How to mitigate isolation at work

Many barristers find the job rather isolating.  It doesn’t have to be.  You just need a few buddies and a free conference call number. 

“You’re the the average of the five people with whom you spend the most time.”  Jim Rohn

Peace and quiet isn’t always required

There will be times when you need the peace and quiet of your room in Chambers to get something done. But too much time alone isn’t good for most people.  One way to address this is to embed yourself into a group of people who know you, your practice and how The Bar works.

What’s a Mastermind?

A Mastermind is a formal or informal group of people who are working towards an individual or shared goal. Its members elect to join together to share their skills, experience and expertise for their mutual benefit.

A Mastermind can take any form its members choose. For example, it could be an informal group of individuals who have agreed to share their expertise with each other on an ad hoc basis. Others are paid-for, invitation-only and take place on Necker Island under Chatham House Rules. 

There aren’t hard and fast rules.  It can be whatever works for you.

I’m a self-employed barrister. How can a Mastermind help me?

After the BPTC has ended and you’ve launched your career, first-time situations will start to arise. 

A client makes a complaint.  You’re taken off a case without an explanation. You’ve over-committed. You haven’t got any work.

A Mastermind is a safe place to ask the questions you don’t want to ask your Clerk. It’s a supportive environment where a range of perspectives can be shared and solutions identified. All in confidence.

Over time, your Mastermind becomes the institutional memory of your practice. Its members become your trusted advisors. Together you’ll develop a shared history of your working life.  So much better than trying to do it all yourself and alone.

How do I join a Mastermind

You can apply to join a ready-made, paid-for Mastermind. These types of Masterminds are useful for networking and present an opportunity to learn from the experience of professionals working outside The Bar.  Start by searching for Masterminds in MeetUp.com and from there expand your search.

You could also set up your own Mastermind.  Ask three friends from the BPTC who work in different practice areas to join you on a free monthly conference call (try Globafy.com). Set a time limit for the call, appoint a call leader and pick a topic for discussion, for example, practice marketing.

If you’re stuck, ask me to put you in touch with other barristers who want to join a Mastermind. I’ll facilitate you you getting it off the ground and you can take it yourself from there.

My Mastermind experience

I’m a member of a Mastermind.  We call ourselves, grandly, the Boudicea Mastermind.  We meet on a call at 7am on Monday mornings.  We share our champagne moments from the previous week and commit to making progress in the next.  We learn from each other and celebrate each other’s success. I launched Jurilogical with their help so I know how valuable this kind of continuing support can be.

You’re already half-way there.

As a consumer of Jurilogical content you’ve already in a kind of Mastermind. This is a group of legal professionals who are doing things differently. If you’d like to receive more resources to help you raise your profile, connect with clients and grow your practice, sign up below.

By Heidi Smith
Creator of Jurilogical.com