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CAREER COUNSELOR’S CORNER
Kaizen and the Process of Continuous Improvement in Your Legal Career [A. Harrison Barnes] What have you done for your employer lately? Continually improving your work habits, your effectiveness, your abilities, your relations with others - sounds easy enough, but few follow the practice. This, however, is how you are almost always judged by others and the only way to ensure advancement.
Most people never feel secure because
continually improving themselves and it is for
another, smoking and taking drugs smuggled
they are always worried that they will lose
that reason that so few people become very
to them by guards and others.
their job, lose the money they already have,
successful-and stay very successful.
lose their spouse, lose their health, and
Dr. Gomez said that when he went to prison
so on. The only true security in life comes
Some years ago, I was on a train ride across
he knew he was unlikely to ever get out;
from knowing that every single day you are
Spain when an older gentleman began tell-
however, he made a decision to use his
improving yourself in some way, that you are
ing me a story of when he was younger and
time in prison to become a better person.
increasing the caliber of who you are and
imprisoned for life in Cuba by Castro. He had
He exercised at least a couple of hours per
that you are valuable to your company, your
been imprisoned, he told me, because he had
day and, because his cell was so crowded,
friends, and your family.
spoken out against communism. Prior to be-
he exercised when the other prisoners were
-Anthony Robbins
ing imprisoned, this man had been a soccer
sleeping because that was the only time
{American Speaker, Peak Performance
player and then a professor in a prestigious
there was room for him to move around.
Expert}
Cuban university. This man was my soccer
Unlike other prisoners, instead of trading for
coach/Spanish teacher and was leading me
cigarettes, drugs or weapons, he traded what
There is no such thing as “security� in the
and about 25 other students on a summer
he had for things like a toothbrush, clean
legal profession and no matter how hard
tour across Spain. His name was Dr. Gomez.
clothes, educational books and a razor to
you try, or how far you search, you are never
shave with.
going to find it. You simply cannot control
Dr. Gomez is one of the more interesting men
what happens to you. It is impossible. Even
I have ever met. Then in his late 60s, he was
Over the course of approximately one year,
the highest ranking partners at the best law
up by 5:00 am everyday and ran four or five
this man actually grew inside the prison
firms lose their jobs quite frequently. If you
miles every morning. He was always learning
while the other prisoners became much
possess the best possible academic qualifi-
how to do new things and finding new ways to
worse off. In fact, during the one year he was
cations and work experience, circumstances
enjoy life and better himself.
in his small cell, many prisoners actually
might take your job away, too. No matter how
died-or went insane.
careful you are with your career, you have no
According to Dr. Gomez, the conditions inside
way to control what happens to you.
the prison were terrible. Dr. Gomez was
Every month, Dr. Gomez was allowed to have
put into a small cell no larger than a typical
a visitor come see him. One Sunday after-
What you can control, however, is whether
bedroom with over 20 other prisoners. The
noon, Dr. Gomez was sitting with his brother
or not you choose to continually improve
food was terrible, the cell was very hot and
in the prison visiting room with several other
yourself in your professional life. When
the conditions inside the cell were nearly
visitors and prisoners. Dr. Gomez, unlike the
you are continually improving yourself you
impossible to live in. The prisoners were let
other prisoners, was very fit, well shaven and
are providing yourself the security that the
out of their cells a couple of times per week.
cleanly dressed. In fact, Dr. Gomez looked
person you will be tomorrow is better than
According to Dr. Gomez, when these prison-
in better health than most of the visitors.
the one you are today. If you are continually
ers were let out, they concentrated on things
Sitting in the prison visitor room, Dr. Gomez
improving yourself, despite what may happen
like getting retribution against other prison-
noticed that a shift change took place during
to the legal environments you are working
ers who had upset them in the outside world,
the visit. The guard that was replaced was
in, you will be in a better position to always
and getting drugs and other contraband to
a new guard and one that Dr. Gomez did not
stay ahead of things you cannot control. Very
take inside their cells. Inside their own cells,
recognize. A few minutes after this, a bell
few people in their lives practice the habit of
these men spent their time fighting with one
rang announcing that visitor hours were over.
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