Use technology: There are many tools and apps available that can help you stay organized, such as task management apps and calendar apps. Explore some of these options to see if they might be helpful for you.

Remember, organizing your life and lowering the amount of chaos is an ongoing process. Don’t be afraid to try new strategies and approaches if something isn’t working for you. It’s important to be flexible and adaptable, especially when things don’t go as planned. Try to find a balance that works for you and helps you to feel grounded and productive, without being too rigid or inflexible, and by doing so you can hold the chaos in check.

Curiosity is an essential human trait that drives us to learn new things, explore the world around us, and seek out new experiences. Being curious and having a desire to learn makes life more interesting and can help you to go far in life. Curiosity drives us to ask questions and seek out new information, which can lead to new insights and understanding. It can also help you to stay engaged and motivated, and can lead to new opportunities and experiences. Encouraging a sense of curiosity in yourself and others can be a great way to foster a love of learning and a desire to continue growing and improving.

When you’re curious, you’re motivated to seek out information and knowledge, which can lead to new insights, understanding, and personal growth. Curiosity also helps you to be more open-minded and receptive to new ideas, which can lead to creative thinking and problem-solving. Additionally, it can add a sense of adventure and excitement to your life. It can also help you form new connections and relationships with others who share similar interests.

Many of use creative thinking and problem-solving in our work. Every deal or dispute my clients are involved in requires me to use these skills. In law, curiosity is about understanding what happened that brought my client to me, what needs to happen to place my client in the best possible position, and then working to achieve a positive result. Of course my opposing counsel is doing the same thing and the playing field is always changing. That makes it interesting and challenging, and keeps me engaged.

Curiosity also helps you to better understand yourself and the world you live in. This can lead to the development of new ideas and goals, which fosters personal or professional growth and helps you to stay engaged and motivated. This can lead to increased happiness and satisfaction with life, and who doesn’t want that?

I think I have a pretty good memory. If I dial your phone number few times I will likely remember it. I remember many stories and random details people tell me. But I can’t remember everything I want or need to, and neither can you. For this reason I regularly write things down, makes notes in my phone, or email myself. I try to do something to make sure I remember things so they don’t slip through the cracks.

You can put in systems that work for you to help you remember things. I have emailed myself while hiking many times on to dos, ideas on matters I am working on, or even ideas for this blog. Sometimes when I am out there, even though I likely am listening to music or a podcast, something comes into my head or I have the space to think something through, and then I don’t want to forget. The little computers we all have in our pockets, purses, or backpacks sure come in handy for this. Taking advantage of the resources at hand to help you remember makes things easier. When I am at home or at my office, I may use post-it notes or a piece of paper.

One thing that works for me is keeping a single calendar for professional and personal meetings, deadlines, and obligations. Another is keeping a to do list for all the matters I am working on and for items I want to complete in my personal life. When things fall through the cracks it really is because I didn’t keep up with a to do list or calendar something in the moment. Sometimes I feel to busy to do so, but I know if I don’t I may miss things by mistake. I try to avoid this, but it does happen occasionally.

Think about what you do to remember things and see how you can improve on it to make things easier on yourself. In the long run it will save you time, prevent missing something you need to complete, and avoid spending your time apologizing for not getting something done. Figure out what works for you and invest time in yourself to stay on top of your life.

After losing the Super Bowl last Sunday, Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback Jalen Hurts responded to a media question about the loss by saying “you either win or you learn.” This response applies to losing or failing in any line of work. It also applies to winning or succeeding in that you learn from that too. It’s just that you learn more from failure. As an Eagles fan I am glad to hear he plans to learn from losing and coming so close to winning the biggest game in his profession.

I do not remember if I previously heard the term “you either win or learn,” but I will be using it moving forward in the mentoring and coaching I do. It highlights the importance of learning from every experience, whether positive or negative, and using that knowledge to grow and improve. The idea is that even when we fail, we can gain valuable insights that can help us succeed in the future. By approaching life with this mindset, we can become more resilient and better equipped to handle challenges.

In the world of sports, and as used by Jalen Hurts, the phrase has become a common phrase used to encourage athletes to view losses as opportunities for growth. Instead of dwelling on a defeat, athletes are encouraged to reflect on what went wrong, identify areas for improvement, and use that knowledge to get better. This mentality helps athletes develop essential life skills, such as perseverance and problem-solving.

In business, the phrase is an important concept for entrepreneurs and business leaders to keep in mind. Starting a business comes with its fair share of challenges and setbacks. However, successful entrepreneurs recognize that these experiences are opportunities for learning and growth. By reflecting on their failures and using that knowledge to make better decisions in the future, entrepreneurs can build stronger businesses and increase their chances of success.

“You either win or learn” can be applied to our personal lives as well. Life is full of ups and downs, and we all face challenges and setbacks. However, by approaching these experiences as opportunities for growth, each of us can become more resilient and better equipped to handle whatever life throws our way. By learning from our mistakes and failures, we can improve ourselves and become better versions of ourselves. It’s a powerful tool for personal growth and development.

The next time you lose or fail keep this saying in mind. Hopefully your loss won’t be as big as losing the Super Bowl, but even if it is, learn from it and be ready to take on a new day!

Setting goals and taking action are important because they help you focus on what you want to achieve and give you a sense of purpose. When you have a clear goal in mind, you are more likely to stay motivated and work towards it. Especially if you write it down and tell other people you trust. Once you do this you need to go all in and put your thoughts and ideas into action.

It’s important to have a clear sense of your goals. By writing them down or discussing them with others you can hone the a goal and the steps it will take to reach it. Not thinking through a goal will either result in you not reaching the goal or maybe focusing on the wrong goal or steps. Thinking through things will allow you to find the essence of what matters to you and where you want to be. Once you have fully thought through a goal, the next thing to do is to take the first step you outlined for yourself.

Taking action, or making progress towards your goal, helps you to see that you are moving forward and can give you a sense of whether your goal is the right one or reachable. It also helps you build momentum and makes it easier to continue working towards your goal. This puts you on a positive course even if it is changing your goal or the steps you think are necessary to reach the goal.

All of this being said, it’s important to have a clear sense of your goals and regularly reassess your goals. Having a direction or a sense of purpose helps focus your efforts and motivation. Taking massive action means being proactive and putting in the effort to make things happen, rather than waiting for opportunities to come to you. It also means you are willing to take risks and step out of your comfort zone in order to make progress, both of which matter and help on the path to success.

I am speaking about controlling your schedule in an affirmative manner and not just being reactive all day long. There are many ways to do this, some of which I have written about before, which means the first step is to figure out what works best for you to manage your calendar and time each day. Then make sure to put it into play to stay in control of your time. It will help you avoid getting to the end of your day and wondering where the time went and why you didn’t get everything done you planned to.

I run my own calendar, but I know many people who have assistants do it for them. Either way is the right way depending on what works for you. For me, I like deciding when to schedule meetings or calls so I also can leave time to check and respond to emails or to work on specific projects. This works well for me but I know the tradeoff is the time I spend scheduling for myself. I find that time is investing in something that works for me.

You need to find your system and know it always can be tweaked or changed if you think something different may work better. The result of not doing this is watching days get away from you. This will result in you accomplishing less while not being in control of your time.

We all know it doesn’t feel good not being able to connect in person, video, or phone with that person you really needed to speak with. Whether speaking with someone or a project you want to get done, scheduling can help you accomplish it. If it’s connecting with someone, be intentional and contact them to set a time when you will have the time you need to cover what you need to. Even if they won’t give you the time you think you need, take the opportunity and see where you get to.

Look at your calendar for the rest of the week and see what you can do to take control and get done what you want and need to before the week ends. If that works you can try to plan out the next week, or longer. It will feel good and you may well start timely getting things accomplished when you want to instead of whenever they otherwise may be completed. Stop leaving things to chance by taking control of your time and therefore your days.

When you go through an interview or meet someone, is there something about you or you have done that people will remember? I recently read something that suggested younger adults do at least three fascinating things in their 20s that job interviewers or dinner companions will want to ask about for the rest of their lives. I know, what does that mean? Think about it and it makes sense though. Having a positive story (or three) that people are interested in and remember will help you build your network and be memorable because people will talk or hear about you and your fascinating stories.

I thought about this in relation to myself and others I know. I believe everyone has an interesting backstory if you ask the right questions. At the same time you have to understand that what may be interesting to you may not be interesting to someone else. Though there are many things that are easy to remember and spawn lots of questions.

For instance, I know a woman who saved money in her 20s and traveled the world for a year. She used to send update emails every week or so and it was like reading an amazing travelogue from my office. It seemed to adventurous compared to going to work every day. She has amazing stories. I know someone else who has summited Mount Everest and climbed other dangerous mountains such as K2 around the world. He has amazing stories. And another person I know followed the Grateful Dead selling sandwiches to survive. All of them have amazing stories to share.

Not everything has to be so big or crazy like those examples. Maybe you have some amazing story about playing in a band with someone who went on the conquer the music world, or you worked at an interesting startup (whether or not it became a household name). Maybe you played collegiate sports or had a strange and interesting job in high school or after. Travel may be easier such as trying to get to all 50 states or learning about wine in Southern France or how to cook in Italy. The ideas are endless, but you get the idea.

By the way, those of us older than our 20s can do things now people will ask us about for the rest of our lives too. The adventure level depends on you, but all of us should test our limits within reason and do fascinating and amazing this.

If you did fascinating things in your 20s (or after) shoot me an email or message and tell me about it. I want to know because I am sure I will want to ask you about it when we meet, the next time we see each other, or when we speak.