Always Do Your Best Work for Your Partners

People forget how fast you did a job—but they remember how well you did it.
A first year associate gets his first research assignment from the old curmudgeon partner. The associate goes back to his desk, looks through some books, gets on the computer, writes the draft, and five hours later, puts it on the partner’s desk. The next morning, the associate goes into the partner’s office, and the partner says, “Is this the best you can do?” The associate, scared to his wit’s end, says, “No sir. I can rearrange the arguments. I want to do a little more research, and I can make it a little tighter.”

The associate spends the next six hours doing more research, rearranging the arguments, and tightening up the language. The next morning, the same thing happens: “Is this the best you can do?” asks the partner. “No sir. Give me another chance. I can improve it. I tried really hard, but I can do better.”

This happens three or four more times. “Is this the best you can do?” “No. I can do better.” After about six tries, the associate, totally flustered and without sleep for about three days, finally gets angry and belts out, “Yes! I’ve researched this to death! I have rearranged the arguments until I can’t rearrange any more! It is as tight as I can get it! I can’t take this anymore! This is the best I can do!” The partner looks up, grabs the brief off the desk, and calmly says, “OK. Now I’ll read it.”

The point is: Give your best work to your partners. Your partners are your clients. Remember that. You would not give your client work that was not your best, so why would you do that to a partner? Partners will come back to you for work if you make their lives easier. If you are not giving them your best work, you are not succeeding in your job.

Your partners are not your proofreaders. Give them your best work, and they will give you the best work.

– Howard W. Newton

I can’t remember where I heard this one, but it teaches a very important lesson.

A first year associate gets his first research assignment from the old curmudgeon partner. The associate goes back to his desk, looks through some books, gets on the computer, writes the draft, and five hours later, puts it on the partner’s desk. The next morning, the associate goes into the partner’s office, and the partner says, “Is this the best you can do?” The associate, scared to his wit’s end, says, “No sir. I can rearrange the arguments. I want to do a little more research, and I can make it a little tighter.”

The associate spends the next six hours doing more research, rearranging the arguments, and tightening up the language. The next morning, the same thing happens: “Is this the best you can do?” asks the partner. “No sir. Give me another chance. I can improve it. I tried really hard, but I can do better.”

This happens three or four more times. “Is this the best you can do?” “No. I can do better.” After about six tries, the associate, totally flustered and without sleep for about three days, finally gets angry and belts out, “Yes! I’ve researched this to death! I have rearranged the arguments until I can’t rearrange any more! It is as tight as I can get it! I can’t take this anymore! This is the best I can do!” The partner looks up, grabs the brief off the desk, and calmly says, “OK. Now I’ll read it.”

The point is: Give your best work to your partners. Your partners are your clients. Remember that. You would not give your client work that was not your best, so why would you do that to a partner? Partners will come back to you for work if you make their lives easier. If you are not giving them your best work, you are not succeeding in your job.

Your partners are not your proofreaders. Give them your best work, and they will give you the best work.

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