Learnings from Non-Cat Lawyer
We’ve all seen the video where the lawyer confessed, “I’m not a cat.” That was the cutest chuckle I’ve had in months. It was also a super sad moment to see the other two lawyers respond so blankly. There’s nothing humorous about litigation, but good grief, could you be in the moment and lighten up for just two minutes?!
One thing I’ve enjoyed about lockdown is responding to people in their living spaces--reacting to the visual cues of a sports banner, a musical instrument, a country flag, piles of books, pets, a bouncing baby, a trophy. Even in a virtual moment, we can get to know the real person.
Here are a few of my favorites cues:
A client dialed in from a room lined in beautiful paintings. Turns out she’s an artist and sells her work when she isn’t busy being the CEO of a company.
A student had a sports banner flying on the wall. He had played professional basketball in his 20s.
A colleague is a drummer who has a music production business on the side.
Another colleague joined Zoom from his porch. He had a little garden center behind him where he was sprouting seeds for Spring planting. He built it in his woodworking shop.
A peer has a dog that snores really loudly.
A vendor has a daughter clearly in the earliest stages of playing the clarinet.
It’s engaging to respond to cues in the virtual environment. Ask questions. Be curious. Get to know the person. Be a knowbody.
How has being in a virtual environment helped you know the real person on the other side?
(After the pandemic, I don’t want to have dinner with two humorless lawyers. That I know.)
