TLOMA Today

As I write this month’s message, I can’t help but reflect back to this time last year when COVID-19 became part of our daily life and our everyday vocabulary.  

During this pandemic, as Managers we have orientated our concern around how everyone in the firm is coping and strategizing their work-life balance while working remotely.  We are consistently researching, suggesting, and implementing initiatives to boost well-being, morale and productivity amongst our coworkers. However, in doing so, we tend to forget about a very important aspect of managing and supporting people, taking care of ourselves.

For many people, wellness may seem like a catch-all, buzz worthy, of the moment term that more aligns with natural food stores, yoga enthusiasts or annoying Instagram influencers. However, the World Health Organization has defined wellness as a state of complete physical, mental and social well being, which is a broad banner under which we can measure the entirety of our holistic health.

Overall, wellness is attributed to physical fitness, nutrition, happiness, relaxation, emotional balance, stress reduction, quality of life and spiritual health. Let’s break down how you can incorporate wellness practices into your daily life through three conduits: The Mind, Body and Soul.

Mind:

Wellness for the mind can be small strategies integrated into daily routine, beginning as a means of stress release into habit building. Here are a few examples:

Take time for yourself.

• This can be as simple as going for a walk, reading a book, knitting, taking a long bath, putting on headphones to listen to music.
• Meditation and breathing: the benefits of taking 10 minutes to be with yourself; sitting in quiet, breathing, seeking stillness etc.
• Calm is a meditation, relaxation and sleep app. It is designed to provide the user with tools, techniques to take control and care of their mental well being, https://www.calm.com/blog/.
• Headspace is a UK based company dedicated to Meditation, Mindfulness, Sleep and Stress. Much like Calm, there are beginner tutorials on meditation, exercises for breathing, sleep meditations and much much more. https://www.headspace.com/work.
• Netflix recently partnered with Headspace to provide a twenty minute, eight episode limited series as an introduction to meditation, https://www.netflix.com/ca/title/81280926.

Body

Food is the fuel for your body, and what you eat matters. We all remember our youth when our bodies readily digested any and all high caloric foods with ease and without protest. Nowadays, our body cries out for spinach, fresh fruit & vegetables and lean protein, because that is the fuel it has become attuned to. Our bodies are all different and respond differently, therefore any and all change in diet and lifestyle should be preceded by a nutrition or doctor’s consultation.

• How to do this – look into Noom and Weight Watchers, two popular healthy eating promotional services that look at your lifestyle and seek to make holistic changes.
• Dieticians of Canada website contains a dearth and breadth of knowledge, including tools to evaluate your dietary needs, https://www.dietitians.ca/.
• A few healthy eating recipe sites that have proven immensely useful for me are Eating Well, Joyful Healthy Eats and Skinny Taste. Links are available in the Appendix, https://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/.
  
  

Physical activity and wellbeing go hand in hand with nutrition; as fuel is necessary to keep our engines running, physical activity is the bodily maintenance, our holistic version of rust proofing, oil changes and tire rotation. The pandemic has made consistent physical activity another hurdle to overcome, so here a couple suggestions to try out:

• Go for a walk
• Yoga and Mobility
• Down Dog is a yoga app, https://www.downdogapp.com/ and it allows for a multitude of options and variance in yoga class types (hatha, yin, vinyasa, even chair/desk yoga) and length (little as 5 minutes to a full 90).
• Nike Training Club (NTC) is a free workout app, incorporating mobility, strength, cardio and HIIT (high intensity interval training), and yoga. The app can tailor your workouts for your current activity level, equipment restrictions (ranging from no equipment workouts to some and all equipment) and time available for workouts, https://www.nike.com/ca/ntc-app.

Soul:

Soul incorporates the most intimate aspect to holistic health, which in tune makes it the most difficult to fulfill; what can you do to best service your own essence? The solution for you may be drastically different from your partner’s or coworkers, thus, find what speaks to your needs. That being said, here are a few suggestions:

• Journaling: this practice allows you to put pen to paper on the many thoughts, ideas and emotions that can expand and clutter your mind over a day, week, month or year. Writing out a problem may help you express it differently, offering you insight on a problem that has been a nuisance. Some journals are free flowing, empty pages to be filled with whatever you need, and there are guided journals, where you are forced to consider what you’re grateful for, what your goals are, intentions for the day.
  
  
  • Indigo Canada has a full section dedicated to Wellness; books on the subject, different kinds of journals that may fit your needs.

    https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/wellness/?link-usage=Header%3A%20Wellness&mc=Wellness&lu=Mai

• Therapy: the benefits of talking to a professional, having someone listen to you without interruption, to be heard, and to seek a positive outlet for stress, are immeasurable. It is an act of courage to reach out and ask for help; because it is only when we are afraid and scared that we can be brave. Please consult your EAP benefits should you need an outlet to find help. MindBeacon is a free therapy service, providing guidance, resources and options to those in need, https://www.mindbeacon.com/.
  
  

Other forms of soulful therapy can include social engagement; in person if possible, or as we’ve grown accustomed, over Zoom:

• Schedule social visits with coworkers over Zoom!
• Speak with family and friends on a regular basis; make phone calls or a zoom instead of texts!
• Cooking: try a new recipe with the family! Get the family involved in meal preparation! Engage in digital dinner parties; you and your friends try cooking the same thing for dinner over Zoom! Take cooking classes from celebrity chefs.
• Peruse your interests, develop new hobbies, try learning a new skill or language!
• Listen to self improvement podcasts; there new shows dropping every day, find one that works for you!
  
  

These are a mere handful of options available to help us be mindful of our own mental health and well being. Maybe some of these suggestions don’t work for you, but lead you to what does, because that’s all that matters, to provide the spark that will set the blaze of change.

On a personal note, I have the enormous benefit of being able to consult my son on this subject matter. He has long advocated the practice of meditation and mindfulness, along with nutrition and physical activity, to battle against anxiety and depression that have plagued him for years. I am grateful he was able to contribute his insight and experience to this newsletter for our collective benefit.

I wish you good health and peace!

Here’s your upcoming March events; be sure to register:

Mar 09, 2021 - TLOMA Technology SIG Event - Reflecting on the Law Firm of the Future
Mar 11, 2021 - Virtual Networking Event - Build Your TLOMA Connections (Members only)
Mar 17, 2021 - TLOMA Marketing SIG Event - What Can You Expect and What Range Should You Pay Your Marketing Vendors?
Mar 23, 2021 - TLOMA Human Resources Event - Cultivating Resilience: How to be proactive in managing stress & burnout in the legal industry.

Namaste,
Bernice

The Law Office Management Association (TLOMA) and Normandin Beaudry are pleased to officially invite you to participate in the 2021 edition of our compensation surveys.

This year, we are conducting the following surveys:

• Total Rewards Survey
  • Provides information on HR policies and practices, group benefits and pension plans.
• Business Services Compensation Survey
• Associate Compensation Survey

A quick and simple experience

Two additions to the 2021 edition which will allow you to complete the surveys quickly and simply:

• Compensation section
  • For the participants who completed the 2020 edition, your new questionnaire will include all the matches completed in the last survey which will save significant efforts during the matching process.
• Group Benefits and Pension sections:
  • Participants will only have to send Normandin Beaudry their group benefits and pension plan brochures along with their questionnaire. With the information received, those sections will be mainly completed by Normandin Beaudry’s experts.

Your experience, our priority

As usual, our main objective remains to offer a seamless participant experience, while providing high quality and reliable market data. This year again, the following features will be available:

• User-friendly questionnaires, including all the relevant information required for the participation
• Improved job level descriptions to simplify the job matching process
• Optimized report layouts
• Online secure platform from which you will be able to retrieve all the necessary documents to complete the survey and download the survey results

For more information about the surveys or to confirm your participation, please contact Normandin Beaudry at tloma@nbac.ca. You may also refer to the 2021 TLOMA Compensation Surveys Pricing Structure for more information.

Finally, we would like to invite you to subscribe to the online survey launch session on April 7, 2021, at noon via the following link:

Normandin Beaudry will present the content covered by each survey and provide tips on how to complete the surveys efficiently.

We look forward to your participation! 

Being Superhuman

Value is a measure of worth and oftentimes has nothing to do with cost; it pertains to trust and faith

“If we’ve learned anything from this pandemic, it’s that we’ve had to shed our professional armour and get real,” said I in The Globe and Mail on October 23, 2020. My statement was true then and remains so now. That’s because nothing is more important than being your true self to yourself and to those with whom you work, casting aside detritus and nonsense that no longer works and perhaps never did.

In his office at Imperial Oil’s former headquarters in Toronto, my father had a piece of heavy pipe – L-shaped, about 10 inches in diameter and weighing 80 pounds – that, reportedly, had been part of the TransCanada pipeline. It was positioned as an upside-down L with the long part, which was two feet in length, appearing to go into the floor and the short part, about a foot long, into a wall. A handle at the elbow could be lifted, turned and dropped, landing with a satisfying clang. This contraption was within easy reach of his desk and did nothing — or so I thought until I asked him what it was. He replied, “It's my bullshit extractor.”

After he died, his “bullshit extractor” held pride of place in every office I occupied for years. The number of times that I muttered “bullshit” and lifted, turned and dropped the extractor’s handle are countless. Whenever I “flushed” I’d laugh and feel immensely better.

Keeping It Real

I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen, heard and experienced less BS during the pandemic than in, well, forever. Perhaps this is because coping with uncertainty is enabling many of us to shed facades and be our authentic selves.

Being real is manifesting itself in how law firms, legal companies and lawyers behave in markets key to their expertise, experience, strengths and interests.  While the bottom line remains important, personal fulfillment in professional life is playing a more prominent role.

In many cases, being real is resulting in the replacement of swagger and strut with humility and sensitivity. This doesn’t mean appearing on Zoom looking like you’ve just washed the car. Instead, it signals the annexing of verbosity and eliminating over-embellishment, from personal behaviour to marketing fluff and puffery. No one was ever impressed by it or believed it anyway.

Superhuman Traits

Being human means that we’re not perfect, and perhaps it’s our imperfections that make us interesting, attractive and approachable. If so, that’s a blessing, and may answer why authenticity and character are so very important.

Our unique streaks are the essence of our personal brand. Everyone has a personal brand, which is who you are at your core. The ability to be your unique self and comfortable in your own skin, along with having the fortitude to consistently be who you are at the best of times and, most importantly, the worst of times, helps others invest their confidence in you as a person.

Being superhuman means being true to your own values, having belief in your own perspectives and insights, listening with open ears, heart and mind, sharing stories that move others, and offering constructive ideas and actions. It also means being consistent and intentional about choosing pursuits that matter to you and for which you are best suited.

Trust, Faith And Rapport

Last year, due to the pandemic, many firms cranked out client communications like sausages, delivering double what they usually produce in a year. Tellingly, the number of Requests for Proposals was roughly twice the usual volume.

That’s because clients were shopping around and will continue to do so. They are seeking value for money. Value is a measure of worth and oftentimes has nothing to do with cost. Instead, it pertains to trust and faith. Most often it’s about treasuring the characteristics of being superhuman.

Many years ago a top-notch boutique client firm of mine was the most expensive in the country. Still, many of its clients said they’d never leave because everyone they encountered at the firm — from receptionists and couriers to lawyers and their assistants — were nice. In addition to being highly regarded for expertise, clients found that being nice was a measure of worth and value for money.

There’s an old adage that people like to work with people they like. If ever there’s a time to capitalize on this by being superhuman, it’s now.

It is almost the first anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic.  And if there is one thing we have learned about Cloud-based computing in the past twelve months, it is no longer an emerging and disruptive technology.  It is mainstream and we use it every day whether we like it or not. 

And yet we often use the three Cs (Cool, Confusing and Cockamamie) to describe what we think about the two Cs (Cloud Computing).  These answers seem to imply, amongst other things, a generational divide and point to at least one age group which is being vaccinated against Covid-19 as we speak.

Undeniably, though, the Cloud is as confusing as it is real.  The name, Cloud, is a marketing term that implies something virtual, almost ethereal, an enigma.   In reality, Cloud is another word for Internet, Cloud-Based services are the same as On-Line Services and behind all that is a vast physical network connecting millions of servers.

Below is an attempt to explain the different types of Cloud and the most popular, for now, Cloud Computing Services in an effort, through better understanding, to ease you into accepting the inevitable: your journey to the cloud.

Cloud computing is storing or accessing programs, apps, and data via the internet—instead of directly on your computer’s hard drive. The most popular examples of cloud computing are Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)—most of which you can choose whether to set up in a public or private option. Cloud computing is giving rise to more as-a-service offerings including  AIaaS: AI as a service, DaaS: Desktop as a service, ITaaS: IT as a service, RaaS: Ransomware as a service (for those of you in possession of a dark side), which we may review at a later time.

Any cloud service consists of client-side systems or devices (PC, tablets, etc.) that are connected to the backend data center components. The components that constitute cloud infrastructure include Network, Hardware, Storage, Virtualization.

Individuals and companies alike both value the benefits of cloud computing, including:  Reducing complexity, improving security and compliance, optimizing development, trading CapEx for OpEx, simplifying planning for the future.

There are three types of Cloud:

Public Cloud:  Public clouds are the most common type of cloud computing deployment. The cloud resources (like servers and storage) are owned and operated by a third-party cloud service provider and delivered over the internet. With a public cloud, all hardware, software, and other supporting infrastructure are owned and managed by the cloud provider. Microsoft Azure is an example of a public cloud.  In a public cloud, you share the same hardware, storage, and network devices with other organizations or cloud “tenants,” and you access services and manage your account using a web browser. Public cloud deployments are frequently used to provide web-based email, online office applications, storage, and testing and development environments.

Advantages of public clouds include:

• Lower costs—no need to purchase hardware or software, and you pay only for the service you use.
  
  
• No maintenance—your service provider provides the maintenance.
  
  
• Near-unlimited scalability—on-demand resources are available to meet your business needs.
  
  
• High reliability—a vast network of servers ensures against failure.
  
  

Private Cloud:  A private cloud consists of cloud computing resources used exclusively by one business or organization. The private cloud can be physically located at your organization’s on-site datacenter, or it can be hosted by a third-party service provider. But in a private cloud, the services and infrastructure are always maintained on a private network and the hardware and software are dedicated solely to your organization.  In this way, a private cloud can make it easier for an organization to customize its resources to meet specific IT requirements. Private clouds are often used by government agencies, financial institutions, any other mid-size to large-size organizations with business-critical operations seeking enhanced control over their environment.

Advantages of a private cloud include:

• More flexibility—your organization can customize its cloud environment to meet specific business needs.
  
  
• More control—resources are not shared with others, so higher levels of control and privacy are possible.
  
  
• More scalability—private clouds often offer more scalability compared to on-premises infrastructure.
  
  

Hybrid Cloud:  A hybrid cloud is a type of cloud computing that combines on-premises infrastructure—or a private cloud—with a public cloud. Hybrid clouds allow data and apps to move between the two environments. Many organizations choose a hybrid cloud approach due to business imperatives such as meeting regulatory and data sovereignty requirements, taking full advantage of on-premises technology investment, or addressing low latency issues.

Advantages of the hybrid cloud:

• Control—your organization can maintain a private infrastructure for sensitive assets or workloads that require low latency.
  
  
• Flexibility—you can take advantage of additional resources in the public cloud when you need them.
  
  
• Cost-effectiveness—with the ability to scale to the public cloud, you pay for extra computing power only when needed.
  
  
• Ease—transitioning to the cloud doesn’t have to be overwhelming because you can migrate gradually—phasing in workloads over time.
  
  

The most popular examples of cloud computing are:

SaaS:  Software as a Service, also known as cloud application services, represents the most commonly utilized option for businesses in the cloud market. SaaS utilizes the internet to deliver applications, which are managed by a third-party vendor, to its users.  The majority of SaaS applications run directly through your web browser, which means they do not require any downloads or installations on the client side.  Popular examples of SaaS include NetDocuments, Dropbox, Salesforce, Cisco WebEx, SAP Concur, Zoom.

PaaS:  Cloud platform services, also known as Platform as a Service (PaaS), provide cloud components to certain software while being used mainly for applications. PaaS delivers a framework for developers that they can build upon and use to create customized applications. All servers, storage, and networking can be managed by the enterprise or a third-party provider while the developers can maintain management of the applications.  Popular examples of PaaS include  AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Windows Azure, Heroku, Force.com, Google App Engine, OpenShift.

IaaS:  Cloud infrastructure services, known as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), are made of highly scalable and automated compute resources. IaaS is fully self-service for accessing and monitoring computers, networking, storage, and other services. IaaS allows businesses to purchase resources on-demand and as-needed instead of having to buy hardware outright. Popular examples of IaaS include Microsoft Azure,   Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Compute Engine (GCE), Cisco Metacloud, DigitalOcean, Linode, Rackspace

SaaS vs PaaS vs IaaS:  Each cloud computing model offers specific features and functionalities, and your organization must understand the differences.  Whether you need cloud-based software for storage options, a smooth platform that allows you to create customized applications or complete control over your entire infrastructure without having to physically maintain it, there is a cloud service for you.  No matter which option you choose, migrating to the cloud is the future of business and technology.

Or, if you are like me, you will forget everything you read so far and choose XaaS: Everything as a Service, which combines all of the above into one easy to embrace cloud service.  Look it up, I am exhausted.  Bon chance!

Name: Mark Hunter

How long have you been a member of TLOMA? On and off since 2009.

Where do you work? Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP.

What do you enjoy most about working in the legal industry? Helping people achieve their goals whether it is a lawyer that is trying to build a practice or other professionals trying to expand their knowledge.

Describe a career accomplishment that you are particularly proud of: I remember being called a mentor for the first time and it struck me that I had made a difference in that person’s life. We are all capable of learning from one another and that individual had taught me as much as them. 

Where was the last place you vacationed? I am fortunate enough to have a place out of the city and with COVID we have used it more than ever. My last two pre-COVID trips were to Florida to visit Disney and travelling throughout France.

What is your favorite sports team? No questions about it, I am a homer. Go Leafs, Raptors, Jays and TFC!

What are your favorite hobbies? I try to be active and getting outdoors is my jam. I spend a lot of time cycling, recently getting into the gravel cycling scene along with my regular club rides. COVID has put a damper on my plans to compete in Ironman but on the positive side when I am able to participate I will be in an older age category. 😊

If you were able to start a blog, what would it be about? I have been posting to SLAW.ca for over a decade on legal marketing and have recently been picked up by CanLII to publish more.

Describe your ideal vacation? I love adventure and pushing my limits. I love a good beach but backpacking through Europe, hiking the Andes, summitting Mt. Toubkal, and more are the experiences that are the most memorable for me.