Is Your Listening Tuned to the Right Station?
“There is no such thing as a worthless conversation, provided you know what to listen for.”
—James Nathan Miller, Author
Many people think effective communication is simply choosing the right words to say. I submit, however, that poor listening skills create the biggest barrier to good communication.
Effective communicators listen attentively, but even attentive listeners can go astray. If a radio is not finely tuned to the right station, the reception gets garbled. Similarly, to fully understand a speaker’s message, a listener must properly tune in to the purpose of the speaking.
By way of illustration, most of us have whined about a frustrating problem at some point. We often know what to do about our problem, but we want to complain first in the hope of garnering some sympathy. Our frustration increases when listeners respond with suggested solutions to the problem. That wasn’t the kind of listening we wanted.
Many listeners miscue about the appropriate kind of listening required because most of us have a preferred approach that we use until we understand that something else is needed. We need to switch listening approaches to fit various situations.
Research has identified the following five common approaches to listening. By understanding the purpose of different approaches, you can learn to adapt your preferred style to the type most appropriate for particular circumstances. Read more
Post Date: January 26, 2012
CLE – Just Ethics: “Leveraging Social Media in a Law Practice… and Ethical Obstacles to Avoid”
January 13, 2012
South Texas College of Law
Emilie Slohm Room
12:00pm – 1:00 pm
Leveraging Social Media in a Law Practice… and Ethical Obstacles to Avoid
Presented by Debra Bruce
Attorneys use social media for many purposes. Some uses, such as improving jury selection, investigating cases, and impeaching witnesses are designed to help the attorney with his/her litigation practice. Other uses, such as building client relationships, finding a job, and informing the public about issues result in more practice-related benefits. Finally, attorneys use social media to better serve their clients and simply to keep in touch with friends. In this interactive session of Just Ethics, Debra Bruce will alert attendees to what (and where) the ethical boundaries are before they overstep them.
Accredited for 1.0 hour of participatory credit, including 1.0 hour of legal ethics.
Post Date: January 12, 2012
Electronic Briefs: Hyperlinking Your Way to A Positive Outcome
by Cathy L. Ribble
A few months ago, one of my attorney clients called on his way home from a hearing to discuss the briefing schedule the judge had outlined for our case. The judge had also clearly indicated his preference for electronic briefs with hyperlinks to the cited legal authorities. I docketed the briefing deadline and began to research the additional steps required to provide the judge exactly what he wanted.
The first step for any litigation project is Read more
Post Date: January 12, 2012
Debra’s Speaking at the HBA Labor & Employment Law Section
Debra will be speaking at the HBA Labor & Employment Law Section on Monday December 12th from 11:30am – 1:00pm on “Social Media Issues in Employment Law” (includes .25 hours ethics credit) at the Magnolia Hotel: 1100 Texas Ave., Houston, Texas 77002
Cost: $30 for section members and law students, $35 for non-members or persons without an advance reservation. See more info here.
RSVP by 11:00 a.m. on December 7 to Anel Valdez at anel.valdez@jacksonlewis.com. No phone calls please.
Seating is limited and valet parking is available for $7.00; first 30 participants will receive free valet when requested. If you make a reservation and do not attend, you are expected to pay the cost of the lunch unless you cancel by 11:00 a.m. on December 7.
Post Date: December 8, 2011