MASTERING YOUR RESOURCES

A resource is a source of support for meeting or handling situations.?

First, let's consider some of the "sources" we might not identify as resources and go from there.? We'll start with us.

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THINKING STYLES?

Is your thinking style a resource?

One can develop thinking skills to support a legal assistance role by transitioning from task-based thinking to situational awareness to strategic and critical thinking.

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Basic Example:

You're transcribing correspondence which summarizes a recently-received expert's report. You cannot understand much of the language used.

Task-Based Response:? You replace the words and phrases you cannot understand with blank spaces or underlines.?

Situational Awareness Response:? You realize the attorney is dictating from the report, so you look for and find the report, locate the words or phrases, and complete the transcription producing a finished draft.

Strategic Thought Response:? You realize the summary and report from this expert may be implemented again during the life of the case, so you save the digital report with a descriptive name for ease of recall, and you add a note to this potential witness' info to indicate his/her opinion.?

Critical Thought Response:? You understand the case and evaluate the expert's opinion and if favorable to the case, you begin a draft witness list and include this expert with a summary of his/her opinions.? You may even delete contacting other potential experts from your to-do list.

This is how even the slightest situational, strategic and critical thinking saves costly time in the law firm:

1. You produce a completed draft of the dictated correspondence for the attorney to seamlessly review and approve;
2. By saving the report with a relevant descriptive name, you save everyone future time when looking for the report; and
3. You build the components of a witness list as you go to save time when a draft is requested.

Task-based assistance is great when the role is new to you or for temporary assistance. But it is important that you develop situational awareness, strategic and/or critical thinking. By doing so you can continually increase the value of other resources available to you.

EXPERIENCE

You can use your own or someone else's past experiences as a resource to assist you in understanding and evaluating current situations.? Don't discount the old girl who still grieves for WordPerfect. She has a vault of experience she draws from.?

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DOCUMENTS

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Do you consider the documents created and/or saved to a case file a resource?? Whatever your role in legal assistance is, those documents can be mined for all kinds of informational treasures. Don't expect your attorney to feed you this information time and again.

Mine those documents and put the information into your case management system. The information does not magically appear there. It is put into those systems by strategic thinkers. Bits and pieces of content should be added to the system consistently to create a valuable knowledge bank for all to access.

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OFFICE INFRASTRUCTURE

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Let's consider equipment, supplies, and computer systems office infrastructure. These are all resources to assist you. Learn the equipment (copiers, printers, scanners, postage meter, supply cabinets, etc.) so that each is a valuable resource you can implement effectively.?

If you don't know how to run the postage meter, it's not a resource - it's a machine you don't know how to use.

Learn the individual software applications as best you can in order to use them effectively for the benefit of your team.? Email wrangling can be tamed to some degree by organizing your inbox, selecting delayed send, as well as many other options.

Document production can be quicker and more precise if you utilize quick parts or macros.?

?Batch processing administrative functions can be done with many applications.? The apps are made to help you - learn to let them help you.

?Google and? YouTube are good resources to help you develop your own good resources.?

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CO-WORKERS

Your co-workers are a great resource. You can work with them to learn and set new processes. Some co-workers can assist with your tasks, and you can assist with theirs. Other co-workers can direct you on processes outside your role and vice versa.

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OUTSOURCING

Outside vendors are other resources you must learn to utilize effectively in order to save time and/or money.? Each has its requirements, costs, and time restraints.? A few common to all law firms are

• overnight delivery services;
• deposition services;?
• printing/copying services; and?
• travel agencies.?

?It's likely your firm or attorney(s) will have preferences where these are concerned.? Learn them and get familiar with those vendors.

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YOU.? You are your own greatest resource. Keep learning. What you learn and how you implement the knowledge is the thing that makes you a valuable asset.

?Till next time,

?dt

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