YLD
President ’ s
COLUMN
Focusing on the Who
As any trial lawyer knows , the quality of the question you ask determines the quality of the answer you will get . When it applies to doing work or making change , we often will default to “ how ” questions . “ How am I going to meet my billable hour requirement ?” “ How am I going to write this brief ?” “ How am I going to cross examine this witness ?” “ How am I going to set up this event ?”
While lying in bed with a head cold , I had the opportunity to read
Who Not How : The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork by Dan Sullivan and Dr . Benjamin Hardy . As the ( somewhat hokey ) title suggests , these co-authors suggest we focus on a different , more relationshipcentric question that can move the needle in both work and personal spheres . Instead of asking how we can do something , they suggest this question : “ Who is the best person ( or who are the best people ) who can help me accomplish this goal ?” They focus on how to build a team .
The book itself is an example of that principle . Dan Sullivan spoke about the idea of “ who not how ” at a conference where Dr . Hardy heard him speak . Dan didn ’ t want to write a long form book , because his priority was on speaking and coaching . So , Dr . Hardy , who was a professional author , offered to write the book for him . Another person in their network joined with expertise in publishing and marketing the book . What could be viewed as an individual mission (“ How do I write and publish a book ?”) formed into a team (“ Who can help me write and publish a book about this idea ?”).
I ’ ve begun asking this question , and it has certainly led to a wider range of solutions focused on the people in my life .“ How can I get in better shape ?” turns into “ Who can help me get into better shape ?” Thus , instead of researching workouts , I reach out to a recommended trainer to design workouts and keep me accountable . “ How can I eat in a healthy way ?” morphs into “ Who can help me eat in a healthy way ?” Again , this question redirects me from trying to research the optimal diet to instead find nutritionists who are experts in the field and can keep me accountable . I ’ ve found that this focus on reaching out for
help from our relationships also makes life richer , because it makes us invest in what matters most : connection with friends , mentors , and our community .
Reflecting on their principle , a great example can be seen in the Young Lawyers Division ’ s most recent event . The YLD hosted the Sarasota County Bar Association ’ s Annual Holiday Party at the Sarasota Yacht Club . Instead of asking “ How do we raise the money for sponsorships to cover the venue and have an awesome event ?” the better question was “ Who are the best people to go out and secure sponsorship money ?” That turned out to be Warren Chin and the rest of the YLD ’ s sponsorship committee members Rian Davis , Michael Cowgill , Mallory Moretti , Natasha Selvaraj , Conrado Gomez , and Jill Bowen . Thank you all !
8 | THE DOCKET - JANUARY 2022