Leading the Way - December 2009
In This Issue:
Motivate ↔ Inspire ↔ Stimulate ↔ Prompt ↔ Encourage ↔ Egg‑on ↔ Induce ↔ Cause ↔ Trigger‑off ↔ Provoke
What do these words have in common? For those of you who are wordsmiths, you probably know the answer. For those of you who are not (like me) – the words above are synonyms of each other.
By definition, the root of the word motivate is “motive” defined by Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary as something (as a need or desire) that causes a person to act.
Get Organized
In our current economy, many organizations and business places are being downsized in staff, but not in workload. As more and more work is being placed on the individuals left, stress levels rise.
Getting everything done that needs to be done in your office or at your
desk can be overwhelming, and looking at the work as a whole can stymie
your progress. Getting organized can really alleviate some of the angst
that comes along with a heavy work load.
The first thing that you can do is make a list of your responsibilities.
Once you have your list, prioritize your jobs. When you come into your
workplace in the morning, try to complete each task on the list from top
to bottom. If responding to e-mails is #1 on your list, try to go through
all of them within the first half of an hour of being at work. The urgent
matters should be completed first and then work down the list accordingly.
Eventually, this will become routine and anything that you do “routinely”
will be accomplished more effectively. In addition, you will be more focused
on completing the tasks.
Membership
Every chapter is focused on building their new member numbers. We have to constantly think outside the box to attract new members of all ages. But don’t forget the members we already have.
NALS Foundation
This time of year finds me remembering the legend of a desert wanderer who happened upon a spring of cool, crystal-clear water. The water was so delightful he decided to take the king a sample. Barely quenching his own thirst, the wandered filled his leather canteen and began his journey.
Certification - You Can Make the Time!
Certification. No one who has taken any of the NALS certification exams will tell you it is easy. It takes a lot of work to study and prepare to take the exam. I’ve heard many people say they don’t know where they could find the time to study.
Becoming certified as an ALS, PLS or PP is as important a skill as learning new computer software programs to stay marketable in the workplace. Many states are now requiring paralegals or legal administrators to have a certain level of skills and education, and the future outlook is for certification.
Leadership Tools for Everyone
All of us are leaders whether or not we recognize ourselves as such. Someone is watching what we do and deciding whether to emulate or reject our actions. We become better leaders through our NALS training and share common goals with all of our members, one of which is the success of our association.