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If your interest is piqued by this article\u2019s title, you are likely Type A \u2014 someone who loves and lives or wants to level-up their to-do list.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m sorry to disappoint you, but that\u2019s not what this article is about.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a different kind of list that I have found even more powerful in my career as a lawyer: a \u201cWhat I\u2019ve Done\u201d list or \u201cDone-List\u201d for short.<\/p>\n
Wait. What?<\/p>\n
Isn\u2019t a \u2018Done-List\u2019 Just a Resume or Curriculum Vitae?<\/h2>\n
No, it\u2019s not.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not brief.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not a summary.<\/p>\n
What Is a Done-List?<\/h2>\n
It is literally a working list of the work you\u2019ve done \u2014 a data-dump-like tool that you update regularly (at least monthly, although weekly is probably better).<\/p>\n
What goes on that list \u2014 what you deem worthy of listing \u2014 depends on where you practice, what your employer values, or what will you give satisfaction or fulfillment whenever you review what you\u2019ve \u2026 done.<\/p>\n
Before I share the how, here\u2019s the why.<\/p>\n
1. Use the Done-List to Demonstrate Your Value<\/h2>\n
In my experience, most employers have some kind of review process, usually on an annual basis. The process usually includes an area for self-evaluation.<\/p>\n
Is it just me, or is it really, really hard to remember what you did yesterday, much less over the last year?<\/p>\n
And here\u2019s the kicker: If it\u2019s hard for you<\/em> to remember what you did, much less did well, over an entire year, don\u2019t you think it\u2019s even harder for a partner or associate general counsel who manages other associates or counsel?<\/p>\n Enter my first impetus for the Done-List.<\/p>\n If I wanted to stand out as a great associate,<\/strong> I knew I needed to be able to advocate my own value. The only way to do so was to know what I did so I could give context to the hours I billed.<\/p>\n Was 25% of my 1,900 minimum billable hours all document review, or was it writing dispositive motions and preparing for depositions?<\/p>\n Context also matters when you fall short.<\/p>\n Ready for some tea?<\/p>\n The year I was president of the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, I missed meeting my billable hours by about 100 hours. But I tracked my bar service hours, pro bono hours, and business development hours (I had over 3,000 hours total, just 1,800 billable). And because I advocated for myself about the positive branding I had brought to the firm and myself from using my Done-List, the Associates Committee didn\u2019t ding me. I still got moved up with my peers.<\/p>\n That\u2019s how powerful the Done-List can be.<\/p>\n This is still relevant if you\u2019re a government attorney or in-house, <\/strong>presuming you have an annual review and have to show your value to someone.<\/p>\n I\u2019m in-house now, and, while I don\u2019t have to bill, I choose to track my hours and use a Done-List. When it\u2019s performance review time, I can advocate with confidence the value I\u2019ve brought, the projects I\u2019ve completed. Sometimes it is a numbers game \u2014 I\u2019ve resolved X number of disputes or trained X number of people. If numbers don\u2019t give enough context, then I can turn to substance \u2014 share that I\u2019ve had several speaking engagements or that I\u2019ve been a good corporate citizen through the pro bono committee.<\/p>\n I can do all that with ease and less time by referring to my Done-List instead of racking my brain at the end of the year.<\/p>\n I also see the Done-List as a tool to mitigate implicit or unconscious bias.<\/strong> Science says we (including the people who grade us) all have bias \u2014 whether confirmation or recency<\/a> or attribution. Consider how helpful you are when you give your grader an intentionally cultivated list for convenience as they consider your performance (presuming your organization\u2019s culture is one where this is acceptable). Maybe that partner just came off a trial with a different associate and hadn\u2019t worked with you but for one case that resolved earlier in the year. Wouldn\u2019t a high-level recap \u2014 \u201cThis is what I worked on in X case with you, what I wrote, what I did, and remember the client emailed you about how great I am?\u201d \u2014 be helpful?<\/p>\n This may not be as helpful to those who are keenly self-aware, but for me, I struggled with knowing what I uniquely brought to the table. As a baby lawyer, I felt like I just didn\u2019t know anything. So how I possibly have a brand?<\/p>\n Having the Done-List to use for reflection helped me become more aware of the experience I was getting, whether I was developing niches in my practice. By the time I was up for shareholder, I understood what my pitch would be.<\/p>\n This is also relevant to networking, branding on social media, pitching for business or a job application or interview.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve read my blog post \u201cIt\u2019s Not a Race\u201d<\/a> on TheMeybe.com, you know I think one of the most important things baby lawyers can do is focus on growing their skills. The Done-List is a great reference sheet for figuring out what experience you have and what experiences you may want to try to get.<\/p>\n Look, I know that as an associate, one of the most frustrating parts of your status is the lack of control. But if you know that you\u2019re ready to take a deposition, it\u2019s easier to make the pitch by saying, \u201cI\u2019ve prepared X number of shareholders for depositions, I\u2019ve observed X many, I\u2019ve defended X many and I\u2019m ready to take one. Can you keep me in mind for the next one?\u201d<\/p>\n If you haven\u2019t done the StrengthsFinder<\/a> assessment, consider it. We can talk about why in another post. One of the talents that I have (and I have found many lawyers have) is \u201cAchiever.\u201d It\u2019s that constant urge to do, to execute, to do more and better, every day. It\u2019s a great talent to have. But when it is overused, it\u2019s exhausting and can lead to burnout and unhappiness. That\u2019s because our to-do lists will never end, and the satisfaction of getting stuff done is never felt.<\/p>\n This is where the Done-List can be beneficial for your mental health. When you can see all that you have done, it may help you celebrate \u2014 or at least you can give yourself a break.<\/p>\n No rocket science here.<\/p>\n It really does depend on your job. Also, what you track may change year to year as you get better at knowing what is valuable to your firm or company or yourself.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s say you\u2019re an employment litigator. Maybe you want to keep track of pleadings, agency position statements, non-dispositive and dispositive motions, discovery you\u2019ve drafted \u2014 both how many and in what cases. The same goes for depositions \u2014 how many you\u2019ve outlined, watched, taken or defended. Consider hearings, bench or jury trials, arbitrations.<\/p>\n Maybe it\u2019s helpful to keep track of the partners or shareholders you work for because you have a goal of working for every single one (because then they know you when it\u2019s time for elevation).<\/p>\n Because I\u2019m in-house, I keep track of the number of disputes I oversee and resolve, the number of trainings I give, the projects I work on and complete \u2014 as well as the community work I do, the boards I\u2019m on and any speaking engagements. I also keep track of my happiest clients, in case my AGC asks for referrals.<\/p>\n Finally, once you decide what you want to keep track of, you have to do it regularly. I schedule 30 minutes every week to make sure I do it. If I\u2019m really swamped, I\u2019ll snooze or dismiss until the next week. But the key is being consistent, so it\u2019s not too hard to try to remember over a longer period.<\/p>\n Of course, you could just put your Done-List on your to-do list if that works better for you.<\/p>\n Teddy Snyder<\/strong>, author of\u00a0Women Rainmaker\u2019s Best Marketing Tips<\/em>, has designed a journal that is ideal for tracking marketing and BD activities, ideas and inspiration. Undated pages give you the flexibility to start today.<\/p>\n Image \u00a9 iStockPhoto.com. <\/p>\n2. Use the Done-List to Cultivate Your Brand<\/strong><\/h2>\n
3. Use the Done-List as a Diagnostic to Build Your Skills<\/strong><\/h2>\n
4. Use the Done-List for Personal Fulfillment<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Now for the \u2018How\u2019 of Making Lists<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/figure>\nLawyer\u2019s Marketing Journal<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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