I help HR leaders create healthier, happier, and more productive workforces by replacing outdated EAPs with evidence-based wellbeing strategies that deliver real results.

Since 2011, I’ve worked across industries from mining to pharmaceuticals to early learning - designing programs for tens of thousands of employees that improve wellbeing, boost engagement, and cut turnover.

If you want to work with me, here are the ways you can:

1. Replace your EAP with our Wellbeing Enrichment Program - guaranteed higher engagement, value, and results than any EAP on the market (yes, even that one). 

2. Hire me as a consultant: To help you figure out where to start, what to do and how to do it when it comes to workplace wellbeing.

3. Access our Sustainable High Performance program - a 12-week, value-packed program that teaches your entire organisation how to perform at a high level without burning out. 

4. Get your very own Workplace Wellbeing Specialist: To upskill your people in health and wellbeing (through regular individual consultations) and work with you to optimise your work environment to make it easier for your people to be healthy and well.

5. Book me as a speaker: This is my favourite way to engage people and give them a whole lot of value in a short space of time. Our talks and workshops focus on practical knowledge and skills your people can use to improve their wellbeing and performance. 

6. Get some wellbeing initiatives: Want to book a massage therapist? Skin checks? Health checks? Meditation sessions? Group yoga? Group training? Healthy cooking demonstrations? Mental Health First Aid training? Regular First Aid training? Easy. We do it all so just ask.

If any of these look like something you could use, send me a DM.

Phil Wolffe

Welp, if there’s a better way to start the year, I don’t know what it is. 

We’d planned to go to the South Coast for a week with friends when a client asked if I would run a workshop to get their team switched on and ready for a big year - on the South Coast. 

Since that’s my favourite part of this job (and it was literally on the way to holidays) I of course said yes. 

Word got out and 1 workshop turned into 4 and a quick stop into 2 full days but still, pretty good universal alignment, I would say. 

Here’s to plenty more of that this year and to choosing the work that makes you happy. 

Let’s go!

Workplace Wellbeing Specialist | Building Sustainable High Performance in Teams | Replacing EAP with a Better Way

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Something that's not talked about much with burnout is how it erodes your sense of purpose.

That's what it does to a lot of people and that's why it can be so hard to shake - because you lose a big piece of yourself.

Shelley Johnson and I talked about this and heaps more when we caught up to talk all things work and wellbeing.

This one's for the leaders, the workers, and anyone trying to figure out how to work well while staying healthy.

Give it a listen and let us know what you thought in the comments (which is where the link will be).

#burnout #leadership

Giving 100% effort at work is a trap.

Not only do you get diminsihing returns over time, but there's nowhere to go but down.

I'm a real 85% type of guy.

You can give that level of effort indefinitely and it gives you room to ramp things up when you need to.

Plus, chances are you'll actually enjoy your work and your life if you're not absolutely spent at the end of each day.

Shelley and I talked about this and heaps more in our chat, so make sure you check it out and let me know your views!

#burnout

I don’t put a lot of stock in awards. 

I think most of them are performative nonsense you can easily buy - but this one I’ll gladly accept. 

My nieces think I’m smart, kind and funny. 

As far as recognition goes, that’s about as good as it gets.

I thought 2024 was going to be the best year ever, and it was. 

Then, I thought 2025 was going to be even better, and it was.

Now, I reckon 2026 is going to be even better than those two. 

This is not a wait-and-hope type thing.

I'm sowing the seeds of the life I want to live, and actively working to create the conditions to make that life a reality.

That means two things above all:

1. Saying no to things that don't align with the life I want to live, even if they're easy and/or tempting.

2. Saying yes to things that do align with the life I want to live, even if they're hard and/or scary.

I don't always get to do what I want (none of us do) but I've made a conscious choice to build a life that allows me to do more of what I want to do.

So, for that reason, I reckon 2026 is going to be the best year ever. 

Let's see how it pans out.

Ahh January 27th, the day the year actually starts.

And it's going to be a big year!

This is what we're doing at Kinex Health:

1. An alternative to outdated EAPs
I'm sick of reactive, low-value programs that don't do what they say on the tin - so we created something proactive, holistic, and accountable instead. It's called the Welbeing Enrichment Program and its the end of traditional EAPs. 

2. Backing early childhood educators (with Macquarie Uni)
We've co-designed a comprehenisive wellbeing program with the Early Childhood Educators Wellbeing Project and we're running an RCT to prove that it works. 

3. Showing up for regional and remote communities
Phil and Ciara are taking Kinex on the road all around Australia with a roving office (caravan) to reach communities that often miss out on PD and wellbeing initiatives. 

4. Sustainable high performance
We’re expanding our Sustainable High Performance Program and teaching teams how to perform at a high level without burning out. 

5. Elevating great practitioners
We’re backing the people doing wellbeing properly and bringing more and more exceptional practitioners into our work this year. 

2026 is going to be our biggest year yet, and I can't wait to get stuck in. 

If any of this piques your interest or aligns with what you're tackling this year, send me a DM and let's chat.

This is a PSA to all the extroverts from us introverts. 

You’re great. 

We like you. 

We love spending time with you. 

But it’s an energy cost for us. 

So if we say no to stuff, it doesn’t mean we don’t want to hang out. 

It just means we need to replenish our energy.

Sincerely, the people who pretend they’re busy when they’re home on the couch recharging.

10 underrated forms of self care that you can do without booking a spa treatment:

1. Drink more water.

2. Leave 10 mins earlier than you normally would. 

3. Go for a walk in the sun.

4. Put off answering that email until the morning (during work hours).

5. Make a cup of tea and sit in the garden.

6. Close your eyes and take 5 deep breaths and do 5 shoulder rolls.

7. Eat more protein in the morning (your afternoon self will thank you). 

8. Put your phone in the other room for an hour.

9. Put on a song you love and do nothing until it ends. 

10. Smile at the next person you see and watch what happens. 

Which one are going to try today?

My best longevity hack for anyone in (or wanting to be in) business for themselves:

Do whatever it takes to maintain enthusiasm in what you do.

That might mean:

- Changing your environment.

- Taking more breaks or holidays. 

- Tweaking your offerings so they excite you again. 

- Outsourcing or automating the tasks you hate.

- Finding an audience that you vibe with more. 

It might mean you move more slowly than you thought.

It might mean you make less money than you thought.

But it might also mean you stay in business longer.

And it'll definitely mean you have more fun doing it. 

If you like it, it's a lot easier to find the energy to do it.

If you hate it, everyday is a battle.

Find a way to do s**t you like and business gets easier.

Do away with the 'new year, new me' garbage and make this year a good one not by hoping, but by following a process.

Check out the article for some practical steps to get you off to a good start.

View newsletter: Workplace Wellbeing Specialist

The magic you’ve been looking for is in the work you've been avoiding. There’s something powerful about the start of a new year. A clean slate. A psyc

Open article: How to Make 2026 a Good Year by Phil Wolffe • 3 min read

Most businesses pay for an EAP.

The problem is the s**t ones cost the same as the good ones.

Here’s a quick checklist to separate a “tick box” EAP from a modern support system.

What to look for in an EAP (or EAP alternative):

- Fast access
If support isn’t available within 48 hours, it’s often too late to be useful.

- Multiple ways to engage
Not just appointments. Look for options like a 24/7 text line, email support, short resources, and self-paced courses so people can start small and build trust.

- Proactive support (not just crisis counselling)
Modern programs help prevent burnout and injuries before they become claims, with practical support across stress, sleep, habits, physical niggles, nutrition, workload management and more.

- A strong onboarding and activation plan
If the provider just “turns it on” and hopes people use it, engagement will be low. Look for a proper launch, education, and ongoing prompts so the benefit actually gets used.

- Tailored support (needs discovery, not generic content)
The best programs start by understanding what your people are dealing with, then tailor resources, training, and focus areas to match.

- Leader support and clinical supervision
Managers need backup too. Supervision, coaching, and upskilling helps leaders handle workload stress, tough conversations, and early mental health flags without becoming the therapist.

- Critical incident capability
If something serious happens, leaders need a clear, supported response pathway, plus training before the incident occurs.

- Psychosocial hazard controls
A modern EAP should support identification, reporting, risk assessment, and mitigation of psychosocial hazards, plus practical training for managers.

- Zero waste pricing
Avoid pay-up-front models where you prepay for sessions you never use. Pay-as-you-go keeps incentives aligned with engagement and impact.

- Monthly reporting that’s actually usable
Not just annual utilisation stats and a bill for the next year. Look for themes, emerging risks, what’s working, what isn’t, and clear recommendations. 

If you’re reviewing your EAP this year, this list will make sure you get a lot more out of the same budget.

What’s the one feature you wish your EAP had, but doesn’t?



P.S. You may have worked out that Kinex Health has an EAP alternative that hits all of these points.
Check it out in the comments and ask any questions you like.

If the only way to learn resilience is to go through hard things, then the only way to teach resilience is to make people go through hard things.

Not a great strategy as a leader.

Instead, look at resilience not just as ‘grit’ or the ability to bounce back, but as a set of skills that can be taught. 

That’s what functional resilience is.

What we generally mean when we say “resilience” is actually: “How much s**t can this person take before they break?”

If that’s the case, then resilience can be broken down like this:

Resilience = energy + skills + grit + connection x purpose

As a leader, this is a much more practical view that allows you to actually intervene. 

Energy: help people understand and optimise for energy, and allow them the flexibility to work within their performance patterns.

Skills: teach performance and self-management skills (conflict management, communication, good habits, health and wellbeing fundamentals, nervous system regulation etc.).

Grit: Can’t be taught but can be learned.

Connection: provide meaningful support and connection (internal and external) at different levels and with various touch points. 

Purpose: connect people to the overall purpose of their work i.e. get clear on where you’re headed and (crucially) why.

Resilience is a set of skills that can be learned, and the sooner we realise this the sooner we can start teaching/acquiring these skills.


BTW, this is exactly the kind of thing we do at Kinex Health, so reach out if you want to bring this to your team.

Director at Farren McRae Workplace Lawyers & Consultants | Employment Lawyer | Workplace Investigator I Mediator | Independent Company Director

Helping Australian employers and senior employees navigate complex workplace issues with confidence.

I've helped organisations avoid costly litigation, manage crisis investigations and transform toxic cultures -  all while protecting their reputation and bottom line.

Unlike traditional law firms, we speak your language, not legalese.  You'll get clear advice, transparent pricing, and pragmatic solutions that actually work in the real world.

I partner with HR leaders, in-house counsels, executives, business owners and senior employees to navigate sensitive and high-stakes employment law matters, including:

• Workplace investigations: including misconduct, bullying, harassment, discrimination, sexual harassment, corrupt conduct.

• Employment disputes: including unfair dismissal, general protections, breach of contract, retraint of trade.  

• Industrial relations: including enterprise bargaining, union negotiations, Fair Work Act compliance.

• Workplace compliance: including policies, risk management, governance.

With over 20 years' experience in workplace and employment law, I've represented clients across the private sector, public sector, non-profits, and statutory authorities. My practice includes appearances before Fair Work Commission, State and Federal Courts, and specialist tribunals.

I bring a strong background in dispute resolution, including court advocacy, strategic negotiation, and workplace mediation. My mediation style focuses on uncovering root causes and fostering constructive working relationships.

After six years at the Queensland Bar, I realised I wanted to guide clients through their entire journey, not just represent them in court. That's why I co-founded Farren McRae - to be the trusted advisor who's there from first consultation to final resolution - your safe pair of hands.

Community roles include:

• Specialist Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (QLD) Ltd (since 2017)

• Former National Board Member, Salvation Army Employment Plus (2012–2017)

Got a workplace crisis brewing? Let's talk strategy. Connect here or email john.farren@farrenmcrae.com.au for urgent matters.

Disclaimer:  Any comment or contribution I make on LinkedIn does not create a lawyer-client relationship with any reader, is made purely for educational or entertainment purposes and does not constitute legal advice. In other words, although I am a lawyer, I’m not your lawyer. If you need personalised legal advice, you should contact a lawyer who is licensed to practice in your local jurisdiction.

John Farren

Have you been incorrectly calculating the minimum period of employment necessary for an employee to be a person protected from unfair dismissal under the Fair Work Act 2009?

I have seen this done incorrectly many times.

Under sections 382 and 383 of the Fair Work Act, an employee must have completed a minimum period of employment to be person protected from unfair dismissal.

This period is 12 months for a small business employer and 6 months in all other cases.

A “month” means a calendar month.

Sometimes employers make the mistake of treating the calculation of the minimum period of employment like a birthday – ie. If an employee commenced employment today, 29 July 2025, the 6 month minimum period of employment requirement would be satisfied on 29 January 2026. 

But that is wrong.

A calendar month starting on a certain date actually ends immediately before the corresponding date in the next month.

So, if an employee commenced employment today, 29 July 2025, with a non-small business employer, the 6 month minimum period of employment requirement would be satisfied at midnight on 28 January 2026. 

Here are a couple other important issues to keep in mind:

1️⃣  Periods of unauthorised absence, certain types of unpaid leave and certain types of unpaid authorised absence do not count as service when working out whether a dismissed employee meets the continuous employment requirement to be protected from unfair dismissal.  However, an excluded period does not break an employee’s continuous service with the employer.  

2️⃣  A small business is a business that employs fewer than 15 employees by headcount of full-time and part-time employees. Regular casual employees are also included in the count as well as the employees of associated entities of the business.  

Have you come across an employer getting this calculation wrong?

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Australian Employment Lawyer with a National Practice🔹Doyles Leading Employment Lawyer and Leading Law Firm in 2024 and 2025🔹Pointy End of HR Community🔹Husband 🔹Father, Stepfather, Opa🔹Master to 1 Labradoodle

Why are sophisticated interview skills critically important for a workplace investigator?
 
In many cases, the skilled conduct of interviews is crucial because determination of allegations will turn on the respective credibility of the parties and/or witnesses. 
 
It is entirely inappropriate and unhelpful to a decision-maker for an investigator to conclude that an allegation is unsubstantiated merely because the evidence of an unwitnessed event is of a so-called "he said-she said" nature. 
 
Nonetheless, I frequently see this type of finding in investigation reports that I review for legal clients.
 
But what do I mean then when I say “sophisticated” interview skills? 
 
Well, the evidence of all interviewees (including the complainant) needs to be carefully drawn from them and tested. 
 
What do I mean by "tested".

General answers to questions should be probed for more specific information. 
 
All answers to questions should be examined for inconsistency - internally with the interviewee’s other evidence or prior statements, and externally with other evidence. 
 
Ask the same question, differently. Rephrasing a question later in the interview can reveal whether a person’s account is internally consistent or rehearsed. It also helps catch details they may have omitted the first time around. This is especially useful when assessing credibility. However, be aware of how trauma can effect memory and recall. Not every vague or inconsistent recount indicates dishonesty or unreliability.
 
Any apparent inconsistencies should be put to the interviewee for clarification and explanation.

Also, my strong preference is to use verbatim transcripts of interview. 
 
The benefit of having a verbatim transcript is that the credibility and reliability of a person’s evidence is often found in precisely what they say rather than the thrust of what they say about a given issue (which is what you get with a statement). 

It also provides transparency for anyone reviewing the investigation as to how evidence was elicited from an interviewee.

Of course, this is neither a cross-examination nor interrogation. 

So it has to be undertaken in a sensitive, respectful and trauma informed manner. 

The kicker - none of this is rocket science.

However, it does take training, practice and diligence. 

Getting it right means that investigations will deliver sound and defensible findings that decision-makers can safely rely upon.

What do other practitioners think? Are there particular interview skills that are critical to success?

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Are there differences between general protections involving dismissal applications and unfair dismissal applications under the Australian Fair Work Act?
 
The answer is "Yes".

While they both involve the dismissal of an employee and potential reinstatement and/or orders for compensation, they are otherwise two fundamentally different causes of action.
 
An unfair dismissal application primarily examines:

1️⃣  Whether there was a valid reason for dismissal (ie. that legally justifies dismissal); and 

2️⃣  Whether the dismissal was procedurally and substantively fair and reasonable.  

If compensation is ordered, it is generally limited to the equivalent of 6 months wages or half the statutory high-income threshold, whichever is lower. 
 
In contrast, a general protections involving dismissal application is all about the reason(s) for the dismissal and whether the reason or reasons included a proscribed (ie. unlawful) reason. 

It is not about the "fairness" of the decision. 

There is also a reverse onus of proof that requires the employer to prove that the reason or reasons for the dismissal did not include a proscribed reason.  This will usually require producing all those people involved in making the decision to give evidence in Court about their reason or reasons.
 
There is also no cap on compensation orders and civil penalties can be imposed in addition to compensation.

The qualifying requirements to be a person protected from unfair dismissal do not apply to general protections applications - GP applications can be made by any employee from day 1 of employment. 

And don’t forget the personal liability risk.  In general protections applications, individuals knowingly involved in the contravention (e.g. Directors, HR, line managers, executives) can be named as accessories and face civil penalties personally.  It’s not just the company on the line.
   
These are the main, but not all of the differences between these two legal actions. 
 
These two causes of action require a very different approach from both applicant employees and respondent employers, particularly in terms of the evidence that will need to be led by the parties if the application proceeds to a full hearing.
 
Employees who feel they have been unfairly or unlawfully dismissed should immediately seek legal advice to determine the most appropriate course of action and to ensure that they have the best chance of success.  There are strict 21 day time limits for filing both type of application.
 
And employers who are the subject of one of these types of applications should seek legal advice to determine the most appropriate way of responding to the application.
 
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One task that many workplace investigators struggle with is effectively drafting allegations.

But being able to do so is foundational to conducting an effective workplace investigation. 

If only you had a comprehensive checklist that you could check your draft allegations against.

Well, now you do!

The 3-page checklist below was prepared by my co-Director and head of Farren McRae's Consulting Division Alison McRae GAICD PRI (Conflict Resolution Specialist) for our own internal QA use.

But we've decided to share it with you for free. 

Download your FREE copy below today and keep it within easy reach for quick reference whenever you need it.

Happy drafting!

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Farren McRae_ Allegations Checklist

Imagine this.

A decision to take adverse action is made by a group, such as a board of directors or management committee of an association.

The employee affected by the adverse action commences a general protections/adverse action proceeding under the Fair Work Act. They are alleging that the adverse action was taken because they had exercised a workplace right to make a complaint or enquiry in relation to their employment, or some other protected factor or attribute.

There is a temporal connection between the exercise of the workplace right and the decision to take adverse action - ie. the decision came after the exercise of the workplace.

How does an employer discharge it's reverse onus of proof under s. 361 of the Fair Work Act to prove that it did not make the decision to take the adverse action because of the employee's exercise of their workplace right?

Ordinarily, the employer must adduce sworn evidence from the person or persons involved in making the decision in order the discharge the s. 361 reverse onus.

In this case, that means sworn evidence must be adduced from the whole board or whole management committee.

And that evidence will need to establish that:

1. There was a reason or reasons in the minds of the decision-makers for taking the adverse action at the time the decision was made (ie. you can't just make it up later on); and
   
2. The reason or reasons did not include the unlawful reason(s) alleged by the employee.

And if the proceeding goes to a hearing before the Court, each of those witnesses are likely to be cross-examined.

Of course, this evidence will also be balanced against other relevant factors, such as:

✔️  The plausibility, coherence and consistency of the evidence.
 
✔️  The completeness of the evidence - eg. are there gaps in the evidence?

✔️  Whether there is evidence to establish any state of affairs or facts that the decision-makers say they relied upon to make their decision.

✔️ Any contemporaneous documents or, if there are no such documents, whether it is reasonable to expect that such documents would have existed if the reason(s) for the decision alleged by the employer were true.

✔️  Whether there were other people involved in the decision that could have given evidence that supports the decision-makers' evidence - eg. HR advisor that advised the board or management committee.  Were they produced?  If not, why not? 

As you can imagine, putting on this type of evidence is complex and requires a skilled and experienced employment litigation lawyer with a keen eye for detail.

And the stakes are high with increasingly large civil pecuniary penalty orders being made by the Courts for contraventions of the general protections provisions of the Fair Work Act.

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Some workplace investigations cause more damage than the conduct they're investigating.

A workplace investigation can have a number of negative impacts on the workplace, including:
 
 ❌ Decreased morale among employees;
 
 ❌ Increased stress and anxiety among employees and managers;
 
 ❌ Decreased trust among employees and management;
 
 ❌ Decreased productivity; and
 
 ❌ Loss of valuable employees who may choose to leave the organisation.

However, I've found these steps can limit the damage:
 
✔️ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿: It is critical to progress the investigation as quickly as possible having regard to the complexity of the matter and availability of resources and relevant parties.
 
✔️ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿: This will help to ensure that all parties are treated fairly and that the investigation is not perceived to be biased.
 
✔️ 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: This will help to minimise confusion and anxiety among employees and will also help to maintain trust in the investigation process.
 
✔️ 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲: This will help to limit the impact on productivity and will also help to maintain a sense of normalcy in the workplace.
 
✔️ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: This can include counselling, or other forms of employee assistance, to help employees cope with the stress and anxiety that may be associated with the investigation.
 
✔️ 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: This will help to build trust and transparency with all the parties involved and show that the organisation took the matter seriously and is committed to maintain a safe and healthy work environment.
 
I've seen investigations handled poorly tear teams apart.  I've also seen them handled well, with minimal fallout.

By taking these steps, I have found it is possible to minimise the negative impacts of a workplace investigation and maintain a positive and productive workplace.
 
What's one thing you've seen make or break an investigation's impact on a team?

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Knowing the law is table stakes for lawyers.

Every client expects their lawyer to know the law.  That's the bare minimum, not the differentiator.

What actually separates good lawyers from the rest? Three things:

1. Responsiveness

The number one complaint about lawyers?  Radio silence.  You send an email, leave a voicemail and wait days for a response.  At our firm, we've made responsiveness non-negotiable.  You don't need to be available 24/7, but you do need to get back to people in a reasonable timeframe.

2. Problem-solving like chess

Legal practice is a chess game - you're always thinking several moves ahead. Clients pay for solutions, not just legal knowledge. The best lawyers can see around corners and anticipate what's coming next.

3. Pragmatism over perfectionism

Clients want to know: "How does my situation fit with the law, and can the law help me?" 

They need practical solutions that work for their circumstances and budget. Too many lawyers can only identify risks without offering workable solutions.

The conservative nature of our profession means we're often risk-focused to a fault.  Some lawyers become professional problem-spotters who can't take the next step - identifying solutions that actually help clients.

Knowledge of the law? That's just your entry ticket.

What clients really pay for is judgment, responsiveness and the ability to solve their problems in ways that work for them.

What do you think differentiates great professionals in your field?

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taplio

The Battle

Phil Wolffe

John Farren

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Phil Wolffe's LinkedIn Performance

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