Survival of the misfit John Hodge Title intrigue Emerged Better not to use firm logo Traditional perfect image John Hodge

Important to project image internally and externally Cool calm Knows everything Anything you entrust to him/her will be done well US image

Most cases is done well But is it always the case

Never see this in firm’s publicity Problems when life gets on top of us Pressures of life Make us feel under attack Problem of believing our publicity that we are infallible

What causes the problems Mistakes Misunderstandings Slights Pressure of work Colleagues Clients I am not guy who is perfect – let us look at the issues which cause problems All these lead to pressures Got to learn to deal with times when we are the successful lawyer and also when up against it.

Success or failure If you can meet with triumph and disaster And treat these two impostors the same Kipling Do we recognise triumph and disaster – success and failure as impostors To do so need a wider view of life Danger of seeing our life as our work - makes the problems a much bigger issue

Need a wider view of life But can be compartmentalised Detail compartments Need a wider world view but not a compartmentalised view Danger of adapting to the culture of the compartment

Christian World view Know that I am not perfect and like everyone else a flawed being World does not centre round me Here to serve Three key aspects Why I am in the law What motivates money Service prestige recognition Service important in that not centre on me Does that mean that I do not have problems perfect life and float through it

Depression Spiralling downwards Why cause centre on self

What can I do ? God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Reinhold Niebuhr Don’t define yourself as the job – if that gets attack loose your identity Far greater – in Christian context other faiths And none – family Somethings cannot be changed – others can What we control most is ourselves and we can do something about how we react to situations

Practical issues Mistakes Misunderstandings Slights Pressure of work Colleagues Clients List of type of issues that arise

Mistakes Accept that it has happened Address the problem Actively deal with it. Car accidents Danger of coverup D&W incident Not hope it will go away and busy yourself with other things

Key Rule 1 Don’t avoid the difficult issues Applies not just to mistakes but also to all sorts of problems. Keep awake at night

Relationships

Misunderstandings Timing First move Real issue (CMH and broken femur) Need to tackle but allow time to calm down Making first move – strength not weakness Personal relations important Can be danger of being obsessed with job that not see people (CMH and broken femur)

Slights Wider vision – see things as they are What is important What will be remembered Realistic view of self Can be inflated What bin office politics is important Notepaper order

Pressure Discipline Prioritise Don’t procrastinate Timetable the unexpected Tackle big issues first remember key rule 1

Urgent Non urgent Important Non Important

Key Rule 2 Am I solving the problem or just moving paper RWB example Take a step back and analyse the situation – what is going to bring it to a solution/.

Colleagues Be yourself – not an image Treat others with respect Be open Then there is nothing to be found out! Huge field All colleagues

Clients Control expectations Give them confidence that you will reply Exceed expectations. Personal relations and performance Easy to promise everything and then not deliver

Key Rule 3 Be honest and realistic

Focus and context Not that I have already obtained all this, or have been made perfect but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of me. St Paul in Philippians 3 v12 Survival of the misfit Darwinianism means the fittest survive Perhaps not conform to image to survive Grateful for a working environment where that was allowed.

John Hodge Head of Charities Balfour+Manson LLP 28 October 2015 Survival of a Misfit John Hodge Head of Charities Balfour+Manson LLP 28 October 2015