november 2011 - tloma

November 2011

Editor Simone MacIsaacAdvertising Liz Barrington

Presidentrsquos Message By Marsha HempelIndeed our 2011 Conference reached the peak with great success If you missed this yearrsquos conference I would suggest you missed an excellent Read More

The ADA And AODA Require Way-Finding To Be Improved In Public Spaces And Law Offices Taking Ergonomics To The Next Level By JE Sleeth Olga Dosis CL DeMaeyer OPC IncWhile hiking along what was supposed to be a marked trail with three friends in Muskoka we quickly found 30 minutes into the hike that we were lost Read More

Blackberry Apps You Want To Know About A collection of BlackBerry apps by Charles Bennett David Hobden and Mario SvalinaThe three apps are available for download directly to your BlackBerry from AppWorld provided that you download them by the end of this year These apps Read More

Content Marketing And Web AnalyticsThe Yin And Yang Of Any Successful Law Firm Marketing CampaignBy Janet Ellen RaaschGood content has always been one of the best ways for a lawyer to establish and maintain a professional reputation In the hands of potential clients good content Read More

Why Do We Procrastinate By Ann Gomez If someone was to offer us $50 or $100 most of us would gladly take $100 There is nothing quite like a cool crisp c-note Read More

Delegating For ResultsBy Jerome ShoreDelegation skills are essential for success in fast-paced high-demand work environments And it isnrsquot always about delegating to subordinates It is also about delegating to peers and up when Read More

For The Price Of A CoffeeBy Magid GirgisI remember listening to a speaker at one of our conferences talk about insurance planning She said as financial advisors we do not compete against each other rather we compete against death disability the Read More

Inside this Issue

wwwtlomacom 1 November 2011

Click on the logos below for more information

TLOMA thanks the 2011 Platinum Sponsors for their

generous support

Upcoming Events

bullWorld Cafeacute Follow-up Thursday November 24 2011

bullHospitality Tuesday November 29 2011

bullDecember Networking Event Friday December 2 2011

bullThe Anti-Spam Act Wednesday December 7 2011

bull FinanceSIG Tuesday December 13 2011

Click on each event for more details

Photos of the 23rd AnnualTLOMA Conference

Click Here


Presidentrsquos MessageBy Marsha Hempel

TLOMA 23rd Annual Conference ndash Climb the Summit to Success

Indeed our 2011 Conference reached the peak with great success If you missed this yearrsquos conference I would suggest you missed an excellent program of superb keynote speakers and workshops

Our opening keynote speaker Simon Sinek challenged us to discover ldquoWhyrdquo we do what we do To quote ldquoWhy are some people and organizations more innovative more influential and more profitable than others Why do some command greater loyalty from clients and employees alike Even among the successful why are so few able to repeat their successes over and overrdquo Have I peaked your interest I highly recommend that you read Simonrsquos book ndash START WITH WHY

The first TLOMA World Cafeacute hosted by Helen Wilkie was a productive brainstorming session for those who participated In true cafeacute fashion we used the placemats to write down and share our ideas and insights relating to three important questions often asked by our members

1 How can we inspire a positive mindset in staff

2 What are some methods to break the traditional lawyerrsquos mindset

3 How can we create an extraordinary managing partneradministrator team

With a large number of attendees as you can imagine the ideas were numerous and some were very creative A follow up to this workshop will take place in the form of a SIG meeting in the coming months Stay tuned

Laughter was the order of the morning with our closing keynote speaker Michael Kerr Michael first explained the importance and benefits of incorporating humour in our workplaces and while completely entertaining us provided several ways in which we can enhance productivity and loyalty with the help of humour This may be a challenge for many of us in a law firm environment but it is worth serious consideration

In addition several other workshops were conducted all of which provided tremendous educational value to our delegates

The Business PartnerDelegate dinner provided a relaxed atmosphere in which everyone was given the opportunity to socialize and strengthen relationships The Trade Show which followed the next day was a resounding success A special thanks to all of our Business Partners for their support

Needless to say this yearrsquos Conference was outstanding Sincere thanks and congratulations to Chuck White and the 2011 Conference Committee for a job well done Mark your calendars for the 2012 Conference at the Deerhurst Resort October 24 to 27 2012

Your TLOMA Board has begun to prepare objectives for 2012 As this process moves forward and the new Board members are affirmed we will keep you informed of our exciting plans the upcoming year

I look forward to seeing many of you at our December 2nd Holiday Networking Event at the St Andrews Club

Marsha Hempel2011 TLOMA President

Marsha Hempel

2011 PLATINUM SPONSOR

Trade Show Participants - $180000 BigHand

Corexpress

Cyberbahn Thomson Reuters

Digitcom

E-CARD ID Products Ltd

Elite a Thomson Reuters business

Epik Networks

ESC Corporate Services Ltd

Executive Furniture Rentals

Hewlett-Packard Canada

Hofstetter Business Technologies

Humanomics Inc

Infoware

Interior Care Ltd

Maxium Financial Services

Medcan Clinic

MillicareAdvanced Facility Maintenance Systems

nQueue Billback LLC

Philips Speech Processing

POI Business Interiors

Robert Half Legal

Safeguard Business Systems

Southwest Binding Systems Ltd

Spacesaver Solutions Inc

Strone

Talent Checker Inc

Talk 2 Me Technology

Terryberry

The Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario

The Messengers International

The Promotional Specialists

The Ritz-Carlton Toronto

Time is Money Billing Systems

Toronto Refurbishing Limited

Trafalgar Group Inc

Unity Telecom

Worldlynx Canadas largest independent Bell dealer

Event Sponsors Allstream

Blizzard Courier

E-Ternity Business Continuity Consultants Inc

ImageOn Toronto

Imperial Coffee and Services Inc

Legal Print amp Copy

Linds amp Associates

Michels Baguette (TD Centre)

Petit Four Events and Catering

Pitney Bowes Management Services

Purves Redmond LimitedPRL Benefits

Supreme Basics The New Dye amp Durham

Conference Contributors All Languages Ltd

Allstream

AMJ Campbell Van Lines

Appetizingly Yours Events amp Catering

Blue Mountain Resorts Ltd

Bond Street Collections Inc

The Canadian Bar Insurance Association

CPI Corporate Promotions Inc

Cyberbahn

ESI Technologies


Just Good Taste

Magnum Fine Commercial Printing Limited

Marant Construction Limited

Oncorp Direct Inc


Pitney Bowes Canada

Purchasing b2b



The Hiring Partner

Vertex Solutions Corporation

Worldlynx Wireless


2011 PLATINUM SPONSOR The ADA And AODA Require Way-Finding To Be Improved In Public Spaces And Law Offices Taking Ergonomics To The Next Level By JE Sleeth Olga Dosis CL DeMaeyer OPC Inc

While hiking along what was supposed to be a marked trail with three friends in Muskoka we quickly found 30 minutes into the hike that we were lost lost and lost It was only by carefully attempting to retrace our steps that we eventually found our way back to the main road

Last weekend while in Montreal some family members and I attempted to locate an ancestorrsquos grave site as part of filling in the gaps of our family tree Not only did we not know we had driven into an adjoining cemetery (and to think we moved from the Catholic to the Protestant Cemetery at that) we could not for the life of us find our way to the Section T let alone area number 615 The cemetery lacked signs markers and maps to guide us in our quest

This is a common conundrum for most people but one which illustrates if ldquoable bodied and mindedrdquo hikers and drivers cannot find their way to a set location then what does this do for the older navigator or those who have disabilities related to sight hearing spacial location or learning disabilities

It also begs the question if you want to direct more traffic to your restaurant bank branch office building museum business or sports venue how is poor Way-Finding limiting business opportunities in your organization

Way-Finding may be a new word for many readers Yet it forms a critical part of the application of Universal Design no matter whether the design is a law firm retail museum hospital or underground walkway Way-Finding when designed and implemented correctly is a set of design principles concerned with making spaces effectively navigable by people of all languages sex mental abilities learning disabilities stature and anthropometrics and culture It should take into account that visitors and users of the space(s) may have a visual andor hearing impairment and disability

Navigability means that the navigator can successfully move in the space from their present location to a destination even if the location of the destination is not precisely known

In Way-Finding there are three criteria which will determine the navigability of a space

1 Whether the navigator can discover or infer their present location

Is the successful recovery of both location and orientation ``Where am Irsquorsquo and ``Which way am I facingrsquorsquo

A response to these questions can be verbal such as ``I am in Lobby C facing Wellington St Westrsquorsquo or could be put in writing by drawing an arrow within the law office location

2 Whether a route to the destination can be found

The second criterion for navigability is the ability to successfully perform way-finding tasks Successful way-finding occurs when the navigator can make correct navigation decisions that take them from the present location to the correct destination Examples of such decisions are whether to continue along the present route or to backtrack what turn to take at an intersection of paths or whether to stop and acquire information from the environment to confirm the present route


3 How well the navigator can accumulate way-finding experience in the space

The third criterion for navigability is how well the navigator can accumulate way-finding experience in the space The ldquoimage abilityrdquo of a large-scale space is the ability of a navigator to form a coherent mental image map of the space The characteristics of an urban retail office or other public space can be designed to affect how well people remember features in it

In an interesting study in 1960 by Urban Planners (Lynch) residents of Boston Los Angeles and Jersey City were asked to draw sketch maps of their city from memory The degree of accuracy of the sketch maps in depicting the actual layout of each city found the study respondents organized their city images using a set of common features including paths landmarks regions edges barriers amp intersections (Recall how Hansel and Gretel dropped bread crumbs along their route with hopes to follow these back out to safety) The memorable features of a space is what people use to assist with Way-Finding Good examples of when we Way-find is in the case of people who are ldquodirectionally challengedrdquo or males who refuse to ask for verbal cues and directions

Landmarks are the memorable locations that help to orient the navigator regions are distinct areas that place the navigator in one part of the environment and nodes mark points where Way-Finding decisions are made

Since a navigator uses these features to remember their past route-following experiences a well designed space that uses these points will be readily navigable

Principles for effective way finding include

bull Createanidentity at each location different from all others

bull Uselandmarks to provide orientation cues and memorable locations

bull Createwell-structuredpaths

bull Createregions of differing visual character

bull Donrsquotgivetheusertoo many choices in navigation

bull Usesurvey views (give navigators a vista or map)

bull Providesignsatdecision points to help way finding decisions

bull Usesight lines to show whatrsquos ahead

Way finding and Signage

Way finding has three basic forms

bull Landmarkingndashthisistheuseoflandmarkssuchassculptureandartwhichis discussed above

bull ArchitecturalFeaturesndashsuchasarchesovermainentranceselevatorlobbiespainted in bold colours round then sharp edges at corners which move human traffic in a specific direction

bull Signage ndash signs are the key element in a Way finding system

Way finding signage should follow key principles to be effective These are

bull Signageshouldassumeallpeoplearefirsttimevisitorsorclients

bull Largesttosmallestsignageprinciple

bull Organizetheknown

bull Directionshouldoccuratdecisionpoints

bull Relatethesignstotheenvironment

bull Readabilityshouldincludealllevelsofabilityageculturalandlanguage

bull Placementofsignsiscriticalandtakesintoaccountanthropometricsageofreader use of assistive devices

bull Universalldquolanguagerdquoiconsandcolour


Blackberry Apps You Want To Know AboutA collection of BlackBerry apps by Charles Bennett David Hobden and Mario Svalina

RIM Releases Free Applications

In the wake of the largest BlackBerry outage ever RIM has released three paid for apps as free apps

The three apps are available for download directly to your BlackBerry from AppWorld provided that you download them by the end of this year These apps are the full versions of product not limited demos

DriveSafely Pro

This application allows you to listen to emails SMS Facebook texts Twitter texts from one or more mailboxes connected to your BlackBerry Using the settings and advanced settings built into the program you can

bull HavetheappturnonwhenconnectedtoyourcarrsquosBluetooth automatically and turn off when you disconnect

bull Specifythenumberofwordsfromthemessagetoreadin blocks of 25 words

bull DeterminewhethertheSubjectSenderorMessageisplayed

bull Autorespondtoemailortextsfromtheappwithacustom message

This application is great for communicating messages hands free without touching the BlackBerry device This application normally costs $1999 and we would definitely recommend it as a program to download

Bubble Bash

As the name indicates this is a game The objective of the game is to match bubble colours to remove all bubbles from the display The game play while well designed and offering lots of trivia and an adventure style play is very frustrating largely because it takes minutes to transition from one screen to another The program also uses a lot of resources We ran the program on a BlackBerry Torch with OS 7 software so the expectation would have been that the gameplay should have been smooth and flowing We would not recommend this pick

2011 GOLD SPONSOR To get a good handle on how Way-Finding is critical to both the able bodied and disabled walk or drive around an area which you do not know very well Have a destination point in mind Now try to navigate using signage directions maps colours and points of interest (if these are in place) In fact see if some of the principles have even been applied relative to finding your way to your point of interest Once you have gone through this exercise ask yourself again if you had a visual or auditory disability mobility related disabilities or mental or learning disabilities how would you do It is a great exercise to help you in your work within your law firm

The AODA may not be in full swing as yet in Ontario but having clients students or visitors find their way safely to and within your facility surely will have an impact on your clients and visitors Demonstrating a strong customer service plan to your clients will keep them coming back for more

For more on this topic contact Olga Dosis or Jane Sleeth at AODAOptimalPerformanceca or 416-860-0002 Read more about this as well on our popular Blog OPCTODAYblogspotcom


Shazam Encore

How often do you listen to the radio and think lsquooh I like that song I wonder what it isrsquo You wait until the end of the song in a hope that the DJ will tell you the details but they invariably say nothing about the artist you just heard much less the name of the song

What we really need is an application that can tell us what song is playing and by which artist

Well how about Shazam Shazam Encore is available for a limited time for FREE from the BlackBerry app site and allows unlimited tagging of songs

This application listens to the song being played for 10 seconds and then sends the snippet off to compare against a database of songs Within seconds it sends you the name of the artist and track information and also other useful links and information

All you have to do is touch the screen and let Shazam do its thing When it finishes analyzing the song and returns its results it will display a list of options to allow you to purchase the song find it on YouTube Biography and Discography information Links into Twitter and Facebook are available or send a link to a friend who also has Shazam via Email or SMS

There are two other nice features within this application Firstly all songs you discover are tagged and kept within Shazam This allows you to easily find that song that you lsquoShazamedrsquo in your car on the way home Secondly you can use the search facility to find songs by track name artist album name or even by lyrics

Previously this application was selling at $599 so itrsquos a great time to take advantage of this free gift from Blackberry App World ndash until December 31 2011 Try it and enjoy

BBM Music Where Music Gets Social

This next app is not part of the free app release but it is free until January 1 2012

BBM Music is a brand new music listening and sharing app from RIM that allows you to listen to your favorite music and share that music with your favorite people on Blackberry Messenger

After January 1 2012 $500 a month gets you access to over a million music tracks at 50 songs a month However yoursquore not just limited to 50 songs Your library includes not just your 50 songshellipbut the 50 songs that your friends are listening to as well For examplehellipif you have your 50 songs and 9 of your friends have 50 songs eachhellipyour library of music is now 500 songs Also you are not limited to those 50 songs in a month eitherhellipyou can swap out 25 songs for 25 new songs each month This is handy if you realize many of the songs your friends have are already part of your 50 and you want to change it up a little

2011 GOLD SPONSOR


But what about when yoursquore offline Luckily BBM Music has a caching option as well so when yoursquore on the subway or where a data connection isnrsquot available doesnrsquot mean your Blackberry goes quiet

There are many options south of the boarder that offer similar services for listening to music such as Pandora however many of these services arenrsquot available to us in Canadahellipuntil now BBM Music is a great way to listen to your music library listen and discover new music and share your music with family and friends If your car supports Bluetooth you can also play your music through your cars audio system by pairing your BlackBerry with your car

Donrsquot have a Touch Screen BlackBerry

RIM is offering up to $100 off the purchase of a new BlackBerry smartphone See wwwblackberrycomtradeup for details

Triella is a VMware Professional Partner Microsoft Certified Partner BlackBerry Alliance Partner Caseflow Reseller and Authorized Worldox Reseller

copy 2011 by Triella Corp All rights reserved Reproduction with credit is permitted

Content Marketing And Web AnalyticsThe Yin And Yang Of Any Successful Law Firm Marketing CampaignBy Janet Ellen Raasch

Good content has always been one of the best ways for a lawyer to establish and maintain a professional reputation In the hands of potential clients good content demonstrates your understanding of the law and your ability to do what you claim to do

Letrsquos say you write an excellent article on the recently signed patent reform act

Prior to the Internet your options for distribution of that article would be limited You could submit it to print publishers who could decide whether or not to publish it and how to edit it By the time it appeared on a clientrsquos desk it might be three months out of date

2011 SILVER SPONSOR


In addition you could snail mail a copy of your article with a cover letter directly to your list of clients potential clients and referral sources You could include it in the firmrsquos print newsletter You could mail it to reporters covering the patent law beat and hope that they give you a call next time they are writing a story on that topic

And that was about it You really had no way of knowing what happened to that hard copy ndash if the publication was read or if the envelope or newsletter was even opened

Today thanks to the Internet the options for distributing a well-written and informative article (and all kinds of content) to a wide range of interested parties are vastly expanded So too are the options for finding out if the article was opened was read and prompted further action on the part of the reader

ldquoIn the Internet age online content marketing is the best way for lawyers and law firms to establish their reputations and attract new businessrdquo said Per Casey ldquoAnd web traffic analysis is the best way for lawyers and law firms to measure the success of a content marketing campaign and move forward based on that information Content marketing and web analytics are inseparable parts of the same strategic processrdquo

Casey discussed strategic content marketing and web analytics at the monthly educational program of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association (wwwlegalmarketingorgrockymountain) held Oct 11 at Fogo de Chao Restaurant in Lower Downtown Denver

Casey is founder of Tenrec (wwwtenreccom) a web technology consulting firm that focuses on the legal industry Over the years he has collaborated with dozens of well-known law firms on successful web technology projects Casey also serves as member-at-large on the LMA International Board of Directors and as co-chair of the LMA Technology Committee

Online content marketing for law firms

Online content marketing involves publishing content (like the article on patent law) on your law firmrsquos website (including mobile website version) client extranet sites or blogs It involves the e-mailing of your article (or newsletter) to clients potential clients referral sources and media sources

ldquoAn integrated online marketing program is an essential part of a law firmrsquos marketing programrdquo said Casey ldquoContent marketing involves distribution of your content using popular social media sites (like LinkedIn Facebook Twitter and YouTube) as well as successful content syndication sites (like JD Supra LegalOnRamp and Scribd)rdquo

Each time your keyword-rich patent law article is published on one of these sites it is indexed by Google and other search engines ndash enhancing results for searches on terms like your name your law firmrsquos name your geographic area and the relevant subject area

ldquoThe term lsquocontentrsquo applies to almost any kind of material your firm is publishingrdquo said Casey ldquoIt applies to documents like press releases experience descriptions attorney biographies (profiles) client alerts blog post white papers email campaigns and e-books on legal subjects

ldquoContent also includes non-written files like an online ad campaign courtroom graphics a PowerPoint deck or photos of an open house or employee charity eventrdquo said Casey ldquoIt includes online surveys along with survey results And it definitely includes audio or video recordings of a presentation a seminar or a webinarrdquo

All types of reputation-demonstrating content can be posted not only on your own website but also to a wide range of (mostly free) social media and content syndication sites Once posted this informative content is available 247 and around the world

2011 SILVER SPONSOR


Web analytics for law firms

ldquoNot only does the Internet facilitate the wide distribution of contentrdquo said Casey ldquoit also allows lawyers and law firms to closely track distribution ndash to know how many visitors click on the content how much time they spend reading listening or viewing the content and where (your website search or some other site) they found the contentrdquo

Web analytics is a process for collecting visitor or consumer data analyzing those data and generating reports on the overall performance of these different channels It extends well beyond your website into virtually every online channel your law firm might be using

ldquoIn the early days web analytics programs focused on the simple measurement of activity on a law firmrsquos web siterdquo said Casey ldquoToday a good law firm website still contains useful information about the firm and its services but the site functions more like an interactive hub to which all of the firmrsquos online content distribution efforts are tiedrdquo

In addition most social media sites have their own built-in analytics programs that can be accessed for more details about activity on your accounts on those sites

The popular Google Analytics program is free and yields information about site visitors including number of visitors (unique new and repeat) page views repeat rate visit length page view length page view per visit bounce rate (those who leave quickly from a given page) entry pages (where visitors enter your site) exit pages (where visitors leave your site) and referral sources (direct traffic search engines and other referral sites)

Among other things Google Analytics can chart data over time compare data month-by-month or year-by-year and internally compare different sets of results

ldquoOther commercial web analytics programs allow the site administrator to lsquodig deeperrsquo into the datardquo said Casey ldquoMost analytics programs will record detailed information at the user level allowing administrators to track the number of times a given user came to the site which pages he or she viewed and in some cases the location from which that user is connectingrdquo

ldquoAt Tenrec we combine basic Google Analytics with a program called Urchin (essentially Googlersquos commercial analytics product) to obtain different levels of results for our clientsrdquo said Casey ldquoThere are many programs out there The one you select should be determined by how you plan to use the resultsrdquo

It is important to remember that no performance metric is inherently bad or good A limited number of the right kind of people visiting your content and reaching out to your firm is a better result than hundreds of visitors who take no action

Strategic content marketing and web analytics for law firms

ldquoWeb analytics programs are capable of generating a vast amount of informationrdquo said Casey ldquoThere are far too many metrics for users to process and interpret Measurement tools are only useful when there is something specific to measure

ldquoThe challenge is not to get more data which can needlessly complicate your decision-makingrdquo said Casey ldquobut to get better data Be strategic What is the purpose of this online content campaign (within the context of our business goals) and which select measurements will indicate progress towards achieving this goalrdquo

Letrsquos go back to that article on patent reform You post it on your website You reference it in your blog You e-mail it to clients potential clients referral sources and media sources You post it (with links back to your site) on a variety of social media sites and content syndication sites

On your website analytics will let you know who visited the page and how they got there In addition you will discover if they stayed a while read the article and downloaded a copy

2011 SILVER SPONSOR


Why Do We ProcrastinateBy Ann Gomez

If someone was to offer us $50 or $100 most of us would gladly take $100 There is nothing quite like a cool crisp c-note

Same deal applies if someone offers us $50 today versus $100 tomorrow - most of us would choose to wait one day for the higher pay-out

But as the wait time increases most of us change our mind If someone offered us $50 today versus $100 in a year most would choose $50 today The dollar difference remains the same but something about the delayed reward prompts us to choose the immediate pay-out

Even Kids Find it Hard to Resist Temptation

Not surprisingly kids are no better off A rather cold-hearted group of Stanford researchers asked children to resist eating a marshmallow right in front of them They told the children that they would get two marshmallows if they simply waited for 15 minutes Then the researchers left the room and watched the children squirm The request proved to be far too tempting for most children who gobbled up the single marshmallow within minutes

Goals and Actions Donrsquot Always Line Up

Despite our best intentions immediate actions donrsquot always line up with obvious long-term gains

We might want to wake up early to get cracking on that project but our warm bed is just too cozy We may want to lose a few inches for the upcoming holiday party but find it hard to resist that double-chocolate fudge cookie at todayrsquos luncheon buffet You get the picture

Short-term Sacrifices Are Not in our Nature

Scientists talk about our preference for short-term rewards versus larger payoffs later They use the term ldquohyperbolic discountingrdquo to describe how we discount future gains when it requires short-term sacrifices

2011 GOLD SPONSOR

ldquoIf no one comes or if visitors take a quick look and lsquobouncersquo you know that there is something wrong with the contentrdquo said Casey ldquoThe subject is not newsworthy The headline or keywords need work The article is too long or too short It is too dense and needs shorter lines and subheads to encourage skimming It is too casual or too filled with legal jargon In other words it needs workrdquo

An e-mail analytics program will let you know who opens the e-mail and clicks on the link Other analytics programs will indicate how your article fares in the blogosphere or is shared or re-tweeted on social media and content syndication sites

The information generated by web analytics is a valuable tool to help lawyers and law firms plan -- and continuously improve -- their content and their online content distribution campaigns

Janet Ellen Raasch is a writer ghostwriter and blogger (wwwconstantcontentblogcom) who works closely with professional services providers ndash especially lawyers law firms legal consultants and legal organizations ndash to help them achieve name recognition and new business through publication of keyword-rich content for the web and social media sites as well as articles and books for print She can be reached at (303) 399-5041 or jeraaschmsncom


Delegating For ResultsBy Jerome Shore

Delegation skills are essential for success in fast-paced high-demand work environments And it isnrsquot always about delegating to subordinates It is also about delegating to peers and up when necessary

Five Myths Debunked

A Delegation is not telling someone what to do It is engaging someone else

B Delegation is not assigning tasks It is offering opportunities for personal and professional development

C Delegation is not abdication of responsibility It is highly productive responsible workload management

D Delegation is not dumping or off-loading It is facilitating focus harnessing energy maximizing productivity

E Delegation is not prescribing how to do something It is empowering others to make a positive contribution

2011 SILVER SPONSOR

In other words we deem $50 today as more valuable than $100 a year from now One marshmallow now is better than two later And that cookie at lunch sure was yummy

But What about Our Long-Term Goals

It is worth saying that some children were able to resist the initial marshmallow temptation thereby reaping the rewards of more treats These children did so by distracting themselves with other short-term interests like turning away and kicking the desk

And clearly there are many times when we adults are able to achieve big long-term goals

How exactly are we able to do this given our tendancy to be side-tracked by short-term distractions

The Secret

Project managers talk about breaking big goals into smaller steps David Allen talks about focusing on the next actionable step And I consistently tout the benefits of short-term goals

There is nothing like a little deadline pressure and accountability to help face a short-term sacrifice head on

Sure most of us procrastinate from time to time (Myself included donrsquot let my lsquoProductivity Consultantrsquo title lead you to think otherwise) But now that I have learned the importance of the short-term I am closer to kicking this habit for good

Ann Gomez is a productivity consultant and the president of Clear Concept Inc a productivity consulting firm which she founded in 2004 Ann helps her clients effectively manage their products and leverage their time across their many competing priorities She has works with several top law firms as well as large clients across Canada and the US Recent clients include Royal Bank of Canada Bank of Montreal AstraZeneca Yahoo Procter amp Gamble Grand amp Toy and Queenrsquos School of Business She is an active blogger wwwclearconceptinccablog She has also been quoted in the Globe amp Mail and has appeared on ROBtv several times Follow her on twitter ClearConceptInc


For The Price Of A CoffeeBy Magid Girgis

I remember listening to a speaker at one of our conferences talk about insurance planning She said as financial advisors we do not compete against each other rather we compete against death disability the CRA and a cup of coffee

ldquoOKrdquo I thought I get the death disability and CRA part but what does a cup of coffee have to do with insurance Lifestyle Aside from the homes cars other toys and vacations associated with lifestyle there is also the portion of onersquos monthly budget that is often unaccounted for

What are we spending money on that we might not be really keeping track of Coffee and lunches Many of us will be presented with insurance recommendations that will require us to spend (and budget) additional dollars These recommendations are designed to protect us against the chance of a pre-mature death or a disability that could require additional ldquoout-of-pocketrdquo expenses Insurance planning should include a plan for both life and health insurance (critical illness or long-term care) These premiums depending on your age gender and health could total between $100 and $200 per person

Now as soon as you read those numbers what was your first thought Was it ldquoforget it hersquos crazyrdquo or was it ldquothis is important so how can I make these numbers workrdquo

Three Whyrsquos1 Delegate to help you reach your objectives

2 Delegate to inspire and motivate others

3 Delegate to foster key relationships

Three Key Questionsa Does this need to be done

b Is there anyone else who can or should do this

c When does it need to be done by

Three Answers and One Next Step

If it needs to be done and if someone needs to take the responsibility and have the authority to fulfill the need ndash then finding the best person to assume the responsibility is the next step

Six Ways to Get StartedA Get to know your colleagues and co-workers their goals their skills their knowledge

B Practice clear communication skills to turnover the task to the right person

C Ensure the person has adequate information and resources to act effectively

D Express confidence Let GO

E Check in about progress regularly

F Be firm and fair with deadlines and feedback

Jerome is the managing partner of The Coaching Clinic Hersquos been coaching lawyers to survive and thrive since 1993 His elevator speech is ldquoI help lawyers make more moneyrdquo If you know lawyers who are short on CPD hours check out The Coaching Clinic website They have several open CPD accredited workshops running in December Jerome can be reached at 416-787-5555 or coachcoachingcliniccom


Big numbers are always hard to deal with So rather than deal with the potential cost from a monthly basis letrsquos address it from a daily perspective

Our daily life includes (for most) a necessary ldquohitrdquo of caffeine Some of us will make our first cup and enjoy it during our morning commute Others will include a stop at their favourite location for their morning ldquodouble doublerdquo or ldquonon-fat extra hot latterdquo Letrsquos break down the numbers A large Tim Hortonrsquos coffee is approx $160 A Starbucks grande latte is approx $400 Assuming 20 work days a month and 240 work days a year (not including vacations) here are your monthly and annual bills Tim Hortonrsquos comes in at $32mo and $384yr Starbucks more than doubles at $80mo and $960 per year These costs are per person What if you are drinking more than one coffee per day

For many of us lunch is something that is purchased daily So how much does your average lunch cost According to the website ndash Study in Canada (httpwwwstudyincanadacomenglishcanadacostaspPreference=canada) the average fast food meal costs between $4 and $6 and the average restaurant meal costs between $10 and $25 (taxes not incl) By just using the lowest average figures (and the same assumptions as above) the fast food meal would cost $80mo or $960yr and the restaurant meal would cost $200mo or $2400yr Combining a ldquodouble doublerdquo and a fast food lunch daily would cost you $112mo or $1344yr

So what does this have to do with insurance planning Well risk management always comes at a price Given our already stretched budgets something has to give We all have to decide where and how to spend our money I am not here to judge as I like you enjoy the occasional coffee and lunch The price of a coffee goes a long way Around the world it can feed starving children It can help villages to discover and sustain new sources of water It can assist in the building of schools for children and so on and so on It will also pay for needed life and health insurance premiums

We make a lot of difficult decisions daily weekly monthly and yearly Remember my article about your most valuable possession What is more important you or the latte I donrsquot like to share sad stories about clients but this one has a happier ending than some

In September 2005 I was referred to a client He wanted to discuss mortgage insurance as he had his dependant elderly mother living with him He needed a $200000 life insurance policy to cover the mortgage The monthly premium was $107mo He was 45 years old and a smoker As a truck driver he was in the habit of several coffee purchases daily The $107 monthly premium was more than he had anticipated spending A long discussion began and ended when he finally realized that the premium being charged was equal to one coffee daily The tragically sad part of this story is that my client passed away in a car accident in December 2008 A son chose to sacrifice a coffee for his mother In return an elderly lady received a $200000 cheque Its heartbreaking to see one pass away The happier ending is found in the peace of mind and dignity brought to a now independant mother

It wasnrsquot my place to suggest that my client give up something that was important to him It was my place to point out the potential consequences if the insurance wasnrsquot taken This is not the cheque that I would have ever wanted to deliver That day was one of the most difficult in my career

We work hard for our money Money that pays for our basic and lifestyle needs We need to enjoy the life those hard-earned dollars bring but we also need to make sure to protect ourselves from the risks of dying too early or suffering a critical illness Remember that when it comes to insurance planning the premium is not the problem the consequences are

Magid Girgis CHS is a Sun Life Advisor in the Greater Toronto Area The author welcomes any feedback or questions you may have For more information about what is discussed in this article or on other financial matters Magid can be contacted by telephone at (905) 886-2200 ext 2245 or by e-mail magidgirgissunlifecom You can also follow Magid on his blog ndash Itrsquos Only Money and on Twitter ndash magstergee


Access previous issues of TLOMA Today by clicking on the following link

ARCHIVES

President Marsha Hempel Bus 416-367-6396 Fax 416-361-2793 Email mhempelblgcom

Vice-President Karen Gerhardt Bus 416-947-5048 Fax 416-365-1876 Email kgerhardtweirfouldscom

Past President Christl Mittendorfer Bus 416-364-6211 Fax 416-364-1697 Email cmittendorferrickettsharriscom

Secretary Simone MacIsaac Bus 416-777-5450 Fax 888-683-6539 Email smacisaactorkinmanescom

TreasurerFinance SIG Stephen Firth Bus 416-595-2124 Fax 416-204-2896 Email sfirthkmlawca

Facilities SIG Cynthia Perrone Bus 416-597-5327 Fax 416-979-1234 Email cperronegoodmansca

Human Resources SIG Elizabeth Armstrong Bus 416-363-2353 Fax 416-363-7112 Email earmstronglaxtonglasscom

Technology SIG Dean McCarthy Bus 416-218-9587 Fax 416-225-3910 Email dmccarthykrmc-lawcom

Marketing SIG Mark Hunter Bus 416-369-4302 Fax 416-864-9223 Email mhuntermindengrosscom

Director of Administration Liz Barrington Bus 416-410-1979 Fax 905-472-5115 Email lbarringtontlomacom

Volunteer Co-ordinator Britta Schuelein Bus 416-814-6759 Fax 416-861-0455 Email bschueleinstikemancom

2011 TLOMA

Board of Directors First Name Last Name Firm Name City Title

Linda Barnes Gilbertson Davis Emerson LLP Toronto Office Administrator

Cheryl Blackman Fernandes Hearn LLP Toronto Office Manager

John Bordin Fluxgold Izsak Jaeger LLP Richmond Hill Chief Operating Officer

Sarah Broome Osler Hoskin amp Harcourt LLP Toronto Supervisor Conflicts Management

Bill Goman Hacker Gignac Rice LLP Midland Director of Technology

Perouz Kevorkian Macleod Dixon LLP Toronto Coordinator Office Administration

Katherine Mather Baker amp McKenzie LLP Toronto HR Manager

Kim McMaster McMillan LLP Toronto National Training Manager

Maureen Ottner Pallett Valo LLP Mississauga Financial Controller

Tanya Postma Smith Valeriote Law Firm LLP Guelph Director of Administration

New Members List

2011 Website Committee

Simone MacIsaac Bus 416-777-5450 Fax 888-683-6539 Email smacisaactorkinmanescom

Dean McCarthy Bus 416-218-9587 Fax 416-225-3910 Email dmccarthykrmc-lawcom

Nat McLellan Bus 416-595-2146 Fax 416-977-3316 Email nmclellankmlawca

Millie Waicus Bus 416-957-1161 Fax 416-361-1398 Email mwaicusbereskinparrcom

Stephanie Williams Chair Bus 416-216-0210 Fax 416-368-6302 Email stephaniewilliamsktbarristerscom

Mary DaRosa Bus 416-595-2073 Fax 416-977-3316 Email mdarosakmlawca

Mark Hunter Bus 416-369-4302 Fax 416-864-9223 Email mhuntermindengrosscom

Paul Page Bus 416-646-7402 Fax 416-646-7403 Email paulpagepaliarerolandcom

Josephine Schembri Bus 416-862-4839 Fax 416-863-1938 Email jschrembriwillmsshiercom


January 2012 - January 4 2012

February 2012 - February 1 2012

March 2012 - March 2 2012

April 2012 - April 4 2012

May 2012 - May 2 2012

DisclaimerThe views expressed in newsletter articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of The Law Office Management Association (TLOMA) or the editors of TLOMA Today It is the purpose of this periodical to share a variety of viewpoints from our colleagues and suppliers Each author holds copyright to their respective article and reproduction is not permitted without the express consent of the author By providing links to other websites in TLOMA Today it does not signify that we endorse these websites or their content or their behaviour on your computer Any external links are provided solely for your convenience

Membersrsquo CornerTell us about your own or other membersrsquo

interests and accomplishments for publication in the newsletter

TLOMA thanksIron Mountain

for providing storage

TLOMA thanks

for the productionof the newsletter

Don Allan Less than 20 Bus 416-369-7855 Fax 416-863-1009 Email dallandalelessmanncom

Cheryl Brass 100+ Bus 416-862-6671 Fax 416-862-6666 Email cbrassoslercom

Mirella Canavan 50 to 99 Bus 416-865-6673 Fax 416-865-6636 Email mcanavangardiner-robertscom

Jan Chaffay Less than 20 Bus 416-860-8023 Fax 416-362-3757 Email jchaffayhouserhenrycom

Rose Devoe 21 to 49 Bus 416-581-8210 Fax 416-596-0592 Email rdevoebelltemplecom

Agnes Kawka Vice Chair (100+) Bus 416-862-3442 Fax 416-361-2387 Email agneskawkafmc-lawcom

Simone MacIsaac 50 to 99 Bus 416-777-5450 Fax 888-683-6539 Email smacisaactorkinmanescom

Janice Rooney Chair 100+ Bus 416-863-4527 Fax 416-361-2387 Email janicerooneyfmc-lawcom

John Rudell Less than 20 Bus 416-361-2909 Fax 416-364-2190 Email jrudellgrosmancom

Jenny Tavares 100+ Bus 416-862-3632 Fax 416-369-7261 Email jennytavaresgowlingscom

2011 Compensation Benefits Committee

2011 Conference Committee

Chuck White Chair Bus 416-862-4716 Fax 416-862-6666 Email cwhiteoslercom

Sandra Hatcher-Maher Past Chair Bus 416-941-5854 Fax 416-863-1241 Email shatchermaheradairmorsecom

Roz Chasler Vice ChairVendors Bus 416-216-1884 Fax 416-216-3930 Email rozchaslernortonrosecom

Helen Lee Hotel Bus 416-982-3811 Fax 416-982-3801 Email hleelexcanadacom

Nancy Lio Marketing Bus 416-360-4739 Fax 888-683-2539 Email nliotorkinmanescom

Deborah Davids Social Bus 416-595-7948 Fax 416-595-8695 Email ddavidsmillerthomsoncom

Mary Lavis Todd Speakers Bus 416-367-1608 Fax 416-367-8821 Email mlavishughesamyscom


Presidentrsquos MessageBy Marsha Hempel

TLOMA 23rd Annual Conference ndash Climb the Summit to Success

Indeed our 2011 Conference reached the peak with great success If you missed this yearrsquos conference I would suggest you missed an excellent program of superb keynote speakers and workshops

Our opening keynote speaker Simon Sinek challenged us to discover ldquoWhyrdquo we do what we do To quote ldquoWhy are some people and organizations more innovative more influential and more profitable than others Why do some command greater loyalty from clients and employees alike Even among the successful why are so few able to repeat their successes over and overrdquo Have I peaked your interest I highly recommend that you read Simonrsquos book ndash START WITH WHY

The first TLOMA World Cafeacute hosted by Helen Wilkie was a productive brainstorming session for those who participated In true cafeacute fashion we used the placemats to write down and share our ideas and insights relating to three important questions often asked by our members

1 How can we inspire a positive mindset in staff

2 What are some methods to break the traditional lawyerrsquos mindset

3 How can we create an extraordinary managing partneradministrator team

With a large number of attendees as you can imagine the ideas were numerous and some were very creative A follow up to this workshop will take place in the form of a SIG meeting in the coming months Stay tuned

Laughter was the order of the morning with our closing keynote speaker Michael Kerr Michael first explained the importance and benefits of incorporating humour in our workplaces and while completely entertaining us provided several ways in which we can enhance productivity and loyalty with the help of humour This may be a challenge for many of us in a law firm environment but it is worth serious consideration

In addition several other workshops were conducted all of which provided tremendous educational value to our delegates

The Business PartnerDelegate dinner provided a relaxed atmosphere in which everyone was given the opportunity to socialize and strengthen relationships The Trade Show which followed the next day was a resounding success A special thanks to all of our Business Partners for their support

Needless to say this yearrsquos Conference was outstanding Sincere thanks and congratulations to Chuck White and the 2011 Conference Committee for a job well done Mark your calendars for the 2012 Conference at the Deerhurst Resort October 24 to 27 2012

Your TLOMA Board has begun to prepare objectives for 2012 As this process moves forward and the new Board members are affirmed we will keep you informed of our exciting plans the upcoming year

I look forward to seeing many of you at our December 2nd Holiday Networking Event at the St Andrews Club

Marsha Hempel2011 TLOMA President

Marsha Hempel

2011 PLATINUM SPONSOR


Corexpress


Digitcom



Epik Networks





Humanomics Inc

Infoware

Interior Care Ltd


Medcan Clinic


nQueue Billback LLC



Robert Half Legal




Strone

Talent Checker Inc


Terryberry







Trafalgar Group Inc

Unity Telecom



Blizzard Courier


ImageOn Toronto










Allstream







Cyberbahn

ESI Technologies


Just Good Taste



Oncorp Direct Inc


Pitney Bowes Canada

Purchasing b2b



The Hiring Partner


Worldlynx Wireless

















































DriveSafely Pro







Bubble Bash






Shazam Encore












2011 GOLD SPONSOR












2011 SILVER SPONSOR















2011 SILVER SPONSOR

















2011 SILVER SPONSOR













2011 GOLD SPONSOR








Five Myths Debunked






2011 SILVER SPONSOR






The Secret






































ARCHIVES












2011 TLOMA












New Members List
















May 2012 - May 2 2012






TLOMA thanks






















Corexpress


Digitcom



Epik Networks





Humanomics Inc

Infoware

Interior Care Ltd


Medcan Clinic


nQueue Billback LLC



Robert Half Legal




Strone

Talent Checker Inc


Terryberry







Trafalgar Group Inc

Unity Telecom



Blizzard Courier


ImageOn Toronto










Allstream







Cyberbahn

ESI Technologies


Just Good Taste



Oncorp Direct Inc


Pitney Bowes Canada

Purchasing b2b



The Hiring Partner


Worldlynx Wireless

















































DriveSafely Pro







Bubble Bash






Shazam Encore












2011 GOLD SPONSOR












2011 SILVER SPONSOR















2011 SILVER SPONSOR

















2011 SILVER SPONSOR













2011 GOLD SPONSOR








Five Myths Debunked






2011 SILVER SPONSOR






The Secret






































ARCHIVES












2011 TLOMA












New Members List
















May 2012 - May 2 2012






TLOMA thanks






















Blizzard Courier


ImageOn Toronto










Allstream







Cyberbahn

ESI Technologies


Just Good Taste



Oncorp Direct Inc


Pitney Bowes Canada

Purchasing b2b



The Hiring Partner


Worldlynx Wireless

















































DriveSafely Pro







Bubble Bash






Shazam Encore












2011 GOLD SPONSOR












2011 SILVER SPONSOR















2011 SILVER SPONSOR

















2011 SILVER SPONSOR













2011 GOLD SPONSOR








Five Myths Debunked






2011 SILVER SPONSOR






The Secret






































ARCHIVES












2011 TLOMA












New Members List
















May 2012 - May 2 2012






TLOMA thanks





































































DriveSafely Pro







Bubble Bash






Shazam Encore












2011 GOLD SPONSOR












2011 SILVER SPONSOR















2011 SILVER SPONSOR

















2011 SILVER SPONSOR













2011 GOLD SPONSOR








Five Myths Debunked






2011 SILVER SPONSOR






The Secret






































ARCHIVES












2011 TLOMA












New Members List
















May 2012 - May 2 2012






TLOMA thanks






















Shazam Encore












2011 GOLD SPONSOR












2011 SILVER SPONSOR















2011 SILVER SPONSOR

















2011 SILVER SPONSOR













2011 GOLD SPONSOR








Five Myths Debunked






2011 SILVER SPONSOR






The Secret






































ARCHIVES












2011 TLOMA












New Members List
















May 2012 - May 2 2012






TLOMA thanks
































2011 SILVER SPONSOR















2011 SILVER SPONSOR

















2011 SILVER SPONSOR













2011 GOLD SPONSOR








Five Myths Debunked






2011 SILVER SPONSOR






The Secret






































ARCHIVES












2011 TLOMA












New Members List
















May 2012 - May 2 2012






TLOMA thanks



































2011 SILVER SPONSOR

















2011 SILVER SPONSOR













2011 GOLD SPONSOR








Five Myths Debunked






2011 SILVER SPONSOR






The Secret






































ARCHIVES












2011 TLOMA












New Members List
















May 2012 - May 2 2012






TLOMA thanks





































2011 SILVER SPONSOR













2011 GOLD SPONSOR








Five Myths Debunked






2011 SILVER SPONSOR






The Secret






































ARCHIVES












2011 TLOMA












New Members List
















May 2012 - May 2 2012






TLOMA thanks

































2011 GOLD SPONSOR








Five Myths Debunked






2011 SILVER SPONSOR






The Secret






































ARCHIVES












2011 TLOMA












New Members List
















May 2012 - May 2 2012






TLOMA thanks
























Five Myths Debunked






2011 SILVER SPONSOR






The Secret






































ARCHIVES












2011 TLOMA












New Members List
















May 2012 - May 2 2012






TLOMA thanks






















































ARCHIVES












2011 TLOMA












New Members List
















May 2012 - May 2 2012






TLOMA thanks


























May 2012 - May 2 2012






TLOMA thanks





















november 2011 - tloma

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