Keeping in touch and building bonds with people takes communication, patience and dedication. In business and in your personal life consistency in communication is a must. My guest today has a network of 5,000 lawyers to communicate with. She says that there are many ways to communicate with people if you take the time and put in the effort.
Lindsay Griffiths is the International Lawyers Network Director of Global Relationship Management. She works closely with the Network’s Executive Director on oversight and management of day to day operations of the ILN.
In her role, she develops and facilitates relationships among INL member firm lawyers at 90+ law firms in 67 countries. She seeks opportunities for member firms to build business and relationships while ensuring member participation in Network events and initiatives.
Today we talk about how relationships are needed at every level and what we do now can ensure that we have the best people around us later. We also chat about how her future promotion is affecting the people around her and how having a tribe of good people in your circle can keep you on track.
Show Notes
- [02:39] Lindsay Griffiths started her path to Global Relationship Management when she asked the Executive Director, her father, if she could work with him at ILN.
- [04:53] To maintain a good relationship with your members it takes consistency. You must know, like and trust each other for it to work.
- [06:09] Everyone is busy, prioritize what is important. When you make people feel important, they are more willing to create that level of business that is important to you.
- [08:05] In relationships with clients communication and responsiveness are key. Clients want to hear from you. Even if the news is bad, communicating the issues and having a plan to fix it is always better than silence.
- [11:48] They encourage everyone to use as many different types of communications as possible. There are 5,000 lawyers in the International Lawyers Network (ILN) all over the world, so many different types of communication are utilized.
- [13:26] They use all of the social media channels now, 10 years ago they only used LinkedIn. It’s been a long road but now there are lawyers even on Facebook.
- [14:32] Being a woman in a man's world is challenging some days. She says it’s harder in the US than it is internationally.
- [15:22] There is a women's group in the ILN, they just had their biggest showing at a conference, 30% of the attendees were women.
- [15:53] Lindsay is being promoted to Executive Director, there was some push back but the majority of people have been very supportive.
- [17:16] She feels like she has to prove herself but it just might be because she hasn’t really promoted herself the way men do. Because she is taking over from her father some might not think she can do it until she is in the role.
- [22:44] When men promote themselves they are seen as go-getters. When women promote themselves they are seen as showy or bragging too much.
- [24:50] She recommends that you have a very strong support network of women who want the best for you and will give you honest feedback. It can be very tough to find those kinds of women but keep looking because you will find your tribe.
- [27:03] Don’t be afraid to stop being friends with someone who isn’t a fit for you, if they don’t support you or have your best interests at heart you don’t need them.
- [29:52] She is a photographer so when she isn’t working she is taking pictures of animals and posting them on Instagram. She also enjoys crocheting hats for cancer patients because cancer has affected her family.
- [33:18] A fear of failure is what Lindsay says gets her up in the morning. She is a perfectionist and loves the idea of figuring out how to better help her lawyers collaborate and layer relationships.
- [35:52] Social media for her is about relationships if you are careful, it can be a good tool.
- [37:28] She spends about 2 hours a day on social media. She used to use it more but now she has someone managing social media for her.
- [38:24] She goes to at least one industry conference a year to keep up with the changes in the industry, she also reads a lot to see what other industries are doing to get ideas.
- [40:02] Lindsay’s advice for building and maintaining really important bonds is consistency, make sure the people you want to be close to are being communicated with on a daily basis, reach out, stay in touch so they know that they are a priority to you.
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