It’s a bit hard to believe it, but I’ve been blogging here at Zen for 10 years. A LOT has changed in the legal industry in ten years, and yet, in many ways, a lot is still the same. If you’d have asked me a decade ago if I still planned to be blogging and sharing my thoughts on the industry in 2019, I’m not sure that I would have said yes. But I’m honored to be a part of this community that allows me to grow, innovate, brainstorm ideas, and develop my own role. And it’s only fitting that ten years into blogging (14 years into my role with the ILN) sees me transitioning into my next exciting challenge – as our Executive Director retires at the end of this year, I’ll be taking over his position, and having the opportunity to share more with you some of the unique opportunities that come along with leading a global organization in the changing legal profession.
All of this has me feeling a bit nostalgic, so rather than looking back at what I’ve learned in the last decade (it’s a LOT, I assure you), I thought I’d take a look back at some of my favorite posts from each year. So here’s my top ten for my ten years of Zen! (Be kind on the early ones – I was still learning!)
- 2009: Is the Billable Hour on its way out? (My VERY first post here on Zen, and one I wish was more prescient than it is. Can we finally get rid of the billable hour please?)
- 2010: Uh Oh: My Email Was Misinterpreted. What Now?
- 2011: Disney’s Approach to Business Excellence – An LMA Recap (this is the most popular from that year, but I think my favorite might be – Best Day of Your Life?)
- 2012: “Legal is the Only Industry Where Clients Act Like Sellers and Sellers Act Like Buyers” – A General Counsel Panel
- 2013: Mid-sized firms and How to Adjust to the “New Normal”
- 2014: Building Relationship Equity *Must* Come First
- 2015: Networking SUCKS. Now what?
- 2016: How Lawyers Can Stand Out from the Competition on Instagram (My most popular post of ALL time) – but 2016 was a big year for intensive discussions on Zen. We also started discussing in greater depth the future of legal services in this series.
- 2017: Practical Steps for Undertaking Change in Legal
- 2018: Three Truths About Innovating for Radical Success
What are some of your favorites?
As we start in on year 11 here, I’m looking forward to the next 10 years at Zen, and what changes and opportunities it will bring me. Thanks for coming along for the ride!