If you still think retention is mainly about money, find out how much it is costing your competition to get people to leave you.  That’s called your “poach rate.”  If your poach rate is less than 20 percent, it ain’t the money, honey!  People who love their work, love their boss, and love their company don’t leave unless the offer is coming from the Godfather.

So you’re ready to rethink your associate and staff compensation systems.  That’s a good thing.  Many law firms give little thought to how their compensation plans are structured.   And while everyone wants to be well paid for their work, in terms of compensation, the old saying is true: Money isn’t everything, and it definitely isn’t the only thing.  I’m not saying that monetary compensation isn’t important.  It is. What I’m saying is that if you’re focused solely on dollars, you’re not likely to attract and retain the best and brightest associates or staff.

In his book, Drive, Daniel Pink explains that based on years of behavioral and motivational research:

When organizations use rewards like money to motivate staff, ‘that’s when they’re most demotivating.’ The better strategy is to get compensation right – and then get it out of sight.  Effective organizations compensate people in amounts and ways that allow individuals to mostly forget about compensation and instead focus on the work itself.

While this may sound very counterintuitive, think about it for a moment.   Pink isn’t suggesting that you underpay your people.  Rather, he suggests that you pay more than average.  Paying your people at or above what the market is paying is important to both attracting and retaining great people.  But competitive pay is just one – rather small – part of the compensation equation.

In fact, database research maintained by the Saratoga Institute of 19,700 exit interviews and current employee surveys conducted from 1999 through 2003, found that compensation issues represented only 12 percent of all reasons employees leave their jobs.  In The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave: How to Recognize the Subtle Signs and Act Before It’s Too Late, Leigh Burnham reports the findings of the Saratoga Institute which make clear that money alone will not keep your best people from leaving you. 

So when you think about compensation for your staff and associates, you’ve got to think about more than just dollars.  Here are just a few of the hidden reasons, other than pay, why employees leave, according to Burnham:
•   The workplace was not as expected:  Have you ever put on your “best face” for the interview process and hired someone whose expectations of what working at your firm is really like were unrealistic?
•   Too little coaching and feedback:  When was the last time you spent an hour each month with your key people – staff or associates – just to coach and develop them?  One hour a month is less than one percent of the typical 160 hours an employee works in a month.
•   Feeling devalued and unrecognized:  How often do you say “thank you?”  How often to truly acknowledge a job well-done?
•  Stress from overwork and work-life balance:  Does your firm offer flex time?  Are your people stressed out because you’re addicted to the adrenaline rush of working on a deadline?
•  Loss of trust and confidence in leadership:  Are you really leading your firm?  Or are you so caught up in the work that you don’t really have time for your people?

Compensation includes the sum and substance of what it means to work at your firm.   So, when you evaluate your compensation systems, be sure to include non-monetary compensation, and don’t leave your firm vulnerable to the poachers.

In his book, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, Marshall Goldsmith, identifies 20 habits that hold leaders back.  Habit #15 is “Refusing to express regret.” 

People who can’t apologize at work may as well be wearing a t-shirt that says, “I don’t care about you.”  The irony, of course, is that all the fears that lead us to resist apologizing – the fear of losing, admitting we’re wrong, ceding control – are actually erased by an apology.  When you say, “I’m sorry,” you turn people into your allies, even your partners.

I think that just about sums it up.

S = The objective is written for a specific result or area of performance.
M = Each objective must be observable and measurable. The objective must answer these questions: How much? How many? How well?
A = The objective is audacious. It aims at significant change designed to “stretch horizons” and exceed the present level of results.
R = The objective must clearly define the results to be achieved. However, it should not include the methods and means to achieve the results.
T = Each objective must have a targeted time for completion.
E = The “sum total” of all of the objectives are encompassing. They are aligned, supportive of each other, inclusive, and linked.
R = All objectives are reviewed frequently to check for progress toward results.

Put SMARTER Objectives to work for your firm. And be sure to pay particular attention to the last “R.” No objective will be successful and no goal will be reached without regular review to ensure effective implementation.

If you’d like to learn more about the 50^th Anniversary Celebration of this American classic, visit tokillamockingbird50year.com or the Official Facebook Fan Page.

If you have a story of how “To Kill A Mockingbird” has influenced your life or a favorite quote to share, please leave a comment!

When we’re getting ready for vacation, we are very, very focused. So, if you want to increase your productivity . . . “go on vacation.” Get yourself into that mode as often as you can. Reward yourself for work well done. Make it a game! “If I can get my inbox down to 50 by the end of the day, I get to [you fill in the blank].”

I promise if you can get yourself into “vacation mode” more often by rewarding yourself with little things you love, you will be more productive. And you really will go on more vacations!

Don’t look for another blog post until after the Fourth of July. I’m going on vacation!

3. Bring your dictation into the 21^st Century with Dragon Naturally Speaking 10. The latest version of Dragon dictation software is light years ahead of older versions.  And if you’d like to check it out for yourself, download a version to your new smartphone for FREE.  Dragon Email is available for Blackberry models on both Verizon and AT&T’s mobile networks.  Dragon Dictation is available for your iPhone or iPad.  Did I mention these apps are FREE?

4. Clean up your inbox with SimplyFile. SimplyFile from www.techhit.com is nothing short of awesome.  Get it and clean up your inbox in no time. Click here for more information on SimplyFile from a previous blog post.

5. Backup your data.  Backup your data.  Backup your data. It’s a good idea to have redundant back-up systems.  Consider using an offsite backup like Carbonite, Mozy or Zmanda.  You should also have an onsite backup system.  You also may want to your personal files to an external hard drive.  If you need help deciding what you need for your firm visit www.affinityconsulting.com.

6. Social media. If you haven’t jumped on social media train, it’s time. Social media networks are not going away.  And sooner or later, lawyers will get on board.  Why not make it sooner? Ten years ago, when I was a bar executive, the biggest technology question lawyers were asking was, “Do I really need a website?”  Now, it’s, “Do I really need to participate in social media networks?”   You know the answer to the first question, and the answer to the second is the same.  If you’re still not convinced, try out LinkedIn.  It’s a network for professionals and a great place to start.  If you want to learn more, check out Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier, by Nicole Black and Carolyn Elefant.

7. Consider working in the cloud. Check out cloud-based case management software like Clio or Rocket Matter.  Click here for more information on cloud-based computing from a previous blog post.

8. Use eNewsletters to stay connected to your referral sources. Lawyerist.com reported recently that a study by Jakob Nielsen has shown that the best way to build relationships and stay connected to your customers (clients) online is through eNewsletters.    An easy way to get started is with ConstantContact.  They offer a free 30-day trial membership.  Be sure to check the Rules of Professional Responsibility in your jurisdiction before using eNewslsetters.

9. Get a digital photo frame for your reception area. Click here for more information on digital photo frames from a previous blog post.

10. Use two monitors. Research has shown that individuals who use two computer monitors instead of just one can increase their productivity up to 42%!  Think about that – not only for yourself, but for your staff!  Click here for more information on using two monitors from a previous blog post.

What can you do with a digital photo frame? A lot. Below are just a few ideas, and I bet you and your team can come up with even more.

• Include photos of everyone on your team with their names and positions. And if it works for your firm’s culture maybe a funky fun fact: Mary Jones, Full-Time Paralegal and Part-Time Gourmet Cook.
• Include photos of happy clients. This is a great option for estate planning attorneys and adoption attorneys.
• Does your firm support a local charity or foundation? Include photos from events you’ve attended.
• Do you mentor law students or high school students? Include photos of you working with them.
• Create a PowerPoint* presentation with information about your firm and practice areas.
• Create a PowerPoint presentation of testimonials from clients. Consider this the 21st Century version of a book of handwritten notes or framed notes hung on your wall. (Check the Rules of Professional Responsibility in your jurisdiction with respect to testimonials.)

*PowerPoint presentations will need to be converted to video. Wondershare PPT to Video software converts PowerPoint presentations to video that will play on a digital photo frame, iPhone or iPad. Click here to learn more about Wondershare PPT to Video software at cnet.

For a small investment of time and money, your digital photo frame can become one of your best marketing tools.

When we’re multitasking, we’re really allowing ourselves to be distracted by interruptions and jumping from one thing to another.   And interruptions are time stealers.  – Big time stealers.

So, before you’re tempted to start doing something else while (or instead of) reading this post, check out How (and Why) to Stop Multitasking, by Peter Bregman of Harvard Business Review online.  Stop what you’re doing and read it.  Please.

Perhaps the best teacher of how the power of language can transform is an unexpected one: Charlotte the spider of E.B. White’s, Charlotte’s Web. Mindell demonstrates how Charlotte communicated messages that gained national attention and saved a friend’s life. As a model, she combines female strengths of wisdom and compassion with the determination and power to make a difference.”  Read more or buy it…