A couple of recent corporate initiatives that didn’t go according to plan involved the Pepsi/iTunes and U2 concert promotions. The miscues were examples of “the need to manage expectations, as well as underpromise and overdeliver” in the words of Fast Company.
It reminded me of how applicable those words are to lawyers, and how they should practice law. Be careful not to promise to deliver a contract to a client by a certain date in the hopes that you will be able to do so, when your plate is already so full that meeting that deadline is unrealistic. Rather, give a client a reasonable deadline, and then produce the legal product one to two days early. That will make a lasting impression on the client, and likely guarantee more work.
