Certified Legal Nurse Consultants

Carol Ann McLawhorn, RN, BSN, CLNC shares a story about an unorthodox interviewing style she accidentally used with an attorney-prospect. While this is definitely NOT one of the interview styles we teach at Vickie Milazzo Institute, she did land a new attorney-client.

Watch Carol Ann as she bares all in this unrated video:

Congratulations, Carol Ann!

Success Is Inside!

CLNC^® consultants frequently need to download executable files for their Certified Legal Nurse Consulting business. By “executable,” I’m referring to a file that ends in .exe and will either be a program or an installer for one. Last week I taught you to create a Downloads folder in your My Documents directory to temporarily store everything you download. Now that you’ve done that, all your downloaded photos, videos, programs, installers, etc., are probably stacking up in there.

Even my own Downloads folder gets clogged up now and again. I like to try different programs and applications so that I can blog about them. I leave them in the Downloads folder until I make a decision to use them, blog about them or just delete them. The trouble is, like the inbox on my desk, stuff builds up pretty quickly, especially installers, and you won’t always remember what they are. Today’s blog will help you do something about that.

First, create a Desktop shortcut to your Downloads folder. To do this, open your My Documents folder, collapse it so that its window only fills up a portion of your screen. Then, right click the Downloads folder and drag it onto your Desktop. Once there, let go and Windows will ask you whether you want to Move the Folder, Copy the Folder or Create a Desktop Shortcut. Select Create a Desktop Shortcut and then close the My Documents window. Now when you double-click the Downloads folder on your Desktop you’ll open that folder so you can see its contents. Do that now.

Once it’s open, make some choices. If a file, photo or video is no longer needed, delete it and be vicious about deleting. If it’s an installer you recognize and may need to use later, rename it. If you’ve already installed the program, delete the installer. If you need to reinstall it later, there will most likely be a newer version available. If you can’t see the file extensions, open your My Documents folder, click Tools, then View on the Folder Options window and make sure “Hide extensions for known file types” is not checked. That will ensure you know what kind of file you’re viewing.

Some installers, like iTunesSetup.exe, are properly named. Others may say something like “mmtaskbar21.exe.” If you remember what it is, right-click the installer and rename it remembering to keep the .exe file extension. If the file reads MultiMonitorTaskBar.exe, I’ll know what it is immediately the next time I have to install it on a computer at Vickie Milazzo Institute without having to strain my brain. So go ahead and rename all the files in that Downloads folder. Programs, photos, installers and videos don’t care what you call them, as long as you keep the proper extension at the end of the name. Delete the ones you don’t use and file the ones you want to keep.

Regular maintenance of your Downloads folder is an essential part of your business as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant. Get to it!

Keep on techin’,

Tom

You read the first 11 strategies yesterday; here’s 15 more to keep your CLNC^® business busier than ever.

Eliminate Distractions and Focus on Your Priorities

1. Develop a routine just as you would in nursing. Triage cases and keep a priority list. Focus on important deadlines.
2. Focus on the task at hand. Screen your calls during business hours. Be available for your attorney-clients, but use caller ID to prevent marketers, family and friends from taking up your valuable time. Turn off the TV. Keep the office door shut.
3. Save personal matters for lunch time, after work or the weekend. Let friends and relatives know that just because you work from home does not mean you are available to play or chat during business hours. You have to set boundaries just as you would if you worked in someone else’s office, so you want to treat your home office with the same respect.
4. Call a family meeting. Communicate positively to your significant other and children the importance of your CLNC^® business and how their support during your work hours is essential to having more family time together. Working at home is a privilege that you and your family will want to continue.
5. Enforce rules about interruptions. This can be tough, but generally everyone respects the rules. When the office door is shut, that means work is in progress.
6. To maintain focus during intense case work, play soft classical music or sounds of nature.

“I set ‘working hours’ for myself each day and during that time do not allow myself to be distracted. The television is off, the landline phone ringer is off and I do not check personal email, social media or surf the web. No catching up with my girlfriends or mom on the telephone and absolutely no household chores! These ‘working hours’ may vary from day to day, but they are hours devoted specifically to my CLNC^® business and my attorney-clients.”

Julie Somen-Becker, RN, BSN, CLNC

Manage Your Work Space and Your Paperwork for Maximum Productivity

1. Create an organized, functional work space dedicated to your CLNC^® business and use it only for business. This makes it easier to walk away from your business at the end of the day. Also keep the office your office and not part of a shared family meeting spot if at all possible. This practice allows for fewer distractions, less background noise and promotes information security.
2. Make sure the layout of your office supports your productivity. For example, are the phone and office supplies within easy reach? Do you have enough room to work? Can you find things easily? Because you’ll spend a great deal of time in your office, make sure you enjoy the environment. Invest in file cabinets to avoid things stacking up on your desk.
3. Before you end your day, organize your priorities and work space for the next day. This ensures your important case will be front and center for your review when you return to work.
4. Take advantage of the latest home-office technology products to maximize your efficiency, decrease stress and save time. Purchase the best computer and word processing software that fit your business needs and budget.

Know When to Quit and Take Care of You

1. If you’re going to work at home, you need strong boundaries between home and office. Make sure your office is just for work. When you leave work, it should be like leaving an outside office and going home. If you choose to work late hours or on weekends, that’s fine. But when you walk out of that office, close the door and GO HOME! Sometimes you have to turn your back on the cases piling up. This makes your work day more productive and your home life more pleasant.
2. Be realistic. Don’t plan eight billable hours per day and get discouraged because you only worked six. When scheduling your work, include fun, family and quiet personal time. Allow for taking the kids to school, helping with homework, preparing meals, taking breaks and unscheduled interruptions. Use your time wisely. Always maintain good communication with your attorney-clients to avoid rush jobs.

“Your biggest challenge will be to not work 16 hours a day. Achieving balance when the work is in front of you 24/7 takes effort and commitment. Set a time each day to turn the computer off and get away from the office. Stay connected to your family and friends. No matter how long you work from home, this will always be a challenge. Even after seven years of being home based, my husband will come into my office space in the middle of the afternoon, and I’m still in my PJs, haven’t had breakfast or even washed my face. But I’ve gotten a lot of work done!”

Anne Koepsell, RN BSN, MHA, CLNC

1. Make a commitment to own the business and not allow it to own you. Don’t allow work to flow over into family time. Walking away from a project can be difficult, but keeping on schedule allows you the freedom to do this. Develop a business plan and follow it, stay organized and allow yourself plenty of time to play.
2. Have an office door you can close at the end of the business day. The ceremonial opening and closing of the door is important. Otherwise you’ll become addicted to the space and find some reason to be in there at all hours, including the weekend.

“I installed a glass door in my office. This enables me to treat ‘my space’ like a real office. I can close the door at night (and not feel too guilty) and open it in the morning when I want to start my work day. It also helps having glass because I can see what is going on in the rest of the house when the door is closed.”

Dorene Goldstein RNC, CLNC

1. This is your business; no one is going to set your boundaries for you. Use rituals to differentiate between work and personal time. Work out, change clothes or leave to run an errand to transition from work to play. Take days off, enjoy the weekend and take vacations. Put them in your calendar at the beginning of the year and stick with this. Schedule a family day. Above all, have fun!

“Working from home has also allowed me to take better care of myself. I start my day with a walk with my dog, then I retreat to the basement to do my workout. After my shower, I am refreshed and ready to start working. Granted this usually isn’t until about 10:00am sometimes, but that’s the fun of working at home. If I had to go to an office or the hospital, I’m not sure if I would get a workout in.”

Dorene Goldstein RNC, CLNC

Use these 26 strategies for working effectively and efficiently from home, and you might outgrow your home office like Larry Frace.

“I love my 800 sq. ft. man-cave basement office which has served me well over the past 10 years. However, it is starting to get a bit cramped in the cave these days, so now I have my eye on a 3,200 sq. ft. cave right next door (through the woods and across an open field). Working from home has been great, but most great things seem to evolve into yet greater opportunities. Being a nurse is great, but becoming a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant evolved this caveman down a path of unlimited opportunities!”

Lawrence H. Frace, RN, CLNC

What a fun problem to have. Congratulations, Larry! Here’s wishing all CLNC^® consultants a successful home office and a problem like Larry’s.

Special thanks to the CLNC^® Pros Suzanne Arragg, RN, BSN, CDONA/LTC, CLNC; Dale Barnes, RN, MSN, PhN, CLNC; Joanne Fox Boschi,RN, MSN, CPNP, CLNC; Nikki J. Chuml, RNC, CCE, FMC, CLNC; Larry Frace, RN, CLNC; Margaret Gallagher, RN, BSN, MSN, CLNC; Dorene Goldstein, RNC, CLNC; Debra Good-Zeiner, RN, BSN, CLNC; Sandra Higelin, RN, MSN, CS, CWCN, CLNC; Jane Hurst, RN, CLNC; Annmarie Johnson, RN, BSN, CLNC; Camille Joyner, RN, CCM, CLNC; Anne Koepsell, RN, BSN, MHA, CLNC; Mildred Mannion, RN, BSN, CNOR, CLNC; Julie-Somen-Becker, RN, BSN, CLNC and Linda Turner, RN, MSN, NNP-BC, CLNC who have shared the strategies they use to work more effectively from home.

Success Is Inside!

Read Part 2.

As Anne Koepsell, Certified Legal Nurse Consultant says “the phrase ‘working from home’ creates images of total freedom from structure and time commitments. And that is the challenge – there is no structure, no office hours, no peers to watch what you are doing and how you spend your time. Those of us who have worked at home rarely want to trade it for a structured job or office setting. But successfully working from home requires the right attention and intention.” I asked 16 CLNC^® Pros to share their best practices for working from home, guaranteed to deliver the attention, intention and effectiveness to succeed.

Set Regular Office Hours and Stick to Your Schedule

1. Whether it’s laundry or lunch out, there is potential for distractions, so it’s in your best interest to establish regular business hours. Your schedule may vary from day to day and week to week, but have a written goal for start and end times and how many billable hours you want to achieve each week.

“I do as much as possible between 9:00am-3:00pm while my husband is at work and my children are at school. No interruptions, no questions, no needs. This is the best time for me to work. If I have to work at night, I make time for my family and for dinner. Once I’ve taken care of them I can do what I need to do in my office with a clear head.”

Nikki Chuml, RN, C, CCE, FMC, CLNC

2. Include regular lunch hours and days off in your schedule.
3. Communicate your office hours to your family. This reminds them that you are not available every second of the day.

“On a weekly basis I make certain that my household is aware of what commitments and expectations I have involving my CLNC^® business. I accomplish this with a few simple steps including a calendar posted in my home office, an Outlook^® calendar that is shared with my husband’s email accounts, and syncing my calendar on my smart phone with my husband’s phone using our MobileMe account. When my spouse is aware of my work load and commitments in advance, he can work with me to successfully keep my CLNC^® business and my family and home environment in balance! This also allows me to stay organized and use my time wisely.”

Julie Somen-Becker, RN, BSN, CLNC

“When I left the hospital and was no longer sleeping during the day, my family thought they hit the jackpot – I was home all the time (not sleeping) and I had so much free time. I needed time to adjust to this new lifestyle. There were a lot of potential distractions, especially with three kids and a husband. In the beginning, I found that creating a calendar for myself and scheduling office time worked for all of us. I posted a big calendar on the refrigerator and wrote in everyone’s appointments and schedules including my own. When I did this, they all knew that from 1:00-4:00pm on Tuesdays I was working and not available for any errands, homework or laundry. This tactic helped make me accountable and it worked.”

Dorene Goldstein RNC, CLNC

4. You might have to walk past the dirty laundry to get your office. Just imagine you are working in someone else’s office until you develop the discipline needed to ignore that laundry. Would you report to the office late to do laundry? Would you watch TV, play Farmville, shop or run errands in the middle of the day? Do whatever it takes to get into “work mode.” Close your office door, don’t answer your home phone and designate a time to handle personal tasks.

“Just as my multiple professional duties and many personal interests create an exciting and ever-changing lifestyle, they can often conflict. In a home-based office setting, home ownership and family responsibilities can infringe on your CLNC^® business unless a clear delineation is established. For me, it is imperative to do whatever it takes to simulate ‘going to work’ in a home office. On days when I work in my home office, I get dressed for ‘work,’ put a do not disturb sign on my door and answer only my office phone. I resist the urge to do household chores but allow myself the luxury of slippers. Through trial and error I have found what works for me.”

Debra Good-Zeiner, RN, BSN, CLNC

“Drawbacks to working at home include that the neighbors tend to forget you are ‘at work’ when they see your car in the driveway and bang on the door or call (because they just know you are in there)! For awhile, my brother-in-law had a habit of dialing every separate phone line we have until I finally gave in and answered one. This happened pretty much any time he had a medical question that demanded (in his opinion), an immediate answer. The fact that I was ‘at work’ didn’t seem to be as important to him as his problem. We had a neighbor on sabbatical who kept knocking on our front door to chat or borrow things during my CLNC^® business hours. We had a house guest for a few weeks. She would tap on my office door several times each day and say, ‘Sorry to bother you, but…’ Another drawback was my initial urge to work in my bathrobe or in sloppy clothes. I took more breaks when I did that and got less done.

Because of those and other experiences, I learned to do certain things differently. Whenever I was busy, I’d tape a laminated note to the door for the house guest, that said, ‘At work. Please do not disturb unless house is on fire.’ For my brother-in-law, I finally asked him to leave one message and I would call back after business hours, but not before. I put another sign on the front door that said, ‘At work. Please come back after 5:00pm.’ Our neighbor on sabbatical has our house key for emergencies (we also have theirs for the same reason). I asked him to just use his house key to borrow whatever he needed and lock up behind himself whenever he saw the sign on the door. The only people who have ever been given my office phone number are my clients, my accountant and my husband. With respect to dressing for work, I have learned to wear nice casual clothes to the office, and of course do my hair and make-up, so I am always ready to drop in on one of my clients. Of course, for our administrative law judge hearings, I step it up to the clothes suitable for a courtroom.”

Camy Joyner, RN, CCM, CLNC

Manage Your Time to Save Money and Your Sanity

5. Create a weekly schedule based on your business plan. Allow flexibility for unforeseen changes. Keep your plan visible at all times. Schedule time for working on strategic goals.
6. Power out for 50 minute increments to enhance your productivity. Evaluate your use of time often to see where you can gain efficiencies if you are not meeting your billable hours goal.
7. Reviewing medical records, researching and writing detailed reports require intense concentration. Take a 10-minute break every hour to walk away from the project and watch your productivity soar.
8. Structure your routine to take advantage of your peak performance times. You can finish big projects and those that require intense focus in half the time when you do them during your most creative and productive time.
9. Save administrative tasks such as correspondence, returning phone calls, checking email and easy projects that don’t require your full attention for your non-peak times and break periods.
10. Keep a running shopping list of office and marketing supplies so you can easily see when supplies are low. You never want to run out of paper.
11. Plan your out-of-office time. In the beginning it’s easy to take a quick trip to the post office or office supply store on a whim. As you become busier, these trips will zap your focus and take time away from productive (billable) activities. Shop online when possible and group errands and appointments for efficiency.

Success Is Inside!

Read Part 1.

“You wake up and your office is at your fingertips. You don’t have to drive anywhere. You don’t even have to get dressed if you don’t want to. You save money on utilities, office rental and other fees that come along with having an office. You can even deduct the portion of your home expenses that are used for your office (Ask your CPA for help). A home office provides you with a lot of flexibility and freedom. This freedom is one of the reasons I love being a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant.

When I first started my business full time I bought a very small two bedroom condo thinking this would be plenty of room for my home and my business. Within six months I found myself screaming out one day, ‘I need more space’ as the medical records came rolling in for new cases. I found a bigger place and my CLNC^® business has grown by leaps and bounds. Recently I moved from the desert to the beach. In my desire to save money I found a small condo to rent very close to the beach. It was bigger than my first condo but much smaller than the house I had just moved out of. I signed a lease and life was good. Within six months, history repeated itself and I found myself screaming out once more, ‘I need more space’ I was living in my office. I immediately began the search for just the right house that would serve as my home with an office instead of an office where I live.”

Sandra Higelin, RN, MSN, CS, CWCN, CLNC

“Flexibility, flexibility, flexibility. You can be at home with your children or relatives that need your help. You can be at home with your dog. You have more hours in the day because you don’t lose time commuting.

I have an assistant who helps me every day. She is a good worker and her fees are very reasonable. She doesn’t need a desk or a designated work space. She can work anywhere. I’ve even seen her use the floor. I really only have one complaint about her. She brings her babies to work – as you can imagine, that can be a problem. Sometimes she wants me to play with her babies when I’m trying to work. I can’t stay mad at her long because she really doesn’t understand my interruption policy. After all, she’s just a seven-year-old Schnauzer.

I remember one particular time when I was on the phone with an attorney-client discussing a case. Right in the middle of our conversation she decided to play with her babies (toys). One of her babies sounds just like a real cow mooing when it’s squeezed. Naturally, she had to stand in front of me squeezing it as fast as she could. I grabbed the toy and threw it out of my office door, but that made her sillier. She thought I was up for a good game of fetch. I was about to apologize to my attorney-client for the sound effects when he told me he knew I lived in a rural area, but he didn’t know my office was in a barn!”

Jane Hurst, RN, CLNC

“I love the flexibility that working from home affords me as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant. Nurses with children can arrange their daily schedules around their kids without that knot of anxiety they feel when they need to ask for a shift change to attend a doctor appointment or a school function. The same holds true for those caring for elderly parents. This past summer, I actually worked from the deck of my beach house overlooking the bay!”

Annmarie Johnson, RN, BSN, CLNC

“Working at home has to be the best decision I have made in recent years.  Because I have few interruptions, I am more productive than ever.  Working at home also allows me to be there for repairmen. My dog definitely likes me at home. Instead of taking a coffee break, we go for a walk, which actually clears my mind even better than coffee. I can also do my online banking, shopping and emailing, all from my workspace. And an added plus – my desk can be as messy as I need it to be.”

Camy Joyner, RN, CCM, CLNC

“The advantages of working from home are obvious and my favorite is that I put my professional standards to the test every day. I always turn out a great work product that I am proud of for my attorney-clients. Most important, I never take the opportunity to be my own boss for granted.”

Mildred Mannion, RN, BSN, CNOR, CLNC

“I arranged and decorated my home office space based on my preferences. There is no commute time involved so I get to work immediately and when it is convenient for me. I stay involved in my family’s life. It can be challenging at times, but with good planning and organization you can arrange your business hours around your family’s schedule and be successful at being a CLNC^® consultant, mommy and wife! Working from home also allows me the flexibility and comfort that are not often found in the office setting. Screening cases in comfy sweats feels great.

Recently I had a conference call scheduled with an attorney-client to discuss a case. Being a new mom to a five-month-old baby girl made organization and anticipation more crucial than ever before. I had everything set and staged for both my daughter and my CLNC^® business to allow this call to go smoothly and without a hitch. The attorney telephoned me and we were off and running. Halfway through the conversation my baby decided to exercise her new found voice and began shrieking, babbling, blowing raspberries and giggling so loud that my attorney-client naturally could hear her over me talking. We both began laughing so hard and he told me he thinks I have a future trial lawyer on my hands! The next thing I knew he went into a ten minute recap of his four children and how each one was as a baby. It was very touching and I listened attentively before gently redirecting him back to the business at hand. We were able to successfully complete our conversation with no more interruptions from the future trial lawyer who tired herself out and fell asleep in her bouncy chair!”

Julie Somen-Becker, RN, BSN, CLNC

“I always enjoyed evening shifts so I like that I am free to plan my day as I choose. I am more focused and work more efficiently in the late afternoon or early evening clinical shifts. I make my attorney appointments or phone calls during the usual daytime ‘business hours,’ take a break and then go back to work in the evening. It works for me.”

Linda Turner, RN, MSN, NNP-BC, CLNC

“When my son was about five years old, he fell and got hurt at school. When the school nurse asked him if his mommy was home so she could call me, he said, ‘Yea, my mommy is home. She doesn’t work; she just locks herself in a room all day and doesn’t talk to us until she comes out.’ The school nurse thought that was a little unusual. I am sure she was thinking about where the number to Child Protective Services was at that point. When she called to tell me not only about the fall, but also what my son had said, I explained my profession to her and that my CLNC^® business was set up as a home office. She laughed and said, ‘Boy, I wish I could work at home and have the luxury of working whenever I wanted to.’”

Nikki Chuml, RN, C, CCE, FMC, CLNC

Success Is Inside!

Read Part 2.

I started my legal nurse consulting business in my home. Today with 23 employees working from home is a luxury. But if you have no employees there is no reason to work outside of your home, unless of course you choose to.

With technology you can accomplish anything from a home office that you can from a leased space and it’s a lot more convenient. Here, the CLNC^® pros share some of the reasons they love working from home and a few fun stories to go along.

“You can make your own schedule. As long as you meet your deadlines, no one has to know how or when you get the job done! You are home when the kids get home from school. You can help them with their homework or make them a snack. You save huge amounts of money in overhead when you don’t pay rent to someone else.

I often have to stop myself from chuckling during phone calls with clients when we are having an intense conversation about a case and I’m in my PJs enjoying a cup of java in the comfort of my living room. Ahhhh…the luxury of working from home!”

Suzanne E. Arragg, RN, BSN, CDONA/LTC, CLNC

“Business attire is not required. On some occasions, pajamas even work! I have easy and comfortable access to everything.”

Dale Barnes, RN, MSN, PhN, CLNC

“Hours are very flexible. No fighting the traffic.”

Joanne Fox Boschi, RN, MSN, CPNP, CLNC

“Short commute (a few steps from your bed), reasonable rent (one dollar sounds good) and the landlord and the boss (that’s you) are simply great.”

Lawrence H. Frace, RN, CLNC

“My home is quiet and free of distraction so I can concentrate easily and be super productive and cost-effective for my attorney-clients. I also have the flexibility to begin and end my work day completely on my own terms. I enjoy looking at the vegetables and flowers planted by my husband, the glistening sheen of our lovely pool in the summer as well as the mountains of snow piled high on the hill in the winter. These joys of my home are a constant reminder of the simple pleasures of my CLNC^® success.

I had extensive renovations done on the outside of my house that lasted for three months. The workmen would arrive every morning at 8:00am and I would be coming back from a walk in the park. At lunch time they would see me taking a dip in the pool, and since it was summer my family, which includes four grandchildren, would often be in the pool or playing in the yard. Although the UPS delivery truck makes very frequent deliveries it wasn’t until the end of the summer that I needed help with numerous heavy boxes of medical records. The foreman lifted the boxes and brought them into my office. He looked around and said with a very surprised look on his face ‘You work!’ Having had a full-time CLNC^® business for six years my reaction was ‘my sentiments exactly.’”

Margaret M. Gallagher, RN, MSN, CLNC

“I can make my own hours. Many days I do not put in an 8-hour day. I work from 9:00am-12:00 noon then 2:00-4:00pm and maybe I’ll put in some hours in the evening. If I want to take tomorrow off, I do! Last year, I was able to take off the whole month of August and vacation in Italy! I never miss one of my children’s games, recitals, parent teacher conferences, etc… I can wear what I want to work. I never have to work overnight, weekends or holidays if I don’t want to!

When I first went full-time as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant, I was going about my business making dinner while my kids were at the counter doing homework. My daughter, Abby, looked up at me and said, ‘Mom, do you like your new job?’ I asked her why she was asking me that question and she said, ‘You’re so much happier now!’ I agreed – working from home really helped me become a calmer, happier mom!”

Dorene Goldstein, RNC, CLNC

“Establishing a CLNC^® business in my home has allowed me to merge my diverse interests, responsibilities and bio-rhythms into a schedule that benefits me. Professionally and personally, I wear many hats: CLNC^® consultant, nurse educator in a nursing school simulation laboratory, MSN student, world traveler, community theatre actor, gardener and community service activist. As a lifelong night owl, I can work into the wee hours of the night.

One of the greatest pleasures of my home office is the opportunity to have lunch on my second floor porch with my sweet yorkie-poo, Sofie, overlooking my gardens and pond. I can take as much or as little time as I need to relax, refresh and energize myself at a time when I truly need a break, not when it fits into someone else’s schedule.

Designing my home office was my idea of fun! The room was a small spare bedroom that I literally gutted, so I could create it on a blank canvas. Ignoring my husband’s questions, concerns and offers of help, I totally did it my way. I hired an inexpensive handyman to reshape the room and paint the walls purple and red. I hired an electrician, who specialized in older homes, to ensure the power requirements for my equipment would be met. I splurged on an arts and crafts reproduction desk, electronics and office equipment, making sure the items I purchased would serve me well as my CLNC^® business expanded. For reading volumes of medical records and conducting research, I reupholstered a small club chair with three different, coordinating fabrics, and placed it in a corner with a small arts and craft table. My chair is a functional escape, which I often have to share with Sofie!”

Debra Good-Zeiner, RN, BSN, CLNC

Success Is Inside!

One of our vendors Matthew (the name has been changed to protect the guilty) recently dropped the ball. Because he has a great track record all he really needed to do was acknowledge it and we would have gotten quickly back on track. But instead of owning his mistake, he chose to ignore it, apparently just wishing it would all disappear.

So a week later when we met, he brought a companion – what I call the “elephant in the room.” The elephant in the room is the shame and discomfort that comes with knowing one is wrong, but not having the guts to own it. There we all sat around the table, Matthew, me, a couple of staffers and a very large elephant.

At first, Matthew’s interactions were so strained it was almost laughable. The elephant just kept growing until it seemed to be taking up half the conference room. My staffers were giving him no quarter.

Finally, someone looked at him and said, “Matt, just own it.” At that moment he looked almost relieved and said, “I’m sorry I let everyone down. It won’t happen again.” We all looked at him, said “thanks” and went on with our meeting. The elephant left the building as fast as it arrived because Matthew summoned the courage to finally acknowledge that it was there.

In your CLNC^® business, have you ever brought an elephant into a meeting with an attorney-client? You may have dropped the ball and, like Matthew, need to own up to it but can’t seem to summon the courage to do so. Even if the attorney doesn’t mention it, the elephant won’t go away on its own, and the pain it causes you will be much greater than the pain of acknowledging you made a mistake. Plus, every second that the elephant is in the room without acknowledgment is a strain on your professional relationship.

I could write a book on just the mistakes I’ve made. The person who makes no mistakes usually makes nothing at all. I can pretty much guarantee that at some point in your career as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant you’ll walk into a meeting with an attorney-client followed by a large, relentless elephant. You’ll have a choice: fess up or let the elephant take up all the space. You decide!

Success Is Inside (but the elephant shouldn’t be)!

Long ago I blogged about the Quick Access Toolbar available in every Microsoft^® Office^® 2007+ program. This is an invaluable tool for Certified Legal Nurse Consultants because it delivers quick access to many of the tools you need for your CLNC^® business. I’ve customized mine to include not just the usual functions of cut, paste, undo, redo and print, but I’ve also added an email button!

Anyone who has ever started an email and then had to fish around on their hard drive for a particular document to attach will love this. Once you’ve completed (and saved) a document like a legal nurse consulting report or PowerPoint presentation you can simply click the email button and it will open up a new email with that document attached to it! Now, instead of wasting your valuable Certified Legal Nurse Consultant time fishing, simply fill in the lucky recipient and the subject and it’s ready to go.

How do I add this wonderful time-saving tool to my Quick Access Toolbar? It’s easy my CLNC^® amigos. You left click on the drop down arrow to the right of the Quick Access Toolbar and select the tools you want in the order you want them to appear. That’s all there is to it. Now you can email from any Microsoft Office product without having to switch programs or go fishing for attachments.

Keep on techin’,

Tom

Thanks to all the CLNC® consultants who attended the 2011 National Alliance of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants Conference Cruise. I so loved hearing how much you learned from our speakers and seeing you networking with fellow CLNC® pirates. It was a blast partying with you and spending a week together. I loved hearing your CLNC® Success Stories and am so energized by them.

Here are a few tips to keep you going on the path to your goals:

1. Reconnect with your attorney-clients by sending a note to let them know you’ve attended the NACLNC^® Conference for additional education and to renew your CLNC^® Certification. Remind them that this is your way to better serve them and their clients.
2. Send a news release to your community newspaper announcing your completion of this advanced Certified Legal Nurse Consultant training and renewal of your CLNC^® Certification.
3. Continue your success: mark your calendar and sign up now for the
   2013 NACLNC^® Conference where you can join us for a 7-Day Weekend March 2-9, 2013 sailing the Western Caribbean.

Enjoy the NACLNC^® Conference photo gallery and the video of the CLNC^® cheerleading contest (each group had five minutes to create, choreograph and practice their cheer).

Thanks for helping to make the NACLNC^® Conference the amazing event that it was. I’ll see you in 2013 aboard the Oasis of the Seas for the next NACLNC^® Conference. Can’t wait to cruise the rest of the Caribbean with you.

Success Is Inside!

Vickie and I are back from the NACLNC^® Conference Cruise and, if you followed her blogs last week, you know we had a rocking time on the high seas! Our next Conference Cruise is guaranteed to be even more fun. That being said, here’s another quickie Tech Tip because I’m still trying to unpack and deal with all the detritus of CLNC^® life that builds up in your inbox while you’re out of the office on a cruise having fun with hundreds of CLNC^® consultants.

Many CLNC^® consultants use Microsoft^® Outlook^® as their legal nurse consulting business’s email client. It’s a powerful organizational tool. Here’s an Outlook tip for you. Let’s say you are in the midst of reading an email from one of your attorney-clients and you decide to you need to set a reminder, calendar appointment or new task to follow-up on the topic of the email. There’s an easier way: Simply drag and drop that email directly onto the calendar date. This will immediately create a new appointment with the information from the email in the body of the appointment and the subject of the email in the subject line of the appointment. All you need to do is set the time!

This is a wonderful way to master your inbox and I have to make a confession: I learned this trick from Vickie who is a master of the Outlook Calendar. Use this tip to master your own Certified Legal Nurse Consulting destiny, or at least your calendar.

Keep on Techin’,

Tom