As the Education Director for LWP™, it has been my privilege to take part in the development of the TAPER programs and to work with the amazing staff that makes these events unique. We’ve all been to the (yawn) lawyer conferences that should be advertised as a cure for insomnia. Our goal at LWP was to create a unique experience that advances the members to the next level by providing the tools to create a dream future, gain energy, engage the team and get focused. It only takes a moment to feel the energy in the room and know that you are not at an ordinary legal training event!
As an LWP trainer, the Tri-Annual Practice Enhancement Retreats (TAPERs) offer the opportunity to “pay it forward” and pass along some of the lessons that experience has taught. I’m particularly excited to be presenting a focus session on adding an Associate Attorney to your LWP firm.
As an LWP Mentor Coach, there is incredible satisfaction in watching from the sidelines as teams break through the barriers and find the road to success. The TAPERs are an opportunity to touch base with those teams, put names with faces, and really see the energy develop around their own futures.
As a member of LWP, the Practice Enhancement Retreats have always been a highlight, something that goes on our annual calendar the moment we learn the dates. We look forward to them as a team because we are anxious to shift focus and work ON the practice rather than IN the practice. The retreats are aptly named “retreats” because they are truly a time to get away from our day-to-day world, reflect on where we’ve been AND set the course for the future (whether that means the next weeks, months or years).
There is no denying the energy burst that comes from attending an LWP Retreat, and that is why LWP is doing them more often. If we could get an energy burst once a year, imagine how powerful three of those bursts per year would be! Triple the impact! For the last two years, I have shut down my law firm not once, but three times each year – and I really mean “shut down,” since the ENTIRE TEAM attends every retreat. That is the value of these events – every single member of the team gets a customized experience with the opportunity to focus on both professional and personal growth. What a difference! The team has taken ownership of the firm, and ownership of its own growth and development.
As a business owner, the thought of shutting down the business for any reason is scary. We ask: “What about the lost revenue?” “What about the expense of flying everyone around the country and putting them in hotel rooms?” “What about feeding them?” “Dollars seem to be flying out the window!” All of that is real. It IS expensive to attend three retreats every year, until you realize that this is NOT an expense – it is an investment. It is an investment in the future of the business made without hesitation because the ROI is exponential. The payoff is a team committed to the firm’s future, a team working together for common goals, a team dedicated to personal and professional growth, a team poised to push each other toward personal goals, a team that understands the power of teamwork!
And it shows in the bottom line. Despite and because of the three weeks per year of shutdown, our revenues have never been higher. That is the power of the LWP Tri-Annual Practice Enhancement Retreat.
Don’t take my word for it; find out for yourself. Join us in Phoenix and feel the power!
Early Bird registration is open! If you're ready to reserve your spot now email Amanda Ross at aross@lawyerswithpurpose.com or just call 877-299-0326 and she's standing by to help get you're seat reserved!
Susan Hunter
