Spring cleaning: when old becomes the 'new' new.

• Author: Hoff, Melissa
• Position: Editorial

She Said

It's that time of year. The flowers are out, the sun is replacing the rain, and the days are getting longer. And then it happens: that itchy feeling I get when I see papers stacked on my desk, when my file drawers are brimming with old and useless items, and my shelves are buckling from the weight of back issues of American Lawyer magazine. It can only mean one thing: My office is in desperate need of a spring clean.

It began innocently enough. But as the minutes turned to hours, I found myself knee-deep in articles I'd saved for future reference, samples of work I'd done at prior firms, binders of information, templates I'd saved, and books I'd notated and highlighted. Some of it no longer seems relevant in today's climate, but much of it was as good as the first time I read it--or even better.

So in honor of spring cleaning and rediscovering what was once new and exciting, I offer a list of a few items on which I stumbled that might be worth checking out.

* "Why Satisfied Customers Defect," Harvard Business Review (Nov. 1995), by Thomas Jones and W. earl Sasser--This article is more relevant than ever. Read it if you haven't already. Read it again if you have.

* Selling the Invisible, by Harry Beckwith--Another oldie, but goodie. A fast read about marketing a service and selling a brand.

* Leading Leaders: How to Manage Smart, Talented, Rich and Powerful People, by Jeswald Salacuse--A recommendation for anyone in your firm charged with "herding cats."

* "Ties that Bind," American Lawyer (Dec. 2008), by Peter Zeughauser--For firms who tout their "collegial environment," this article crystallizes what it really means to have a strong culture.

* The Trusted Advisor, by David Maister--A canonical text on building trust and being more than just a service provider. Relevant for marketers, relevant for lawyers. A must read.

Like classic literature, some things get even better when you read it a second (or third) time. "The more things change, the more they stay the same" seems more applicable than ever.

So if you're inspired to do your own spring cleaning, be sure to let me know what treasures you stumble on. I'm always up for a new discovery--or a rediscovery.

Melissa Hoff, 425/822-5262, melissa@mbhstrategies.com

He Said

Darkness has once again descended on Manhattan, and I look up from my desk and out toward the skyline. There's the MetLife building. 'Hmm, that's my new dental insurance carrier,' I think to myself. What can I say...