DON'T MISS: Pg. 22 Pg. 26 Pg. 28 · 2017-02-02 · “HUMAN RESOURCES: GETTING OR FILLING A JOB”...

“HUMAN RESOURCES: GET TING OR FILLING A JOB”

June/July 2014Vol. 2014, No. 3

Pg. 22Common Mistakes Made During An Interview

Pg. 26Resume Refresh: 5 Tips for Sprucing Up Your Legal Resume

Pg. 28Book Review: The Happiness Advantage

DON'T MISS:

2 THE VERDICT - June / July

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE VERDICT STAFF

EVENTS4 Calendar of Events13 2014 Summer Social 19 ALA Webinars

NEWS13 Know Your Legal Jargon16 Diversity Scholarship

MEMBERS 3 2014-2015 ALAMN Officers & Directors10 New Members12 New ALAMN Member Profile - Shatel Schmale32 Get to Know Your Board

MORE INSIDE5 ALAMN Mission Statement 7 2014 Business Partner Sponsors 17 HCBA Connection31 Advertisers in this Issue

COLUMNS5 President's Letter18 Corporate Account Takeover: You and Your Bank20 Your Firm's Letterhead Makes A Difference…… and So Do the Business Cards and Envelopes!22 Common Mistakes Made During An Interview24 Your Three O’clock Is Here: The 5-Minute Approach to Interview Prep26 Resume Refresh: 5 Tips for Sprucing Up Your Legal Resume28 Book Review: The Happiness Advantage - The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work

REPORTS8 Question of the Month11 Large Firm Administrators Group11 Facilities Management Special Interest Group14 Community Service Committee - April 2014

Letters to the EditorLetters to the Editor of The Verdict are welcome and can be e-mailed to [email protected]. In your letter, please include your name, firm name, mailing address, daytime phone number, and e-mail address. Letters that do not contain full contact information cannot be published. Letters typi-cally run 150 words or less and may be edited. Your letter can be on any topic. You will be contacted before your letter is published. Thank you.

Editor Tara L. Smith, J.D. Walling Berg & Debele PA612.335.3227 [email protected]

Advertising David R. AstrameckiMeagher & Geer PLLP612.347.9189 [email protected]

2014 - 2015 ALAMN OFFICERS & DIREC TORS

3THE VERDICT - June / July

PRESIDENTDeborah O’Connor, CLM

Best & Flanagan LLP

612.339.7121

[email protected]

PAST PRESIDENTDavid Oxley, CLM

[email protected]

PRESIDENT-ELECTKatherine Hubbard

Madigan Dahl & Harlan PA

612.604.2585

[email protected]

DIRECTORSADMINISTRATIONWendy Bartlett

Metropolitan Airports Commission

612.726.8192

[email protected]

COMMUNICATIONSSarah Evenson

Anderson Helgen Davis & Nissen PA

612.435.6354

[email protected]

EDUCATIONPamela Gerads

Merchant & Gould PC

612.336.4668

[email protected]

FINANCETracey Skjeveland, CLM

Merchant & Gould PC

612.371.5211

[email protected]

MEMBERSHIPSarah Didrikson

Nilan Johnson Lewis PA

612.305.7614

[email protected]

4THE VERDICT - June / July 2013 -

CALENDAR OF E VENTS


JUNE JULY AUGUST

4 - Large Firm Administrators 12:00 p.m. Location Stinson Leonard Street

5 - IP SIG 11:45 a.m. Location Dicke Billig & Czaja

5 - S&T SIG 12:00 p.m. Location Fredrikson & Byron

10 - ALAMN General Meeting 11:30 a.m. Location Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi

17 - Facilities SIG 12:00 p.m. Location Merchant & Gould

18 - ALA Webinar “The Paradox of Profits and Using Metrics That Matter” 2:00 p.m. Location Merchant & Gould

19 - Small/Medium Group 11:30 a.m. Location Town & Country Club, St. Paul

26 - Simpson Shelter Meal Service 5:00 p.m. Location Simpson United Methodist Church (basement), 2740 1st Ave S, Minneapolis

2 - ALA Webinar “Listening Pays: Be a Better Legal Administrator through the Power of Listening” 2:00 p.m. Location Merchant & Gould

16 - Community Service Committee Meeting 11:30 a.m. Location TBD

16 - ALA Webinar “Cyber/Privacy Insurance: What’s the Deal?” 2:00 p.m. Location Merchant & Gould

22 - ALA Webinar “Financial Tips for Contingent Fee Practices: How Do You Manage?” 2:00 p.m. Location Merchant & Gould

23 – Summer Social 4:00 p.m. Location Vic’s, Historic St. Anthony Main, Minneapolis

5 - HR Committee Meeting 11:30 a.m. Location Foley & Mansfield

6 – Large Firm Administrators 12:00 p.m. Location Larkin Hoffman

7 - ALA Webinar “Legal Secretaries: The Future of Law Firm Staffing” 2:00 p.m. Location Merchant & Gould

12 – General Meeting 11:30 a.m. Location TBD

SU MO TU WE TH FR SA

1 2 3 4 5 6 78 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 2122 23 24 25 26 27 2829 30 1 2 3 4 5


29 30 1 2 3 4 56 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 1920 21 22 23 24 25 2627 28 29 30 31 1 2


27 28 29 30 31 1 23 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 1617 18 19 20 21 22 2324 25 26 27 28 29 3031 1 2 3 4 5 6

Thirty-two ALAMN members had the opportunity to attend ALA’s Annual Conference in Toronto in May. This year’s conference theme, “An Educational Mosaic,” lived up to its promise with more than 90 educational and business matters sessions, a very relevant business partner exhibit hall called the le-

gal marketplace, and an overall great network of oppor-tunities. The week of events started with a powerful key-note address, “Endeavour to Succeed,” by Captain Mark Kelly and his wife, former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, and culminated with an REO Speedwagon concert.

Several new features were added to the conference this year. First, the HIVE was a designated center to explore social media tools and how law firms may use those tools to facilitate learning. In addition, I appreciated the increased number of business matters sessions because they tend to equip us with interesting and practical knowledge that adds value, not only to the conference experience, but also to each of our firms. Another per-sonal favorite was “ReDesign-Law: The Legal Office of the Future”. Gensler, in partnership with ALA, erected within the conference space an interactive prototype show-ing what an office space will look like going forward in

a highly collaborative, client-focused environment. This exhibit was a must-see for any firm exploring either a re-design of current space or a future new space.

Still, another one of my favorite activities for every confer-ence is socializing with our ALAMN chapter members and gaining the opportunity to know new members better. We were fortunate to have seven new chapter attend-ees at the conference this year, in part due to our gener-ous scholarship program. Of these seven new attendees, three members are already involved in leadership posi-tions within our chapter. Abby Rooney has assumed the Co-Chair position of the Human Resource Committee, Phil Rush is the Co-Chair of the Communications Commit-tee, and Tara Smith, is now the Editor of The Verdict. It was good to spend time with each of them as well as the other new attendees and “seasoned” attendees.

Take a minute and check out the variety of educational opportunities that were available at www.alanet.org and start thinking of joining other members of the Minne-sota Chapter next year in Nashville, Tennessee. I promise you will find it not only worthwhile, but a benefit to your firm. Or, perhaps you are looking for something in your career path, less expensive, or with a shorter time com-mitment? Then the Fall Business of Law Conferences or Specialty Conferences are for you. You may find more in-formation on ALA’s website.

FROM THE PRESIDENT OF ALAMNBy: Deborah O’Connor, CLM


ALAMN has adopted ALA's Mission StatementTo improve the quality of management in legal services or-ganizations; promote and enhance the competence and professionalism of legal administrators and all members of the management team; and represent professional legal management and managers to the legal community and to the community at large.

The Minnesota Chapter again earned the President’s Award of Excellence at the Platinum level. Congratu-lations to the members of our committees, the co-chairs and members of the Board for their hard work in achieving this goal.

It is salary survey time! This year we will have the added bonus of surveying benefits. You have already received

an email inviting you to complete the first part, which gathers information on benefits. In the era of affordable healthcare legislation, it is essential you provide critical benefits to your employees. Our survey becomes more valuable with each firm that participates in the process, providing better information for our firms. In addition, participants will have the option of purchasing the sur-vey at a reduced price.

FROM THE PRESIDENT OF ALAMN - CONT.


continued from page 5

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SAVE THE DATE! Our Summer Social will be on Wednesday, July 23rd from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Vic’s in Minneapolis. You will receive more information within the next few weeks. I look forward to seeing you all there! Until then, have a great summer.

2014 BUSINESS PARTNER SPONSORS


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Associated Bank N.A.

BMO Harris Bank

Nuance Communications

Business Data Record ServicesComputex Technology SolutionsHenricksenLoffler Companies Inc.Marco, Inc.

Ricoh USA, Inc.The Gunlocke CompanyU.S. BankVerus CorporationWells Fargo Bank N.A.

Aramark Refreshment ServicesAssurity River Group, Inc.Beacon Hill Staffing Berry Coffee CompanyBillBLASTBremer BankCBIZ, Inc.cicaydaCITech Solutions, Inc.Coffee Mill, Inc.Complete Graphics, Inc.CORTCushman & Wakefield/NorthMarqDoherty StaffingEnventisFedEx ServicesFluid Interiors

FRSecureGreiner ConstructionHays CompaniesImaging PathIntegreonIST ManagementIVDeskJones Lang LaSalleKelly Law RegistryLexisNexisMerrill CorporationmilliCare by Facility Services, Inc.Minnesota Lawyers Mutual InsuranceMOTG - a Xerox CompanyMSpace/iSpaceNightOwl DiscoveryNorthland Business Systems, Inc.

Office DepotParametersRobert Half LegalRoskop Construction LLCS&T Office ProductsShred RightSolbrekk Business Technology SolutionsSovran, Inc.Special Counsel Stonebridge BankSUCCESS Computer Consulting, Inc.Thomson ReutersTW TelecomUPSVerizon WirelessWillis of Minnesota

ABA Retirement Funds ProgramADV Document Systems, Inc.Bertelson Total Office SolutionsCAPTRUST Financial AdvisorsClient ConnectionCrane Data Forensics

Depo InternationalEducation Partners, Inc.Erickson Marketing, Inc.Exceptional EngravingGardner BuildersMarsh & McLennan Agency LLC

Mercer Quality Resource Group, Inc.RJ Ahmann CompanyStudio Hive, Inc.Tower Legal Solutions

Emergent Networks LLC


ALAMN QUESTION OF THE MONTH - JUNE 2014

Question: As an attendee, what did you take home with you from the 2014 ALA Annual Conference & Exposition in Toronto, Ontario, Canada? Answers: Deborah O’Connor, CLM - Law firms today should be investing in their technology. A successful firm will be allocating more dollars to technology than it does to their space going forward.David Oxley, CLM - I have a much better understanding of the financial ramifications of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Katherine Hubbard - My one take away from the confer-ence is the incredible breadth and depth of the knowl-edge base with which the ALAMN is blessed. I had the privilege of meeting ALAMN members I had not known before and getting to know better ALAMN members whom I had met in the past.Wendy Bartlett - One of the most rewarding things I have learned when attending all ALA conferences is that there are always new people to meet and new friendships to make.Sarah Didrickson - How to eat an oyster (see picture).Kimberly Ess - Education is an important part of our de-velopment. Networking allows you to take that develop-ment and put it to practical use. The conference makes both possible.Philip Rush - There is a vast network of resources to help make our law firms better. Whether it is a vendor telling us about their new product or service, a colleague from another firm that is explaining the way they handle a situation, or an educational speaker laying out his or her vision of what could be, all of these resources combine to help us be better administrators for our firms.Shari Tivy - I gathered several tips on how to improve re-cruiting, hiring and retention of diverse candidates.Vicki Nagel - Tips from Kristin Stark on developing effec-tive compensation plans and ways to soften the financial impact of compensating retiring partners.Richard Nigon, CLM - I learned about the “New Metrics” we should begin using to analyze firm and partner per-formance.Gregg Steiger - I really enjoyed the legal office of the fu-ture. It provided some great "hands-on" ideas about the cost effective and efficient use of office space, including some of the newer furniture and technology. I am ex-cited about exploring these ideas further as we build out new space at our firm.Norma Thayer - That change is inevitable and constant even in the law industry – we need to embrace it to keep up with it!

[ photos on page 9 ]

ALAMN QUESTION OF THE MONTH - JUNE 2014 - PHOTOS



JUNE / JULY 2014 NEW MEMBERS

Emily Dalbec Controller Stinson Leonard Street 150 South Fifth Street, Suite 2300 Minneapolis, MN 55402 612.335.7091 [email protected]

Rebecca Emmons Director of Human Services Lockridge Grindal Nauen 100 Washington Avenue South, Suite 2200 Minneapolis, MN 55401-2159 612.596.4043 [email protected]

Julie Harding Chief Financial Officer Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand 3300 Wells Fargo Center 90 South Seventh Street Minneapolis, MN 55402 612.672.8200 [email protected]

Jimmy Howell IT Director McGrann Shea Carnival Straughn & Lamb Chartered 800 Nicollet Mall, Suite 2600 Minneapolis, MN 55402 612.752.1975 [email protected]

Michelle McCullough Director of Legal Services Viksnins Harris & Padys PLLP 7900 International Drive, Suite 670 Bloomington, MN 55425 [email protected]

Shantel Schmale Firm Administrator O'Meara Leer Wagner & Kohl PA 7401 Metro Boulevard, Suite 600 Minneapolis, MN 55439 952.806.0428 [email protected]

Alex Schmid Assistant Controller Stinson Leonard Street LLP 150 South Fifth Street Minneapolis, MN 55402 612.743.5574 [email protected]

Please welcome the following ALA members who recently joined ALAMN:

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LARGE FIRM ADMINISTRATORS GROUPBarbara Clark of Oppenheimer hosted the April meet-ing of the Large Firm Group. The group covered vari-ous topics, including on- and off-site data hosting.

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 6, at noon at Larkin Hoffman.


FINANCE MANAGEMENT SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPThe Financial Management Special Interest Group met on the second Thursday in April at the office of Gray Plant Mooty. Our host was Shelbie O’Brien. The topic, “Tax Re-form - Accrual Accounting for Law Firms,” was presented by Todd Jackson and Andy Capistrant, partners specializing in tax with McGladrey LLP. Discussion focused on the propos-al put forth by David Camp, a republican representative of Michigan in the House Ways and Means Committee,

requiring all professional service organizations to change from the cash method of accounting to the accrual meth-od of accounting. While a bill is not likely to pass this year, the potential impact on law firms could be significant, particularly for those firms with large receivable balances or large contin-gent practices where cases can span several years.

On the second Thursday in May, the Financial Manage-ment Special Interest Group meeting was hosted by Gregg Steiger of Bowman and Brooke LLP. The top of discussion was leasing equipment purchases versus buying and fi-nancing equipment through a bank. The discussion was led by John Uremovich from Stonebridge Bank (2014 cop-per business partner sponsor of ALAMN) and Bill Kelly from K2 Capital Group. The presentation was followed by an open forum discussion. Discussion first centered around each firm’s laptop and desktop procurement process and timing as well as using a virtual desktop solution. Next, the group also talked about the benefits and drawbacks of us-ing an outside vendor to audit office lease operating ex-penses which are then paid as a percentage of any found savings and the value of participating in and use of vari-ous available law firm surveys to benchmark billing rates and operating costs. Lastly, the group discussed auditing of travel expense reports.

The next meeting of the Financial Management Special Interest Group will be hosted by Tracey Skjeveland, CLM at the office of Merchant & Gould, 3200 IDS Center, 80 South Eighth Street on Tuesday, June 17, 2014.

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NE W ALAMN MEMBER PROFILE - SHANTEL SCHMALEGETTING TO KNOW YOU…

Quick facts about you: Home town? Chicago, Illinois

High school & mascot? Whitney Young Dolphins

College & major? The University of Iowa- English

Family? My husband Derek (my college sweetheart) and I have one son, Wyatt, who is 3

Pets? No pets yet, but when we move out of our condo and into a house, we’ve promised Wyatt that he can have a dog—who he plans to name Alfred or Surly.

Hobbies? I am a total bibliophile—I absolutely love books: all genres. I am also obsessed with researching the Civil War and hope to one day pursue a PhD in Civil War History so that people are forced to come to class and listen to me talk about it! In addition to the above, I love dance, theater and music and am obsessed with watching Chicago Bears and Iowa Hawkeye football!

Quick facts about your firm: Your main responsibilities: Human Resources, management of non-attorney staff, other administrative tasks• I love working with the people. Everyone has been

so kind, welcoming and helpful.

Why/how did you become a legal administrator?I wanted a career that would be challenging, excit-ing and fulfilling—I wanted something that would exercise my talents and push them to the limit. I have

always been interested in the justice system, I have always enjoyed work-ing with people, and I’ve always en-joyed playing important roles within organizations. Being a legal adminis-trator marries all of those elements; I couldn’t be happier!

What is the best advice you have ever received?

The best advice I have ever received came from my mother: stand firm in what you believe in—don’t compromise your morals for anything. Money and power can’t replace your self-respect.

I joined ALAMN because… I was told that it would be a wonderful resource as I grow in my new career. I know that I have a lot to learn and, from what I’ve heard, the best in the field are members of this organization; working with them will help me progress—it will teach me so much. The more I learn, the more I can help the firm.

One thing I try to do each day at work is…

Walk around and touch base with people. Even if it is just a quick “hello” it is a connection that has been made. Connections are essential to success.

Others describe me…. As funny and smart. (I hope that they also say I’m kind…!)

Someday I would like to… Travel the world: spend time in Kenya, South Africa, Eng-land, France, Italy, Greece…the list goes on and on….

People would be surprised to learn that I… Am a classically trained musician (although I haven’t played in years)


Attention all ALAMN Members and Sponsors:

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, July 23 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Come and enjoy the networking and wonderful summer weather from the patio of Vic’s on Historic Main Street.

Watch for more information in the coming weeks.

Vic’s 201 SE Main Street Historic St. Anthony Main, Minneapolis

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COMMUNIT Y SERVICE COMMIT TEE - APRIL 2014

On Sunday, April 13, 2014, ALAMN members and busi-ness partners had the pleasure of preparing a meal at two of the Ronald McDonald Homes in the Twin Cities: the Main House at 621 Oak Street in Minneapolis, and The House Inside the Hospital at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics.

This was our 5th year preparing a meal at one or more of the Ronald McDonald Houses in the Twin Cities!

Ronald McDonald House (RMH) provides a home-away-from-home for families who travel far from their own homes to get treatment for their seriously ill children. Ronald McDonald Houses are near or right inside three Twin Cities’ hospitals, allowing family members to stay close to their hospitalized children at little or no cost.

This year we served brunch. The meal we prepared in-cluded egg bake with bacon, pancakes with syrup and/or strawberries and whipped cream, a variety of fresh fruit, muffins, coffee cake, yogurt, orange juice, milk and coffee.

Thank you to the following volunteers who helped pre-pare this year’s meal:

• Laurie Greenberg, Briggs and Morgan, her niece, Becca Przetycki, and friend, Hannah Boleman

• Tom Millin, Bowman and Brooke • Tracy Smith, Smith Gendler Shiell Sheff Ford &

Maher and her daughter, Jessica • Katherine Hubbard, Madigan Dahl & Harlan,

and her husband, Doug • Vicki Meyer, Gislason & Hunter • Cheryl Nelson, CLM, Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi • Norma Thayer, Zimmerman Reed • Pam Gerads, Merchant & Gould • Dick Nash, Henricksen and his wife, Lori • Pat Stender, Cousineau McGuire and her daugh-

ter, Colleen

If you are interested in additional volunteer opportuni-ties through Ronald McDonald House Charities Upper Midwest, you may contact them at 612-767-2788.

Watch the Verdict and the ALAMN Website for our 2014 volunteer events and drives. Please contact Vicki Meyer at [email protected] or 763-225-6048, or Pat Stender at [email protected] or 952-525-6996 if you are interested in finding out more about the Community Services Committee! New members are al-ways welcome!

DIVERSIT Y SCHOLARSHIP

Objective and Award: Award up to $500.00 in scholarship for college tuition, books, room or board. Award is intended for students of diverse backgrounds in the Minnesota metro area planning to study in an area related to le-gal administration with an emphasis in: legal studies, paralegal studies, business administration, marketing, human resources, finance, or accounting. The schol-arship money is paid directly to the college or univer-sity in the account name of the student attending. The scholarship money is restricted for use as tuition, books, room or board.

Basic Qualifications: Applicant must be accepted at an accredited college and in good academic standing in high school.

Application Requirements: • Application must include a short 250 – 500 word

essay by the student summarizing their area of intended study or degree; their interest in legal administration or a related field and describe what diversity means to them and why it is im-portant.

• Essay should be typed double spaced in font size 12 points and include the author’s name, tele-phone number, email address, and school name.

• Application must include two letters of reference. • Applicant must include a letter of acceptance

from their college or university. • Applicant must include an official transcript from

their high school.

Applications must be submitted on or before July 15th, 2014 to: ALAMN Diversity Scholarship Committee c/o Curt Okerson, Committee Member Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. 200 South Sixth Street, Suite 4000 Minneapolis, MN 55402 [email protected]

Award Date: August 1st, 2014


HCBAConnectionJune 2014

Updates for Legal Administrators and Law Office Managers from the Hennepin County Bar Association

Hennepin County Bar Association • Proudly serving legal professionals and the public • www.hcba.org • 612-752-6600

Summer Associate Orientation Program The Hennepin County Bar Association and the Hennepin County Law Library will again be hosting an orientation program to acquaint your firm’s summer associates with the Law Library and the services it provides. The program, which includes a tour, will be offered on two dates in June.

2014 Summer Associate Orientations Hennepin County Law Library

Dates to Choose From:

Wednesday, June 4, at 8:30 a.m.Tuesday, June 10, at 8:30 a.m.

Additional information and reservation are available at:

http://hclaw.co.hennepin.mn.us or call Tim Devine at 612-348-2903 to register.

Hennepin County Bar Foundation

CHArity GOLF CLASSiCMonday, August 11

Burl Oaks Golf Club, Minnetrista

Save the Date

inviting ALL Hennepin County Bar Association members! From new lawyers to

our most experienced attorneys. Join us and join in the fun at our summer social.

Don’t Miss Our Summer Membership Social!

Make sure your firm joins us for the bar association’s biggest summer event!

Members: Attend for free.

Non-members: $10 at the door.

Contact Joy Hamilton at 612-752-6614 if you are

interested in being a sponsor.

Wednesday June 185:00 to 7:00 pm

Crowne Plaza8th Floor skygarden

618 second ave south, minneapolis, 55402

THANk You 2013-2014 ANNuAL HCBA SpoNSorS

CORPORATE ACCOUNT TAKEOVER: YOU AND YOUR BANK

“It won’t happen to us” is an all too common misconception organiza-tions tell themselves when they think about corporate account takeover. Unfortunately, losses due to malware and other online attacks is a growing number that is adversely impacting organizations — to the tune of $210

million in 2011 and with the potential to increase to $371 million by 2015. The best defense to combating this elec-tronic crime is through education; know what steps you can take to lessen risk and visit with your banker to learn what options they have available to help reduce your risk.

What can my firm do to reduce its risk of account takeover?

• Monitor and reconcile your accounts daily. • Set up dual control for processing transactions and

separate finance and accounting job functions. • Use common sense best practices for opening

emails — don’t open emails you aren’t expecting.

What services do banks offer to reduce the risk of account takeover?

• Take advantage of software provided by your bank which allows you to confirm in-clearing items as your items; this is available for check monitoring and ACH blocks or filters.

• Sign up for eStatements and reduce the chance of your paper statement being intercepted by some-one. Most people don’t realize their statements contain enough information for a thief to use when calling a bank call center to reasonably pass an iden-tification test and then gain access to additional in-formation or conduct a transaction.

• Confirm your bank offers behavior-analytics soft-ware. Online behavior patterns are as unique as a fingerprint; behavior-analytics software learns your unique patterns and recognizes transactions out-side these patterns to be reviewed as potentially suspicious transactions.

• Confirm your bank offers intrusion-detection soft-ware which identifies known threats and removes the threat in the background before accessing the online banking platform.

For more information on corporate account takeover, please contact me at [email protected] or 701.795.2623.

The information presented is for informational purposes only. No computer system can provide absolute security under all conditions. Any views or opinions presented do not necessarily state or reflect those of Alerus Financial or its related companies.

By Kristine Lunde, Deposit Product Specialist Lead, Alerus Financial


ALA Webinars can be viewed at no cost to ALAMN mem-bers at Merchant & Gould each month. Sign up by regis-tering online or by contacting Pam Gerads by phone: 612-336-4668, or email: [email protected]

Webinar: “The Paradox of Profits 7 Using Metrics that Matter” Wednesday, June 18, 2014 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Central Time

Is the law firm across the street (where a partner's spouse works) more profitable than yours? What is an accept-able profit margin and how does leverage impact profit margins? Some law firms struggle with identifying what to measure, and how metrics and analytics can support business strategies. Be sure to join this webinar that will assist you in knowing how to identify metrics that provide insight on how your firm is performing.

Webinar: “Listening Pays: Be a Better Legal Adminis-trator through the Power of Listening” Wednesday, July 2, 2014 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Central Time

Everything rises and falls with listening. Yet it’s estimated that the average person ignores, forgets or misunder-stands at least 75% of what they hear. Join this interac-tive webinar, and leave challenged to develop a listening leadership focus in your professional and personal life. Learn how the value of listening is fundamental to effec-tive leadership and team success, paving a direct path-way for you to solve conflicts, increase results, foster re-spect, build teamwork and strengthen credibility.

Webinar: “Cyber/Privacy Insurance: What’s the Deal?” Wednesday, July 16, 2014 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Central Time

So what is the deal? The news media has covered data breaches causing the public (and you) to be concerned about your own personally identifiable information…but what about the implications for your law firm? Today’s administrator is inundated with insurance products, we-binars and social media scares. Join this webinar to learn what cyber/privacy exposure to consider before you “bet the firm” on your decisions in this area.

Webinar: “Financial Tips for Contingent Fee Practices: How Do You Manage?” Tuesday, July 22, 2014 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Central Time

How well do you manage the contingent fees for your firm? You invest a significant amount of your expertise, time and the firm’s limited financial resources in each case, weighing the odds of getting a reasonable return on the investment. Join this webinar to gain financial tips, tools and practical advice that will help you to mitigate the financial risk found in contingent fee cases.

Webinar: “Legal Secretaries: The Future of Law Firm Staffing” Thursday, August 7, 2014 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Central Time

The future of the legal secretary is in flux: there are fewer today, and their role is changing. What skills and abilities are required for the next generation of legal secretaries? What should they be doing? How do you create a culture that encourages your staff and attorneys to develop the legal secretary’s strengths? Join this webinar to learn the answer to these questions – and more – about the evolv-ing legal workplace.

ALA WEBINARS


YOUR FIRM’S LET TERHEAD MAKES A DIFFERENCE…… AND SO DO THE BUSINESS CARDS AND ENVELOPES!


In today’s world of electronic communication and digital print, it does not seem as though printed identity materials are impactful, important, or in some cases, even relevant. What used to be a large dollar spend and budget item for a firm is now at times marginalized or considered a hassle or pain to deal with for firms.

Before you say “yeah, so?”, you should be aware of a report performed by Altman Weil, Inc., a management consulting company specializing in law firms, which measured the im-pact of company identity materials in a client's selection of law firms.

The report entitled “Comparative Study of Law Firm Iden-tity Systems,” found the following factors to be meaningful and valuable to potential law firm clients:

• Key Factors in Selecting a Law Firm: » Responsiveness » Cost-conscious » Communicates frequently

• Important Attributes of a Firm’s Stationery (business cards, letterhead, envelopes):

» Easy to read at first glance » Conveys a high level of professionalism/confidence » Positive first impression/communicates a qual-

ity image

• Print Method with Highest Aggregate Scores » Engraving » Thermography » Lithography » Laser/digital

Engraving and Thermography are printing techniques resulting in a raised feel of the print off the surface of the paper. With touch being the most powerful human expression of emotion, it is no wonder these print meth-ods scored so high and resulted in the following impres-sion responses from survey participants to these forms of print:

“professional, established”“large, successful, capable”“first rank, big city, classy”“quality-oriented, pays attention to detail”

With that said, the question now becomes “How can uti-lization of tactile print methods to your firm’s stationery be valuable and meaningful?”

• Potential clients are definitely influenced by the quality of a firm’s stationery.

• Stationery that is engraved has the most impact in conveying quality, professionalism, and confidence.

• Engraving best conveys attributes important to cli-ents (positive first impression, easy to read, commu-nicating a quality image).

• Engraved stationery instills greater confidence in a law firm.

These factors all contribute to increase the propensity of po-tential clients to choose your firm over others.

In summary, utilization of tactile print methods are IMPOR-TANT to your firm and best left to experienced print pro-fessionals who will give your firm's image and brand the proper treatments needed for success with printed identity communication pieces. Additionally, tactile print methods (particularly engraving) help ensure proper security through sheet watermarking and the difficulty of replicating the en-graved print process.

By David Elert, Vice President of Sales, Complete Graphics

[ continued on page 21 ]

YOUR FIRM’S LET TERHEAD MAKES A DIFFERENCE…… AND SO DO THE BUSINESS CARDS AND ENVELOPES! - CONT.continued from page 20


Complete Graphics, along with its fine stationery division, Gra-vure Engraving, is a one-stop shop for all law firm print needs, including business cards, letterhead, envelopes, mailing labels, personal thank-you stationery, newsletters, will and testament covers, and pocket folders. Complete Graphics is a local, no-has-sle printer (you get WHAT you want, WHEN you want it), and is a proud copper-level business partner sponsor of ALAMN.

If you need printing options, a change from the status quo, or desire local personal attention, please call for an in-person visit, a quote, or to see samples of our beautiful work.

612-746-1061 – David Elert direct

www.complete-graphics.com

If you would like an executive-summary copy of the Altman-Weil study (approximately 15 pages) at no-charge, please email [email protected] and be sure to in-clude your mailing address.

Author Bio: David Elert is Vice President of Sales of Complete Graphics. David is a third-generation printer, specializing in business identity stationery products for upscale companies (particularly law firms) in Minneapo-lis/St. Paul. David’s business life has revolved around print for law firms in The Twin Cities, making him keenly aware of the need to properly manage image and brand through the print medium, along with the importance of getting lawyers their business cards on time!

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By Elizabeth Kohl & Matt Janes, Doherty Employment Group

Applying for jobs online is a daunting process that can make a candidate feel out of control. As an ac-tive job-seeker, the last thing that you want to do when you finally land an interview is to make a sim-ple mistake that could cost you a shot at landing the job. Here are a few common mistakes to avoid when meeting with the decision maker:

Not Communicating Effectively or Showing PersonalityThe interviewer has already seen your resume and is familiar with your work history and background. The true purpose of an interview is to determine culture fit and whether the manager can work with you on a daily basis. It has been estimated that 80% of a hiring decision is placed on a candidate’s atti-tude, professionalism, and communication skills, whereas just 20% is based on hard skills and an abil-ity to do the job. During an interview, you will be answering questions about your specific skill set as it relates to the position, but you will also need to make an effort to connect with your interviewer. Having a negative attitude, lacking enthusiasm for the opportunity, and being impersonal can lead to a dull meeting.

Not Listening and Wild TangentsDuring an interview, be sure to listen to each ques-tion. Your responses should be concise and focused on answering the question at hand. Many candi-dates have a tendency to veer off course and start talking about something unrelated. In some cases,

the candidate never actually answers what was a simple question. A common example occurs when a candidate is asked why a previous position came to an end. Candidates tend to ramble or go off on wild tangents. A simple, “I was laid off along with four other managers,” is better than a full company his-tory. An interviewer will dig further into the issue if they are truly curious.

Lack of FlexibilityOne of the worst things a candidate can do is bring a list of demands to the first interview. Unless you have a bonafide reason to bring up certain job re-quirements, this is not the time to ask for time off, special hours, ability to work from home, or a specific compensation package. All of this can be negotiated in the offer stage, but bringing demands to the table too early will easily sway a decision in favor of the flexible candidate.

Not Dressing for the InterviewWhen it comes to appearance, it is safer to over-dress than to underdress. The first judgement that an interviewer makes is based on how you look. Re-gardless of the work environment or dress code, it is important to look put together for the interview. In addition to appropriate attire, look as professional as possible in your other grooming habits as well. Cover tattoos, do not chew gum, and do not go overboard with jewelry or accessories.

Not Showing InterestIt seems like common sense, but a surprising number of candidates do not let their interviewer know that they are interested in the job. Keep in mind, one of a manager’s biggest fears is turn over after a hire. If you do not act interested in the company or the position

COMMON MISTAKES MADE DURING AN INTERVIE W




during the interview, why would you be interested in staying once you are hired? Prepare in advance so that you are familiar with current information about your prospective employer. Update your LinkedIn profile and check if you have any connections who work at the company who can give you insight. Ad-ditional things that can hurt your chances are not having a firm handshake, lack of eye contact, show-ing up late, and not silencing your phone.

Author Bio: This article was co-authored by Elizabeth Kohl, business devel-

opment manager, and Matt Janes, senior recruiter, at Doherty

Employment Group. Both have been working with Doherty for

three years. Doherty, The Employment Experts, is one of the Mid-

west’s largest and most experienced providers of contract and

temporary staffing, direct-hire recruiting, and human resources

outsourcing services. Headquartered in Minneapolis for more

than 30 years, Doherty offers customized workforce solutions to

companies doing business in Minnesota and across the nation.

Doherty is Minnesota’s largest staffing firm, Minnesota’s 2nd

largest woman-owned business, and the nation’s 10th largest

diversity staffing firm. Doherty is also a recipient of the 2014 Min-

nesota Business Ethics Award.

COMMON MISTAKES MADE DURING AN INTERVIE W - CONT.

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YOUR THREE O’CLOCK IS HERE: THE 5-MINUTE APPROACH TO INTERVIE W PREP

“Your 3 o’clock is here.”

Already?! Well, that’s just rude. Isn’t anybody ever late anymore?

After all, it’s just now 2:55 p.m. You still need time to scan your inbox for the candidate’s elusive cover email. Then you will have to click open the attachment that houses the resume, wait for your computer to unfreeze (tick, tock), and then squint at the name atop the page. Next, you will hit “Print”, walk to the printer, wait for your print job (who has been printing out honeymoon destinations?), brush the late-lunch crumbs from your suit, whisk the warm paper away from the printer’s out-stretched plastic hand, make a beeline back to your office (avoiding the lobby, for obvious reasons), and tidy your desk while glancing at the fuzzy reflection in your now-dark computer screen. You smooth out your hair and strut towards the front desk, pausing only to squeeze your eyes tightly shut and whisper the candi-date’s name three times – very quickly – so as to re-member the one-word question that you will sing out into LobbyLand when you go to collect your candidate.

As your unsuspecting guest follows you down the L-shaped path to the next rest stop of their career, your brow furrows at the sneaking suspicion that there was just one more thing that you forgot to do…

Ah, yes: prepare for the interview.

While this scenario might yield a knowing smile at our industry’s increasingly fast pace, impromptu approach-es to candidate screening can actually be rather costly. According to averages from the Department of Labor Statistics, the cost of an unsuccessful hire is – on the low end – approximately $240,000. This includes initial hiring, training and on-boarding costs, total compensa-tion, eventual severance and other factors like legal fees and the cost of rehire. Still, we are running leaner than ever, and there seem to be fewer and fewer hours in the day to properly execute sound, strategic interview practices. Fortunately, we just need five more minutes.

The “5-Minute Approach to Interview Prep” allows you to avoid the anxiety of ever having to “get” ready for interviews because you will already be ready for inter-views. Just focus on one of the following tips, once a day, and spend five solid minutes thinking of how you will integrate these ideas into your interview process:

1. Consider banning all resumes from your inter-views. Resumes can actually be quite distracting in an interview, both for you and for your candidates. You run the risk of forcing prospects to compete against a piece of paper for your eye contact and attention. Additionally, while scanning the page for data, you may miss certain context clues and tell-tale body language. The point of the in-person in-terview is to engage with your candidate, not read about them. Avoiding the use of resumes in inter-views motivates the interviewer to craft relevant, timely and emotionally intelligent questions. This approach can lead to more suitable hires, both in terms of skill set and personality.

2. Create 5 customized interview questions of your own. Since most candidates will have al-ready prepared canned responses to predictable interview questions, most hiring managers already know what prospects are going to say long before a response is uttered. It is time to shake things up! Firm life is anything but predictable, so it is im-portant to gauge a potential employee’s ability to think on his or her feet. Instead of asking about a candidate’s greatest strengths, try asking them to describe the most challenging time in their career. As an alternative to asking the “where do you see yourself in five years” question, why not generally ask them what they have learned over the past five years, and how they will apply those lessons to the next five years of their lives? Creating your own list of interview questions will go a long way in identi-fying talent that is the right fit for your firm.

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YOUR THREE O’CLOCK IS HERE: THE 5-MINUTE APPROACH TO INTERVIE W PREP - CONT.

3. Master the art of listening. Listening takes genuine, actual practice. Try taking five minutes out of your day to listen to the radio without chuckling, judging or reacting at all. Just listen. Sit in your building’s atri-um for five minutes and try to pick out the number of different sounds that you hear. Listen to a colleague explain an issue without interjecting or offering un-solicited advice. Soon, you will start to truly hear your candidates’ answers in a way that will allow you to discern “best-foot-forward” syndrome from genuine expressions of character and professional integrity.

4. Study your firm’s culture. Candidates are wildly in-terested in what it is really like to work at your firm, and they are listening for even the slightest break in tempo or catch in your voice when you discuss workplace environment. You should be prepared to answer questions pertaining to work/life balance, participation in or frequency of office outings, oppor-tunities for advancement or continuing education, and the general “feel” of the firm. One way to develop truthful, unbiased answers is to simply observe the workplace. Take five minutes to walk around your firm and count the number of smiles or frowns that you encounter. Take notice of whether people are scrambling to leave at 4:55, as opposed to sticking around to help out so that everyone can leave at a reasonable hour. Is teamwork valued or is profession-al independence rewarded? These things count in laying sturdy groundwork for a long-term hire, and it is imperative that candidates receive as candid a per-spective as possible at the interview stage.

5. Commit to making the workplace more enjoyable. After taking inventory of your firm’s cul-ture, set aside some time to think about changes that you could effectuate. Are filing systems becoming cumbersome? Think of an alternative! Has parking become an issue? Suggest a carpool network. Some problems are as simple as a quick fix, but very few

people take the time or effort to implement a solu-tion. Having a few concrete examples of how you have addressed firm-wide concerns bolsters your or-ganization’s ability to secure top-tier candidates.

If you can devote just five minutes a day to becoming a skilled, naturally-effective interviewer, the next time your 3 o’clock arrives early, all you will need to grab is a cup of coffee.

Author Bio:Monique Burt manages strategic development throughout the Midwest for Kelly Legal Managed So-lutions, the law division of Kelly Services' Outsourcing & Consulting Group. Her experience includes consult-ing with law firms and corporate legal departments to create custom solutions to complex discovery and workforce augmentation challenges.

RESUME REFRESH: 5 TIPS FOR SPRUCING UP YOUR LEGAL RESUMEBy Lisa Breiland, Esq.

More than a quarter of lawyers interviewed in a recent Robert Half survey say their firms or companies plan to hire this year. That means it is important to make sure your legal resume is current and fresh, regardless of whether you are on the hunt for a new legal job. A le-gal recruiter might ask for your resume, and a great new opportunity might be just around the corner, especially given the growth of online networking. Here are five tips for freshening up your legal resume right now:

1. Take time to reflectAs you reevaluate your legal resume, spend time re-assessing your career focus and goals. Perhaps you are happy with your career path, but if you feel it is time for a change and you have been acquiring skills in a new area of the law, for example, be sure to adjust your resume to include this. Consider cre-ating multiple versions of your resume to showcase your traditional strengths and your new area of fo-cus rather than generalizing for a wider audience. That way, you will have the right resume for the right job when it comes along.

2. Learn more about industry trendsIf it has been a while since you have been in the job market, you may need a quick refresher on legal in-dustry hiring trends and what specialties are hot. For unbiased insider advice, consider reaching out to a recruiter or a staffing agency that specializes in the legal field. An employment specialist can provide insight into both full-time and project op-portunities in the industry as well as suggest ways you can better target your resume for today’s legal careers.

3. Tighten it up Employers want to see resumes that are targeted, relevant and easy to read. Toss out dated material, such as unrelated activities or now-irrelevant skills. If your legal resume is filled with dense text, break it up with bullet points. Narrow your experience down to

the past 10 to 15 years or to the jobs that are most relevant to your search. Aim for a one-page resume, but two pages are fine if you have extensive experi-ence and/or have written many articles for law re-views. Does your resume conclude with “References available upon request”? If so, take it out. There is no need to include such obvious statements in what is supposed to be a concise document.

4. Show the fruits of your laborIn addition to listing your job duties, it is also im-portant to focus on your impact. What potential employers want to see is how you have taken those responsibilities and achieved specific results. Reflect this in your resume by including recent accomplish-ments. Use powerful active verbs like create and lead instead of participate in or help. For the job that you presently hold, use the present tense. All other jobs should use the past tense.

5. Specialize to stay currentLaw firms and legal departments have become more exacting in the skills and abilities they require. The shallow pool of legal professionals with exper-tise in the most in-demand specialties has resulted in talent shortages. According to the Robert Half Legal 2014 Salary Guide, firms and companies especially seek experienced legal professionals in healthcare, litigation, and general business and commercial law. There also is a need for attorneys and paralegals that bring valuable expertise from ar-eas outside the legal profession. It is not unusual for an e-discovery and intellectual governance team to include someone with a B.S. in computer science and attorneys who are certified in computer foren-sics or e-discovery. Technology skills are particularly important. Do you have niche specialties? Are you bilingual? Can you help manage risk exposure and meet regulatory compliance? Then you are also in



http://legal.rhi.mediaroom.com/2013-12-19-Litigation-Expected-To-Yield-Greatest-Legal-Job-Prospects-In-First-Half-Of-2014-More-Than-One-Quarter-Of-Lawyers-Plan-To-Hire

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demand in the legal industry. As you clean up your resume, ask yourself if you have these and other sought-after expertise. If not, consider professional development or a training program to update your skill set.

Just as you should not wait too long between spring cleaning, lest clutter accumulates and makes the task more arduous when you do tackle the project, you should not let years go by between refreshing your le-gal resume. Besides having a clean and sparkling docu-ment at the ready, this process is an excellent opportu-nity to reflect on your present legal job, evaluate where you want to go, and how best to get there.

Author Bio:Lisa Breiland is the Minneapolis branch di-rector of Robert Half Legal, a leading staff-ing service specializing in the placement of lawyers, paralegals, legal administra-tors and other legal professionals with law firms and corporate legal departments. For more information, contact 612-349-2810 or www.roberthalflegal.com.


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BOOK RE VIE W: THE HAPPINESS ADVANTAGE - THE SE VEN PRINCIPLES OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY THAT FUEL SUCCESS AND PERFORMANCE AT WORK

I have a wall hanging prominently displayed that I see every morning when I wake up—it says: “Happiness is not a destination. It is a way of life.” No wonder I was intrigued by and drawn to the book entitled The Hap-piness Advantage. I sincerely believe happiness is a choice we consciously make, and the wall hanging is a wonderful daily reminder to me about choosing to be happy. I do not mind being called Pollyanna—I much prefer to look at the glass (and life in general) as half full rather than half empty. Further, I believe it is not what happens to us, but rather how we interpret what hap-pens to us that determines our level of happiness and ultimately our destiny in life.

The book jacket of The Happiness Advantage states: “A must-read for everyone trying to excel in a world of increasing workloads, stress, and negativity, The Happi-ness Advantage isn’t only about how to become hap-pier at work. It’s about how to reap the benefits of a happier and more positive mind-set to achieve the ex-traordinary in our work and in our lives.”

I whole-heartedly believe The Happiness Advantage is a must read. It is full of simple, practical and down-to-earth concepts to use in both our work lives and in our personal lives. Author Shawn Achor reveals what he deems "surprising and exciting conclusions" for the working world about "what causes some to rise to the top and thrive in challenging environments while oth-ers sink down and never become what they have in them to be." Kudos to Achor for identifying and sharing The Happiness Advantage principles he derived from over a decade of extensive research.

To glean the full depth and wisdom contained in each of The Happiness Advantage principles, I highly rec-ommend you read the entire book. However, here is

a quick preview of what Achor identifies as The Happi-ness Advantage principles:

1. The Happiness Advantage. Achor’s first principle is the same as the title of his book—The Happiness Advantage. This principle outlines the importance of retraining our brains to focus on being positive because doing so improves both our productivity and our performance. Who does not want to improve their own productivity and performance along with the productivity and performance of their employees?

The Happiness Advantage Principle in a nutshell is: find what makes you happy and do it—it will make you more productive.

2. The Fulcrum (Mindset) and the Lever (Power). The Fulcrum and the Lever principle teaches us how to adjust our mindset in a way that gives us the power to be more fulfilled and successful.

The Fulcrum and the Lever Principle in a nutshell: change your thinking and you can change your performance.

3. The Tetris Effect. The Tetris Effect principle addresses how to retrain our brains to spot patterns in order to change neg-atives into positives. Even though it is impossible to shut out all the negatives, focusing on the positives improves our overall happiness and provides us with the ability to see even more positive available opportunities—it is the domino effect.

The Tetris Effect Principle in a nutshell: focus on the positive and you will be more productive, effective and successful at work and in life overall.

By Wendy Bartlett





BOOK RE VIE W: THE HAPPINESS ADVANTAGE - CONT.continued from page 28

4. Falling Up. The Falling Up principle involves finding a way of believing that leads us out of failure and/or suffer-ing, which then teaches us how to be happier and more successful as a result. Achor discusses the the-ory of learned helplessness, and states that it is our beliefs that ultimately affect our performance and outcome. For example, optimists have the attitude of “It’s not that bad, and it will get better” and take that approach, while pessimists tend to stop trying and sink into a helpless victim mentality. It does not

take a rocket scientist to identify which style pro-vides the optimum benefits and ultimate outcome in any given situation.

The Falling Up Principle in a nutshell: figure out a way to find the positive in a situation—fall up rath-er than giving up and falling down.

5. The Zorro Circle. The Zorro Circle principle has to do with regaining control by focusing on small, manageable goals, and gradually expanding to achieve bigger and bigger goals. According to Achor, building on suc-cesses comes with dedication and time. That is why he named this principle, “The Zorro Circle,” after the legendary masked hero, Zorro. If you saw the movie The Mask of Zorro, you might recall it took some time for the main character, Alejandro, to learn pa-tience and discipline from his sword master, Don Diego. Diego works with Alejandro and teaches him how to master his sword fighting skills within the confines of a small circle. Diego demonstrates that once Alejandro masters his skills within that small circle, he is able to grow into and become the legendary Zorro.

The Zorro Principle in a nutshell: master the skills of smaller goals and gain confidence before moving on to bigger goals.

6. The 20-Second Rule. The 20-Second Rule principle involves refocusing and redirecting our paths when we want to make a change. Achor provides examples of how we can minimize resistance to change by focusing on changing one simple task—a task that can take as little as 20 seconds. Focusing on one single task can reroute us and effectively replace bad habits with good habits—ultimately leading us to accomplish our desired goals.

The 20 Second Principle in a nutshell: if you have a habit you want to change, find one thing that would make it easier for you to change the habit and do that one thing.

7. Social Investment. The Social Investment principle addresses the im-portance of surrounding yourself with others, es-pecially in the midst of stress and challenges. Achor claims that social support is our single greatest asset, and he backs up his claim with data derived from “one of the longest-running psychological studies of all time—the Harvard Men study.” The Harvard Men study claims to have 70 years of evidence proving “that our relationships with other people matter, and matter more than anything else in the world.”

The Social Investment Principle in a nutshell: the ben-efits of tapping into and using your social network as a support network and life line are unsurpassed. Make sure you tap into and maintain your friendships.

I would encourage everyone to read The Happiness Ad-vantage to further glean the golden nuggets of Achor’s seven principles of positive psychology. Albert Sch-weitzer summed up happiness and success very elo-quently and succinctly: “Success is not the key to hap-piness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you’ll be a success.”

Author Bio:Shawn Achor is the winner of over a dozen distinguished teaching awards at Harvard University, where he delivered lectures on positive psychology in the most popular class at Harvard.

He is the CEO of Good Think Inc., a Cambridge-based consulting firm which researches positive outliers -- people who are well above average -- to understand where human potential, success and happiness inter-sect. Based on his research and 12 years of experience at Harvard, he clearly and humorously describes organizations may increase happiness and meaning, raise success rates and profitability, and create positive transformations that ripple into more successful cultures. He is also the author of The Happiness Advantage.

BOOK RE VIE W: THE HAPPINESS ADVANTAGE - CONT.continued from page 29

ALAMN REMINDERALAMN is constantly working to improve our members' professional lives and add val-ue to their membership experience. To that end, we are seeking all individuals interest-ed in studying for the Certified Legal Manager (CLM) exam or simply interested in learn-ing. If we receive a positive response to this inquiry, we will form a CLM study group. If you are interested in attending the study group, would be willing to assist in facilitating the study group, or if you would like additional information regarding CLM, please email Kathy Hubbard at [email protected].

Thank you.


mailto:[email protected]


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18 Alerus Financial

6 Associated Bank

21 BMO Harris Bank

13 Business Data Record Services

8 Computex Technology Solutions

15 Emergent Networks

16 Gunlocke Company

29 Henricksen

25 Loffler Companies

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31 Mercer

23 Nuance Communications

13 Ricoh USA

27 U.S. Bank

27 Verus Corporation

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GET TO KNOW YOUR BOARD

Wendy Bartlett My brothers recently reminded me of my biggest phobia: June bugs. There was an entire colony of June bugs that nested in a flower bed in front of our house when we were kids, and for some reason they all loved to latch onto me more than anyone else in my family – I assume that’s why I still have an overactive fear of June bugs. Thank heavens I no longer see them on a regular basis like I did back when I was a kid.

Sarah Didrikson Big spiders would be my biggest fear.

Sarah Evenson I don’t think I have a phobia of anything, but in my search, the strangest phobia I found was Arachibutyrophobia – the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth.

Pamela Gerads

Heights!

Katherine Hubbard My children dying before me.

Deborah O’Connor , CLM

Danger, or an illness, to a family member ranks high on my list of fears.

David Oxley, CLM I am not particularly fond of heights.

Tracey Skjeveland , CLM

I asked my husband if he thought I had a fear or phobia and he instantly responded “yes, having to pay suggested retail price.” I don’t know if this is a fear but it does cause me anxiety to pay full price for stuff as I like my deals.

Name Your Biggest Fear or Phobia


DON'T MISS: Pg. 22 Pg. 26 Pg. 28 · 2017-02-02 · “HUMAN RESOURCES: GETTING OR FILLING A JOB”...

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Transcript of DON'T MISS: Pg. 22 Pg. 26 Pg. 28 · 2017-02-02 · “HUMAN RESOURCES: GETTING OR FILLING A JOB”...