Identify your LNC core values – every person has core values, even if they don’t consciously acknowledge them. Core values are those fundamental ethical beliefs and practices by which you live your life personally and professionally.
If you’ve never considered your LNC core values before, take some time to think about them and jot them down. These are your ethical beliefs, those beliefs of right vs. wrong. You will likely identify many core beliefs but prioritize your core values for business purposes.
Identifying your core LNC values will help you when you face the challenges of working with trial attorneys who ask you do to unethical things:
- Say what they need you to say so the attorney can win the case (even if you do not believe it is true.)
- Apply unused money from one case to another one
- Instead of raising your rates, charge more hours than you actually put in
- Call the defendant and pretend you are someone else so that you can get inside information about what happened
I’ve been asked to do all of these things. You have to be able to look yourself in the eye and feel great about the decisions you make.
Knowing and understanding WHY you started your business and your company’s purpose in the grand scheme of life will help you prioritize your projects and clients so you can say yes or no more easily.
Remember Why
Think deeply about each answer for the most impact instead of giving the cursory surface answer. Be specific and add as many details or explanations as possible.
- Why did you start this LNC business?
- What do you hope to accomplish with it, ultimately?
- What are you here to say? Who are you here to impact?
- What do you value most in your life? Think about large-scale values like integrity, honesty, etc., and what you value daily.
- What do you want your legacy to be?
Does this feel a little deep for you? Did you start your LNC business to make money and support your family? There’s no harm in that answer!
Many people jump into legal nurse consulting without thinking about their legacy. They want to pay their living expenses.
Going Deeper
When you go deep, you open yourself up to a transformation.
If your ultimate goal is to build schools in Africa or help local unwed mothers in your town, how much will those BIG goals motivate you?
Will you leave bed and start late because you don’t feel like working?
Or will you start your day excited because those unwed mothers or African children seriously need your help?
Those are just random examples. Choose something close to your heart for maximum impact.
The answers to these questions can help you decide what to say yes to and no. There are seasons in business when it’s super important to say yes a lot.
For example, when you’re new to legal nurse consulting and unsure what value and service you provide others, you can say yes to more opportunities that come your way. This also applies when you’re unclear on who you serve.
Once you’re a few years into business and beginning to feel “booked,” it’s time to start running every opportunity through a litmus test.
Opportunities can mean everything from a new potential lead to a speaking opportunity to a coffee date invitation to a meeting request. They can also be ideas YOU have that you’re unsure if you should act on, such as creating an online course.
Opportunities
For each opportunity that comes your way, start asking yourself the following questions:
- Does this opportunity align with my core values? (Revisit yours from above)
- Will this advance my career or business? Will it bring me closer to my legacy?
- Will this task/assignment/client/project feel meaningful to me?
- What purpose will this serve–in my life and the greater good?
- Would saying NO be a wrong choice?
- Do I have the bandwidth for this at this moment? Could I revisit it at a later date?
- Could my time or energy be better spent elsewhere at this time?
- Do I have to do this? Could someone else take on part – or all – of this for me? (i.e., a team member, contractor, etc.)
- What do my intuition and gut say? Do I get a constrictive or expansive feeling in my body when I think about the opportunity? What do I have to do to bring it to fruition?
- Do I truly want to take this opportunity – or do I feel obligated? Is this something I truly wish to do or should you want?
The answers to the above questions should help you decide whether you have the time, energy, time, and motivation to take on the task. As a general rule, say yes when the opportunity will stretch you, when you have the time to do so, AND when you have the desire.
Consider Your LNC Core Values
Also, consider if it makes sense for the long game/big picture of your business, your life, or both. Making decisions with the long game in mind will help you stop saying ‘yes’ because of people-pleasing or fear of missing out. This is about learning to say YES to what nourishes and moves you toward your goals and NO to anything else.
When a group of legal nurse consultants were discussing the idea of writing a book about legal nurse consulting, I knew their project needed a strong editor to coordinate the work. I had those skills, knew how much work was involved, but did not have an allegiance to that group of people. I did not volunteer for the role.
Just because you can do something does not mean you should do it.
Be sure to consider your personal needs here, too, because the better you care for yourself, the better you can serve others! Stress is a killer and leads to other illnesses, and saying ‘no’ helps reduce that stress. Also, remember that you don’t need to explain your reasons; no is a complete sentence.
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It’s also important to remember that choosing quality over quantity is okay. Being “fully committed and not able to take on any more cases” is great – but only if your clients are being served at the level you’d like to serve them. It may be time to start working with LNC subcontractors.
Your “ideal” number of clients might look different than someone else’s, and at the end of the day, your workload should always allow you to show up as your best self to give your clients the best chance at results.
Boundaries also provide you with time to tend to your best self. Take care of yourself first; you’ll have the energy and mental bandwidth to care for others.
Pat Iyer is president of The Pat Iyer Group, which develops resources to assist LNCs in obtaining more clients, making more money, and achieving their business goals and dreams.
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