1 min read
Comments on Appearance
Karen Thalacker : Jun 25, 2019
“You look great today!” “Love your outfit!” “Have you lost weight?” We’ve all heard comments like this in the office and in the courtroom. Even if...
Have you ever had someone propose an idea that you felt was wrong but couldn’t, in that moment, articulate what you didn’t like about it or what made you nervous? Here are 3 suggestions for what to do when that little voice says no but everyone else is saying yes.
- Speak up. Even if just to say “I’m not sure how I feel about that,” it puts people on notice and requires everyone to think about the issue in a different way.
- Slow down. Don’t let anyone rush you. Rarely are you required to make a split second decision. Sometimes sleeping on it helps you to figure out where your hesitancy is coming from.
- Talk it through. Bend the ear of a colleague or your assistant. Sometimes just saying it out loud helps you work through your thoughts.
Whether you realize it or not, your instincts are a combination of your education, your legal experience and also your life experience. Good lawyers don’t ignore their instincts – they respect them.
Authored by: Karen Thalacker
Karen is a graduate of Wartburg College in Waverly, IA, and Drake University Law School in Des Moines, IA. She began her legal career as a prosecutor before entering private practice. For over 20 years, her practice has focused on family law and general practice. Karen is trained in Collaborative Law and also acts as a parenting coordinator for high conflict parents. Since 2009, Karen has served as a judicial magistrate in Iowa. She is also the Chief Compliance Officer and pre-law advisor at Wartburg College. Karen is the author of “The New Lawyer’s Handbook: 101 Things They Don’t Teach You in Law School” and also two knitting books for children. Her commentaries and guest opinions have appeared in the Huffington Post and the Des Moines Register. She and her husband Pete have 4 children.
Karen Thalacker : Jun 25, 2019
How Far to Take Workplace COVID Precautions? Problem Solved.
Karen Thalacker : Jul 30, 2020
There may be people in both your professional and personal lives who are at the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to the level of...
1 min read
Summer Vacation
Karen Thalacker : Jul 26, 2019
The summer has flown by and you’ve probably watched your non-lawyer friends and their families trotting off to fun destinations. If you haven’t done...