The blog for all things Apochromatik.
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8 Tips to Fit More Reading into Your Schedule
There are plenty of reasons reading more is important for professionals, from improving brain functions to keeping up on trends and developments in your industry, giving you something to talk about and think about outside work and family, to just feeling like you are using your brain. But when was the last time you sat down with a novel or any other book you didn’t have to read for work? In fact, 31% of Americans report that they have read just 1-5 books in the last year.
9 Ways to Go Beyond the Imposter Syndrome
We recently taught a webinar on the imposter syndrome for the American Bar Association. (ABA members can access the webinar and earn CLE free of charge here. Non-ABA members can access the webinar with a 15% discount by using the discount code FACMARK at checkout.)
In conversation with the ABA and program moderator Lacy Durham in advance of the webinar, one of the issues identified was that many people who feel they are a fraud or imposter think they’re unusual or alone, which adds to their shame and difficulty understanding that these feelings are common and not related to qualifications or skill. We’re prepared this blog post as part of an effort to normalize the feelings of imposterism and help lawyers and other professionals build awareness. It’s based on the remarks we and Lacy made during the webinar and is intended, in a more cursory way, to provide some brief background and resources. We encourage you to share it with colleagues and your network to spur more discussion of the imposter syndrome and, in so doing, help remove the stigma around it.
Making the summer associate experience a win-win
The summer experience has big stakes for both the law firm and the summer associate.
Most firms hire summer associates as a talent pipeline for their full-time associate ranks. The summer is an important evaluation period and recruiting period. The firm wants summers to be excited about full-time employment. This process, done annually, fosters a firm’s growth and evolution.
The summer program is equally important to the summer associate. The summer wants a full-time job; it’s harder to find a permanent spot as a rising 3L without an offer in hand. The summer also wants to create a positive reputation at the firm, because that reputation lays the foundation for long-term success at the firm.
Feedback Mindset
In this week’s ApochroMinute: “Feedback Mindset,” Amy discusses the mindset you should adopt toward feedback as mid-year reviews begin.
Making the summer associate experience a win-win
The summer experience has big stakes for both the law firm and the summer associate.
Most firms hire summer associates as a talent pipeline for their full-time associate ranks. The summer is an important evaluation period and recruiting period. The firm wants summers to be excited about full-time employment. This process, done annually, fosters a firm’s growth and evolution.
The summer program is equally important to the summer associate. The summer wants a full-time job; it’s harder to find a permanent spot as a rising 3L without an offer in hand. The summer also wants to create a positive reputation at the firm, because that reputation lays the foundation for long-term success at the firm.
Employee Engagement & Business Performance
According to a 2022 report from Gallup, companies that score high in employee engagement more than double their odds for success compared to those who score low in employee engagement.
So what is employee engagement and how can you use it for the betterment of your employees and company? We’ve prepared a free resource on employee engagement and first steps to increase yours.
Team Engagement
Much of the work we do at Apochromatik involves team and leadership development. This week we’re sharing a strategy that can have huge benefits whether you share an assistant or lead a team of full-time employees.
Apochromatik's Holiday Guide
The holidays are here! With the combination of work parties, family activities, an expanded to do list, and all the end of the year craziness, you may not have been sitting at your desk, hitting refresh on the Apochromatik blog. We’ve rounded up some of our resources on the holidays, both articles that have quoted us as experts, and our own blog posts that can help you end December with deepened work relationships, having advanced your career, and with time and energy left for your most important relationships.
2021 Holiday Gifts for the Office
The holidays are coming, and along with gifts for friends and family, you likely have gifts for coworkers on your list. In case you happen to have “?” next to them on your list, here are a few guidelines to follow, and a few suggestions.virtual. Many people will still send gifts and we want to help you pick the most appropriate ones…even this year.
ApochroMinute: What happens when you don't ask?
This week's ApochroMinute features career advice legal recruiter Carolyn Aberman recently shared with members of the Future in Focus 2021 attorney mastermind. Check it out, and accept our ask by joining the upcoming Legal Career Roundtable. Find all the details at futureinfocus2022.com/roundtable.
Is your annual review approaching?
Performance reviews are just around the corner in many firms and organizations. We often hear that people are “too busy” to prepare for their review. That’s like saying “I was so busy packing for vacation that I didn’t have time to book a plane ticket.” Your review may be the one time all year when you and your boss both carve out time to sit and talk about your career.
ApochroMinute: How To Prepare For Your Annual Review
Avoid 2 common mistakes when preparing for your annual review. Check out this week’s ApochroMinute.
ApochroMinute 70: Network Now
Sick of Zoom happy hours?
We get it.
This week’s ApochroMinute discusses networking on Zoom and invites you tan APO-versary celebration.
Presence: A key element of leadership
When you think of leadership skills, executive presence may not be the first thing that comes to mind.
ApochroMinute 68: First Impressions (Copy)
Working from a couch with chaos all around you? We’ve been there.
In this week’s ApochroMinute, from a couch in the midst of chaos, Keith shares 3 tips to enhance your executive presence on Zoom.
Happy 5th APO-versary!
We hope you are enjoying these final days of summer. We’ve had a busy summer helping coaching clients take advantage of the job market to advance or transition, and working with teams to rebuild the trust, communication, and effectiveness that has been challenged by the last 18 months.
ApochroMinute 68: First Impressions
You’ve been told you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Right now might be an exception.
How To Know It's Time To Go
More evidence amasses each day that experiences, not things, are what bring people happiness. In my own life, I can say that I've had more recurring positive feelings remembering past trips I've taken than enjoying any item I've ever purchased. Being that an average person will spend around 90,000 hours, or 1/3 of a lifetime, at work, it behooves us to pursue careers that provide meaningful experiences in addition to a solid income. For those considering a career change to find more fulfillment, I've compiled a list of questions to ask yourself to sort out whether it's time for you to take the leap.
Strategies for Successfully Working From Home
After the last 18 months, many of our work from home practices could use some fine tuning, particularly if you plan to work from home at least part-time for the foreseeable future. Otherwise, work can easily invade your entire home and every waking moment. Likewise, it can be easy to keep up bad habits that can leave you feeling inefficient and ineffective. In this week’s post, Chelsea B. Ashworth shares some reminders and suggestions for working from home effectively and efficiently.