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124
Tips for Having a Great Relationship
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Issue #20
Plug the Energy
Drains
by
Laurie Weiss, Ph.D.
“I don’t take
clients I don’t want, anymore.“ explained Katy Kurtz, when I
asked why she thought her professional life was finally “going
so well.” Katy, a family law attorney, had recently been over
stressed by managing several very difficult cases. In each of those
cases, the client had been both unrealistic about expectations,
ungrateful to Katy for her hard work, and reluctant to pay her bill.
As Katy had was assessing whether she wanted to continue in practice
after more than twenty years, she described the kind of clients she
enjoyed serving. “I like people who listen when I tell them what I
believe is possible to achieve in their cases and who keep their
agreements to provide materials and information I need—people who
take responsibility for themselves. I also like getting paid.”
Katy admitted that she had often accepted clients whom she felt had
been treated unfairly, and needed the kind of representation she could
provide, even when they did not meet her criteria. Often, in her
desire to help them, she ignored warning signals that the client could
not or would not cooperate in achieving a successful outcome.
It did not take her long to develop her own early warning system. She
has developed an ethical and respectful system to enable her to still
be helpful to clients she does not want to accept.
In one case she saw all the warning signs: two previous lawyers, a
necessary custody evaluation, the potential client who lived out of
state and could not afford to travel, and who was a victim of a
spiteful ex-husband. Katy decided that she would be willing to take
the case only if she was paid fairly for her work. She quoted a
realistic, but fairly large sum to take the case, and the client
said “no, thank you.”
To turn down another similar case, she told the potential client,
truthfully, “This is a very complicated and time consuming case. I
only handle one case like this at a time, and I have one now. I would
be happy to refer you to another attorney.” She made the referral,
and the potential client called back to thank her for her help.
Katy happily reported that she has more energy, is now enjoying the
clients she does have, is working fewer hours, and still running a
profitable practice.
Coaching Tip: It is often possible to increase energy and happiness by
eliminating an energy drain.
EXTRAS!!
NEW!!
The e-Booklet, 124 Tips for Having a Great Relationship,
is complete. You can download your copy immediately from HERE.
The print version will be available
October 1, 2002.
There is still time to register for
Laurie’s September 18 Teleclass, Stop Sabotaging Your Financial
Life: Discover How Much is Enough.
Register at www.teleclass.com,
Class #5747-3.
Empowerment Systems When
Change is the Challenge.
Jonathan
B. Weiss, Ph.D., and Laurie
Weiss, Ph.D., have helped thousands of people make significant
changes in their lives. Working together at Empowerment
Systems for 30 of their 42 years of marriage, they maintain a
coaching, consulting, and psychotherapy practice in Littleton,
Colorado, USA.
Copyright 2002, Empowerment Systems. Please feel
free to forward or reproduce this Newsletter for any purpose, as long
as you give detailed credit, including this copyright line; if you
reprint it in a publication, we request that you send us a complete
copy of it.
To subscribe or unsubscribe, send an e-mail to weiss@empowermentsystems.com
Are you a candidate for our 16-week Breakthrough
Process? It's for people who need to make a BIG change NOW.
Look on our website for more
information, or call us at 303-794-5379.
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