Springfield Business Journal_2020-12-25

SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 11 DEC. 28, 2020-JAN. 3, 2021 “The Emperor is Naked.” Surround yourself with great people, especially people that will challenge you. People who all think the same and always agree with the boss is bad for business. You want people that will openly question processes in an effort to improve the bottom line but will come together if the concept is not exactly what they suggested. 87 Know that you don’t know everything. Be sure to know what you don’t know. That means always being open to new ideas, new trends and a new way to improve your business or process. Listen more than you talk. Be humble enough to know that other people will make you better if you give them a chance. Trust in your people. Great ideas rarely just appear; they are nurtured to completion. Collaboration drives that success. Challenge everything. My least favorite response to “why do we do it that way?” is “because we’ve always done it that way.” Challenge even the simplest of systems. It will make people uncomfortable but that’s OK. Most people really do not like change, and you should not change for change’s sake, but asking tough questions will make everyone around you better. 6 5 Here to solve problems. “If you ask a question, you best be working on the solution.” I remember early in my career, I was very good at pointing out issues or challenges for the company. One of my bosses challenged me: “I didn’t hire you to identify problems. I hired you to solve problems.” This has been a cornerstone of my career and my development of young professionals. It is easy to say what’s wrong; make yourself stand out and find solutions. Give away the credit. If you are the boss, don’t be selfish. Build confidence in your people with success. Recognize great work by making sure others know. Everyone likes a gold star. 9 Train your replacement. It is very difficult to get a promotion if your current role cannot be filled. Make sure that your replacement is trained and ready to go, so you cannot be held back. Do not be insecure but show that you are a team player. The growth of your department will reflect a “big picture” mentality that most owners want to see. 10 Organizational charts shouldn’t be pyramids, they should be like bicycle tires. “ Matt Gifford Vice president of stadium operations, St. Louis Cardinals The choice of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. Kirk Stange is responsible for the content. Principal place of business 120 South Central Ave, Suite 450, Clayton, MO 63105. Neither the Supreme Court of Missouri/Illinois nor The Missouri/Illi- nois Bar reviews or approves certifying organizations or spe- cialist designations. Court rules do not permit us to advertise that we specialize in a particular field or area of law. The areas of law mentioned in this article are our areas of interest and generally are the types of cases which we are involved. It is not intended to suggest specialization in any areas of law which are mentioned The information you obtain in this ad- vertisement is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your indi- vidual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Past results afford no guarantee of future results and every case is different and must be judged on its merits. Paid Advertisement Text messages are a common way of communicating. Instead of picking up the phone or drafting an email, many like the ease and quickness of sending a text. For this reason, many clients text their law- yer in a divorce or family law matter. Text communications can be short and to the point. Clients can also attach photos and videos to texts. Is texting an effective form of commu- nication for clients going through a divorce or family law matter? There are no black and white rules in terms of texting. There are also no rules or statutes that explicitly prohibit lawyers from texting their clients per se. Some lawyers might be willing to text their clients, while other lawyers might not want to do so. Some lawyers may not even be tech-savvy enough to text with their clients. First, texting is often short and to the point, as explained above. The lawyer or the client could misinterpret the shortness of the communication, causing miscom- munication, an increase in fees, or frustra- tion. Many conversations instead require a lot more dialogue and analysis than a short text message exchange. Second, texting is not always the most secure way of communication. Texting is not encrypted communication. This fact makes it easier for others to intercept or read the conversation. Third, it is possible a client puts the phone down and somebody else picks it up and reads the communication. With texts, it can be quick and easy to see recent com- munication and attorney-client privilege could be jeopardized. Fourth, text communication often does not make its way into a client’s file. It can be hard for a lawyer to print off the texts and actually get them into the file. It can be cumbersome for the law firm or law- yer (and expensive for the client in terms of legal fees) to print the text communica- tions. Thus, when a client requests their file at the end of the case, the texts might not be there. As it relates to important matters, the client may want that text communica- tion if they did not retain it on their own device. Fifth, text communication lacks the formality of other types of communica- tion. The lack of formality can cause some clients to say things spontaneously to their lawyer. This can be damaging to the attor- ney-client relationship if they are upset or angry about something. Email is typically more secure be- cause it is encrypted. Email is also a bit more formal and allows for lengthier com- munication. The lengthier communication can often lead to better and more effective communication. Additionally, it is easier for a lawyer to print off an email chain and put that chain into the client file. For most clients, they appreciate this on the back- end when the case is over. Finally, while texting is easy and con- venient, with most smartphones, a client can send an email just as quickly as a text. In terms of convenience, sending an email versus a text is comparable. Of course, phone calls, video confer- ences, or in-person meetings can often be more effective than email or text commu- nication. While many clients want instant answers in the heat of the moment, if the situation can wait, the best communication can often take place by phone, video con- ference, or in-person. Stange Law Firm, PC limits their practice to family law matters including di- vorce, child custody, child support, pater- nity, guardianship, adoption, mediation, collaborative law and other domestic rela- tion matters. Stange Law Firm, PC gives clients 24/7 access to their case through a secured online case tracker found on the website. They also give their clients their cell phone numbers. Call for a consultation today at 855-805-0595. Greene County Office 901 E. St. Louis, Suite 404 Springfield, MO 65806 To schedule a consultation: 855-805-0595 WWW.STANGELAWFIRM.COM Should I Text My Lawyer? PAID ADVERTISING