If you don’t already do so, make some time each week for TED.com. Amongst many of TED’s “ideas worth spreading”, is Dan Pink on the surprising science of motivation:
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Managing Your Law Firm With Carrots And Sticks
While there are certainly many law firm tasks that require the narrowed focus that the carrot and stick provide, there are many other situations that require a different approach. It’s not that the carrot and stick approach is inherently wrong, the issue is that it is overly used and misapplied.
The Reward and Punishment Approach To Practicing Law
It would seem, on the surface, that our adversarial system of justice demands those in the legal profession to approach problems with the “carrot and stick” mentality. However, more and more collaborative-based approaches to the practice of law are finding success.
So, next time you find yourself “sweetening the carrot” or “sharpening the stick” with your staff or adversary, try to find intrinsic incentives that foster autonomy. Who knows, maybe your firm’s “20 percent time” will revolutionize the management of law firms or even the entire practice of law.
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