Are there parts of your job you’d rather not do?
We always say in the same way there is no such thing as the perfect person, there is no such thing as the perfect role. Every role involves responsibility for something that is not your favourite activity. Where does the balance lie?
This Month: Does the good outweigh the bad?
Personally I enjoy what I do, very much! Lots of legal professionals have commented on the passion that my colleagues and I have for the work we do in helping people with their careers. However, when it comes to public speaking I really have to steel myself to do it! Somehow it doesn’t come naturally and I have to really build up to it. It is an important part of the business, speaking to junior lawyers about qualification and early stages of their career and the choices that they make is vital to ensure legal professionals find the right track for them from the moment they qualify.
I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I help myself with a few tricks:
- Practice and time my talk
- Practice in front of colleagues
- Invite others to feedback on content and ordering of the talks
- Work to find the right mix of written notes for guidance vs. going ‘off script’
With a little preparation I find that I am more comfortable and relaxed when talking and I can see a time when I could begin to enjoy public speaking. Albeit not quite yet!
Whatever aspects of your role you have to push through, try to find a few tricks to help you. Look for the input of others to help, colleagues might have mastered things that you haven’t and vice versa. Accept it as a task you don’t relish then try to make parts of it more palatable, even if you just reward yourself once it is over! When you find yourself in a role where the dreaded parts of the role exceed the positive then it is time to take stock. We can’t promise you the perfect role but we can always see if those negatives can be reduced to make your working life positive again.
