Australian Young Lawyers Conference 2013

Last year I had the honour of presenting at the Australian Young Lawyers Conference directly after keynote speaker His Honour the Chief Justice de Jersey AC.

My seminar focused on the importance of young lawyers using social networking to increase their profile and marketing skills in the current market.  I provided a background to social networking, tips on how best to use your time online and gave an overview of the ethical obligations as outlined by the QLS.

Thank you to the team at Queensland Young Lawyers who organised this Conference and for inviting me to present.

Date:
September 2013

Source:
http://qyl.wildapricot.org/Default.aspx?pageId=1698372

Is FOMO to blame for the sensationalisation of busy?

By now you have probably heard about FOMO (the fear of missing out) and how a driving force behind this is social media, smartphones and the culture of needing it have it now. I've been guilty of FOMO and without Facebook, I do miss out and I'm learning to accept that "fear".  I hear through second hand messages about engagements, pregnancies, even deaths, and I have missed out on social events like surprise birthdays because invites have only been communicated through Facebook. But after relinquishing my FOMO, I have also realised that those I do hear from are genuine friends and life is about making the most of what you have. 

Putting aside my FOMO issues, I also want to raise another thing I have been guilty of - sensationalising busy. When a friend calls or texts and asks how I have been, I am guilty of saying "so busy, I've been up since 4.30am, I went to the gym, had breakfast with a colleague before work, back to backs all day and now I'm racing to a networking event". Sure that was true and I do have a busy schedule, but what I wasn't realising at the time was that I was saying all of this because I thought busy equalled success. It doesn't!!  You may think by saying you are busy, people will think you are in demand or wanted and then want you too. I don't think it works that way and after a recent experience (read on), it may have the opposite effect! 

My friend wanted to know how I was. Not what I had been doing. I was actually going really great, but I didn't tell her that, instead I gave her a debrief like she was my Chief of Staff.  

A consequence of my sensationalisation came up on the weekend. I was messaging one of my best  friends as I know she is moving house soon. She has a baby under 1 year old and a fly-in-fly-out boyfriend so I asked her if she needed help packing, cleaning and moving. Her response - "I know you're busy ... I'm not going to load you up with my crap". OUCH. For one of my best friends to think she couldn't rely on me for a few hours on a weekend hurt. But I brought it on myself - I sensationalised busy one too many times. I'm the "fixer" among my friends, I'm the one they call when they need to solve a problem, I'm the one who offers solutions. I love that I can help them and I am determined to make sure I remain available to them. So here is my public apology BFF and other friends and here is my commitment to stop sensationalising busy ever again!

I cannot help but think our FOMO and our desire to share with the world what we are doing (and rightly so, our successes), has led to a culture of unnecessary busyness. This isn't healthy and I've written previously on work life balance and why I believe it is so important. I have experienced first hand the repercussions of a burnout, but it's not an experience you need to go through to learn NOT to reach that point. It is ok to have time to yourself, unwind and unplug. There is a difference between laziness and recovery. 

Now that I'm recently single, another consequence of any future sensationalisation of busyness - barrenness (but that's another blog in itself!!). 

So, next time someone asks how you've been - I want you to answer with an emotion. Happy, sad, excited, tired. Anything but busy!!

Dr Frankel just wants to see you BE BRAVE!

I recently interviewed Dr Lois Frankel for the May issue of Gloss, the premiere online magazine of LBDGroup.  It is such an amazing experience to get to speak to those who inspire you in your career! 

Date: May 2014

Source: 

http://asp-au.secure-zone.net/v2/index.jsp?id=993/1104/5258&lng=en&utm_source=Sept+2013+All+Subscribers&utm_campaign=dc21089408-GLOSS_MAY_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_12ce6dff88-dc21089408-54417277

 

Should you accept the opportunity to travel away for work?

I have had a few conversations over the past months with young professionals who have been asked to travel away for work, eg a project interstate and even overseas! Their first reaction - what a fantastic career opportunity, I am so glad my work has been recognised. Their second reaction - what about my boyfriend/partner/husband? 

I have never been in this situation, but after these conversations I want to give you the following to think about. Nb these views don't address any contractual employment obligations you may have to consider. 

1. Talk it over with your partner. But don't make a decision based on any negative response you may receive. This is your life and your career! 

Overall, your partner should be happy for you - it is great to be recognised as your boss wouldn't choose just anyone to work on an external project, would they!

2. Talk about it with your boss. Ask questions - how long is the project? Is there a chance it could be extended? Will they pay for return flights for the weekend? What expenses will they cover? Can your partner visit? 

It's important to have clear expectations from both sides and it also shows initiative on your behalf. You will be investing a lot of your own time if you choose to accept so it's good to know what is expected of you. 

3. Consider what impact it will have on your job, and also your career, if you say no. This is the big one and the person likely to know the answer is your boss. Unfortunately, it could be hard to raise this without your boss thinking you are rejecting the offer. The best way to approach the topic is when you are having the above conversation about expectations. I was asked (at a prior position) to have my name put forward for a secondment and in that conversation I asked, "will it affect my career plan and chance for a promotion if I'm not in the office?". My Partner responded saying no, if anything it would increase my chance! 

Ultimately, the decision needs to be made by you.  But I know your relationship will also have an influence on your decision and it's so easy, especially at the start of a new relationship to want to devote every waking moment to your new beau (personally, this is my favourite part of a relationship!).  

There is no right or wrong answer to accepting the opportunity to travel away for a project.  Just remember that you should not feel guilted into the decision you ultimately make by your partner. Remember you have obligations to your job as well. 

Think long term when making the decision. If you have a mentor, speak to them. It's times like these that you will wish you had one, or even a business coach. It's great to have an impartial view from someone who has experience in dealing with these types of matters. I know of a few coaches including Fiona Craig (who was a lawyer in her previous life). If you need recommendations on coaches, please email me (see side panel for contact details). 

Good luck with your opportunity and make the right decision for you!