A Short Riff on Attorneys Photos

Photos are a funny thing -- they capture our image in a instant and live forever as a projection of whom we are. And sometimes, a photo is the first time a potential client get a visual impression to match to a name.

So, what do your photos communicate?

Remember, attorneys are the product a client buys. While the brand reputation of a law firm is amazingly important a buyer ultimately makes a choice for the product. Understand there is a difference between the knowledge of an attorney and the personality of an attorney. Knowledge is the commodity -- personality is unique.

Do your photos reflect the unique personalities of individual lawyers?

There are so many great photographers out there that can produce much more than chest-up head shots half turned in front of a mottled blue canvas backdrop! Our lawyers deserve more than a photo one step better than a drivers license capture.

Your Reputation is Your Brand

Its been said you can tell a lot about a person by how they treat waiters and waitresses in restaurants -- and I agree that is a pretty accurate barometer. In the business of professional services the brand of a firm is so closely linked to the personality and character of its partners that it can be said the reputation of one partner will be the brand for all.

At one firm I've worked with there was a partner that was smooth as silk in his treatment of client executives yet, was a caustic, rude man to everyone else including the non-executive staff at his client companies. When a client would finally say (and eventually most of them did), 'enough is enough,' and went looking for new representation, there was nothing we could do as a firm to salvage the business. We were told quite often that any firm that allowed that type of behavior was not the firm they wanted to be with....

If you struggle to understand how to create or affect your firms brand, just look to its smallest parts; the reputation of your individual partners. What is their reputation both inside and outside the walls of your office? Ask your clients for their opinion of the people in your firm and then ask them about their opinion of your firm in total. You’ll find the two sound very much alike.

Your reputation is your brand.

Technorati Tags: Legal Marketing, Branding, Marketing, Professional Services Marketing, Reputation

Social Networking, #LMA10 and Law Firm Marketing

I did not attend the 2010 Legal Marketing Association Conference in Denver this year, but I definitely know what was going on there and more importantly, I learned some of the key bits of knowledge being transferred there by expert speakers and panelists.

The conference planners created #LMA10 via Twitter -- throughout the conference attendees were tweeting live about what they were witnessing, experiencing and learning. The share was awesome and I learned along with them! Certainly it was not as robust an experience as being there in-person but I caught enough to find real value.

I am not sure what lesson to take away from this experience that will be relevant to creating opportunities for my law firm, but there HAS to be a gem in this moment.

Being part of the (social networking) conversation absolutely matters... how social networking will create opportunities for my lawyers still remains just outside my grasp. But I am working on it... my epiphany is moments away.

A Gift That Will Always Remind Him/Her of You

If you are still searching for a gift for that special client, the most memorable gift will have their name on it -- literally. Give a gift that bears the name of your recipient.

The common tendency is to hand out gifts bearing the name of your firm -- a really tacky and self-serving marketing mistake made by too many professionals.

Cuff-links, platters, iPods, Kindle's, stationary, watches, messenger bags, luggage, clothing, etc.... I recall every giver of every gift I've received with my name engraved, embroidered, stamped or printed on it.

Just a tip if you want your gift to be memorable.

Passing Out a Few Samples of You Works Wonders

I was up in Oak Glen, CA today, the apple growing capital of San Bernardino County and it is harvest season. Apples galore! More than 32 varieties of the mouth-watering fruit offered in ciders, jelly's, jams, mustards, honey, and freshly picked. It was a glorious sunny day in the cool mile-high valley reminisent of a New England autumn setting.

Something interesting happened that got me thinking about law firm marketing (I know -- Bruce, get a life!) and here it is.... We visited about eight different farm shops, each with a store for purchasing fruit of the harvest and add-on gift and craft shops.

The marketing revelation is that we only purchased fruit at shops offering samples. No samples, no sale.

What does that mean? Well... I feel more connected to a product someone is proud enough about that they offer me a sample before I spend a dime.

In legal marketing circles that means that I would prefer to hire a lawyer that is willing to be known before I have to know him/her (i.e., I will hire lawyers I know).

If you are a lawyer and are not showing up at associations, attending events, schmoozing and doing everything you can to offer a sample of whom you are, I can only imagine the hard road ahead.

If you are the product then showing up and being seen is the only way you can sell you.

Get it?

Is This Exciting or What!? The Wild West of Legal Marketing

I met me, twenty-five years ago, this evening in San Francisco -- a shout out to Ali, an incredible young marketing talent that gave me a chance to express why I love what I do...

I had an early dinner with some VC friends to talk shop and blah, blah, blah. Afterward I sought out the one cigar bar I heard was in the area to indulge my joy in a good stick and happened into a couple of great conversations, one of which renewed my joy for what I do.

Ali (remember the shout-out a few sentences ago) is a by-choice out-of-work marketing person looking for her next challenge and she was intrigued that my profession is marketing for a law firm. She reminded me the journey is more interesting than the destination. Her excitement about what I do reminded me of what I already know but may have forgotten for a moment:

• Marketing a law firm is so custom and nontraditional to all things book-smart that every day has new excitement and lessons.
• Marketing a law firm is still so new a profession we are all still discovering nuances at a 1000mph.
• Lawyers and law firms are incredible, non-stop think-tanks that challenge me to be at the top of my game every moment, every day.
• Law firms are first-class operations allowing me the opportunity to be in circles of influence most people dream of (even when I am not yet equal to the people and communities of the circle).
• Lawyers and law firms absolutely demand creative thinking.
  

At the end of our conversation Ali was completely motivated to explore my profession, and more importantly I was inspired to keep doing what I've chosen. Out here in the wild west of law firm marketing I am pleased to ride the fences....

Is this exciting or WHAT!? You betcha!
.

A Brief History of Choosing a Lawyer

Marketing has certainly evolved in 59 years yet some things never change. Below is my take on the evolution of client development in that period of time.

1955: Word of mouth, personal introductions, reputation -- lawyer would show up for face-to-face meeting with a business card. Potential client was completely reliant on trusted personal relationships and chemistry of interaction.

1965: Word of mouth, personal introductions, reputation -- lawyer would show up for face-to-face meeting with a business card. More savvy lawyers would have a folder with recent cases and a biography. Potential client was completely reliant on trusted personal relationships and chemistry of interaction.

1975: Word of mouth, personal introductions, reputation -- lawyer would show up for face-to-face meeting with a business card and a folder with recent cases, firm information, and a biography. More savvy firms would have bio's of other team members proposed in matter. Potential client was completely reliant on trusted personal relationships and chemistry of interaction.

1985: Word of mouth, news generated by industry organizations, daily's and specialty publishers, personal introductions, reputation -- lawyer would show up for face-to-face meeting with a business card and a folder with recent cases, firm information, team biographies. More savvy firms were printing marketing materials in four-color. Potential client was completely reliant on trusted personal relationships and chemistry of interaction.

1995: Word of mouth, news generated by industry organizations, daily's and specialty publishers, personal introductions, reputation -- lawyer would show up for face-to-face meeting with team of lawyers, business cards, four-color marketing materials including recent cases and firm capabilities, team biographies. More savvy firms were demonstrating nascent internet and electronic presence . Potential client was completely reliant on trusted personal relationships and chemistry of interaction.

2005: Word of mouth, news generated by industry organizations, daily's and specialty publishers, personal introductions, reputation -- lawyer would show up for face-to-face meeting with team of lawyers, business cards, four-color marketing materials including recent cases and complete firm capabilities, team biographies. More savvy firms were offering electronic marketing materials, web site references and internet based client solutions plus references to internet based rating sites and public domain accolades. Potential client was completely reliant on trusted personal relationships and chemistry of interaction.

2009: Word of mouth, news generated by industry organizations, daily's and specialty publishers, personal introductions, reputation -- lawyer would show up for face-to-face meeting with team of lawyers, business cards, four-color marketing materials including recent cases and complete firm capabilities, team biographies, electronic marketing materials, web site references, internet based client solutions plus references to internet based rating sites and public domain accolades. Savvy firms are exposed through social net via LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Potential client is completely reliant on trusted personal relationships and chemistry of interaction.

While we have found more ways to introduce ourselves to a potential client the one thing that does not change is: "Potential client is completely reliant on trusted personal relationships and chemistry of interaction."

No matter how incredible and savvy you are in all of the new choices for promoting yourself, ultimately you will only win new business by establishing a trusting relationship and working for strong chemistry with your potential client.

Any questions?

5 Tips for Personable Headshots

99% of all lawyer bio photos look like mug shots of the rich and kind of famous. Nice attire, tasteful backdrop, deer-in-the-headlights. I would show examples but the defamation law suits for showing what is already out there would be endless. Go to justaboutanylawfirm-dot-com but your own and you will know I am right.

Several years ago I was fortunate to work with a great model photographer -- his simple tips were so good that ever since even my drivers license photo is complimented.

Stand Unnaturally: When we are just standing around (no cameras) talking away we naturally place our weight on one foot. This weight placement shifts our hips, our shoulders and our chin. But put us in front of a camera and suddenly we are straight and stiff. Force yourself to stand on one foot pointed a bit away from the camera. IT WILL FEEL UNNATURAL but it will be a much more genuine pose. Whether standing or seated the key is to never have your hips facing the camera.

Talk to the Camera: Yup, you heard me. Talk to the camera. Say something silly like "I only have eyes for you" or "What are you looking at big-eye!?". Maybe even name the camera... "O.K. Jim. What are YOU looking at!?" If the camera can become a personality your attitude and composure will relax.

Get Close with the Camera: Lean forward, like you are interested in what happens next. Literally. Lean towards the camera. It feels even more awkward but the results are amazing

Smile Like Recalling a Pleasant Memory: No one needs to see ALL your teeth. That's like serial weird crazy. And no one connects to people with tight lips. Think about a pleasant memory and wear the kind of blissful smile we all wear with warm memories. That does mean your cheeks and eyes are involved. If you do not feel the muscles in your face moving upward a bit you can always practice just a bit more....

Focus Your Eyes Above the Camera: Not like at the moon, but not "deer in the headlights" smack on directly into the lens. Look at anything close BUT NOT AT THE LENS!

If you have the presence to remember these few steps when a camera is aimed in your direction I guarantee you will never have to hide from you photos ever again... and at least your law firm web site mug shot will illustrate your personality.

The Social Net is Just Working a Bigger Room

I attend receptions, dinners, seminars and all manner of business events to schmooze, catch up with business connections, meet new people and be seen... We all do it as part of driving a successful practice and/or firm. At any event I might meet and talk with a dozen or so people -- then there is the ever important follow-up work I need to perform to complete a connection and keep a relationship alive.

At least, that's what I used to do.

Now technology has delivered a much bigger room and it turns out the room is much easier to work. Welcome to the 24/7 Social Net Networking event.

On a typical morning train ride (one hour) I will log into Facebook (via Blackberry) and spend 10 minutes reading updates from "friends", post a couple of comments and then post my own update(s). Total time: 15 minutes. People I networked with: 140

Next I log onto LinkedIn and repeat reading and posting. I spend a bit less time on LinkedIn so -- Total time: 10 minutes. People I networked with: >300

Finally I switch over to Twitter and do the whole reading and posting thing again. I spend a bit more time on Twitter because there is a lot of article linking in posts (i.e. more reading). Total time: 20 minutes. People I networked with: >100

That's more than 500 people touched in less than an hour. And I am doing it almost every day! The best part is every person volunteered to be in my network and they like being connected as much as I do.

Is it effective you ask? Let me answer your question with a quick story.

Last night I was at a schmooze event (yes, I still get out there and mix it up plenty) and ran into a private equity principal I have not seen in many, many months. When he saw me his face lit up and exclaimed "BRUCE!!" as he walked over to shake my hand. Beyond the fact that he is an incredibly nice man he greeted me like a close friend. He said, "It's great to see you. I get your updates all the time (I am connected with him via LinkedIn) and man are you busy. I've been wanting to catch up."

The social net is an amazing room to work! I would encourage everyone to be there. Come on, stick your toe in, the water's great!!

Facebook is a Business Tool

I am on Facebook and quite happy to be there -- it serves me professionally and socially.

The other day I jumped into a conversation with several senior executives -- I'd overheard one of them state, "Facebook is not useful for business people. It's mostly for young folks..." I emphatically replied, "Facebook gives me back my village!"

Just to be straight up, I am not paid by Facebook nor do I know anyone that works there, but what I am finding there makes a lot of social sense.

I certainly Twitter, I'm on Linkedin, I blog (duh!) and have profile pages on a few other sites around the Internet, and the common thread among these is they are all confined to a narrow professional and/or personal niche. None of them show the "complete me".

On Facebook my social and professional life cross over and people can see a more complete picture of whom I am -- which I am happy for them to know.

Look at it this way; long ago when we lived in villages and small towns everyone knew everything about everyone. It did not matter what our profession was or what friends we had -- in a village there is no place to hide. Trust was built between people that could know all there is to know. I like that.

I want people to know all about me so that I can cross the bridge between knowing and trusting as quickly as possible. And on Facebook that bridge is being built. So I update, send out "what's on your mind" posts, join groups and participate in the activities of my village.

I would encourage every professional to get engaged and use the tools we are offered to get connected, be known, and be trusted. It WILL work for you!

Lawyers Need to Be on Linkedin!

Are you on Linkedin? For myself and many of the professionals in my circle this is an odd question -- of course I am there! It's the new, new white pages for professionals! But, still too often I have marketing conversations with lawyers around the topic of being listed on Linkedin and their response is, "I get email invites but I just push them to the trash bucket. I don't want to hassle with all that stuff."

What!?

OK, I kind of understand. Five years ago I was in the same place -- all these random emails coming in to connect with someone via Linkedin or similar site. It seemed like it WOULD become intrusive. Yet the opposite happened. It turned out that everyone is totally turning to the Internet to find out anything about whatever whenever.

No one opens a phone book first. We all jump on our computer and Goggle (or Bing for you Microsoft fans). Me, if I am looking for a person -- I surf to Linkedin first. If that person is not on Linkedin I have just learned a lot by finding nothing.

My advise to any lawyer not on Linkedin, get on or get lost (as in "invisible").

Marketing from the Trenches #8 - Internet or You Will Never Net (Profit)

If you expect to have a great practice and make a sustainable profit you'd better have a firm grasp of how you appear on the Internet -- and that is not accomplished by just having a firm website. You have to OWN your presence in ALL of the forms it takes wherever your name appears.

When I started as a Marketer too many years ago the Internet was a fringe activity used by academia and ten or twelve other people with a computer and an account on Compuserve. In those days printed collateral material was King. It was unimaginable to go to market without slick folders and over-produced printed pieces. The only thing a potential client could know about us was what we handed to them.

Today is quite different, and maybe you might not grasp how different it is.

First, before you walk through any door you have already been searched, read and opinions have been made. Decision-makers don't wait to meet you -- they just reach for their keyboard and start searching.

Second, most people do not know your website URL off the top of their head or how to find you directly, so they type your name or firm name into the search box at their search engine of choice and poke around on whatever appears.

Hopefully they are directed to your firm site or your official bio, but other search results will appear including everything good or bad hosted wherever it may be. There may be links to people on LinkedIn, or personal pages on FaceBook or MySpace, or links to membership lists for community group participation, or comments on a DIGG feature or pictures hosted on Flickr for a Las Vegas party.

The point here is that anyone in your firm or claiming an association may appear in the search engine scroll of results.

My adamant advise is to do whatever you can to make the Internet your highest marketing priority! Find the stuff you like about yourself and work to bring it higher in search results and work towards pushing irrelevant or bad stuff deeper. The Internet is THE front-line in your marketing combat zone -- respect it and your opportunity for net profit will grow.

Return to Marketing from the Trenches index

Your Voicemail Message Can Be a Huge Marketing Tool!

Does this sound familiar? "You've reached the voice mailbox of (insert name here). I am either on the phone or away from my office. Please leave me a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible."

Honestly, how much do you trust "they" will get back to you as soon as possible? Actually, when I hear that script I pretty much figure "they" will get back to me when they darn well please and I'm left feeling let down.

Fortunately, there are a couple of voicemail recordings that will do a better job of marketing you. I encourage you to try one of these two ideas.

1. "You've reached the voicemail of (insert name here). Today, (insert current date here) I have meetings at 9:00AM, and 12:00 Noon. I will make every effort to return your call when I am available.
   
   This script sends a really strong, clear message that you pay attention to your voicemail and are attentive to the needs of anyone calling. It also requires that you are attentive and are disciplined.
   
   
2. "Welcome to the voicemail box of (insert name here). Please leave a message and your call will be returned as soon as possible.
   
   I have been using the "welcome" message for a long time. Often people leaving me a message comment on how much they enjoyed being welcomed to my voicemail. They state it feels personal, real and warm.

Good marketing discipline requires that we look at every touch-point and do our best to maximize the moment. Your voicemail message is a great place to demonstrate you care.

Things My Parents Said that Prepared Me to Be a Marketer

“This is gonna hurt you more than it hurts me.” - Marketing is all about changing the behavior of a target audience. Sometimes I have to be radical and creative to get their attention!

“Life's not fair.” - My best effort may not always produce the best result. The key is to keep moving, creating and adapting.

“Don’t get smart with me!” - Whatever I create as a marketer can never cross the line of making my audience look or feel stupid.

“Smarten up!” - I need to create marketing programs that demonstrate I paid attention to the needs of my audience.

"Put on a sweater, I'm cold." - I need to take care of the people I work for even when it makes no sense to me. Marketing at firms can be like that a lot.

"If your friend jumped off a cliff, would you?" - I don't have to follow the herd of marketers all doing the same thing over and over again. It is O.K. for my marketing programs to be completely different from my competitors.

"I gotta go talk to a man about a horse." - In marketing a little misdirection is useful.

“It takes a good driver to hit all the bumps.” - All of my marketing missteps DO have a silver lining. Knowledge.

“Don't make me count to 3!” - Every marketing effort I create should be succinct and efficient. My target audience AND the partners in my firm want me to get to the benefit/result as fast as possible.

“Don't make me have to repeat myself.” - If I have taken the time to ask clients what they what then I'd better deliver on what they stated.

“Because I said so.” - Well, actually I can't think of a lesson for this one. It made me mad back when I heard it and it still makes me mad!

Who Really Cares About Who You Say Are and What You Say You Can Do?

What matters is that you can actually make a difference and you are willing to work your ass off for it.

Do you think that all of your passion to make a living in your area of expertise matters at all to someone out there trying to keep their own world in order? There are a thousand times ten professionals just like you hoping to make an impression and secure their practice.

What matters is that "that person" on the other end of all of your marketing efforts is totally scared themselves, is hanging on for dear life and wants to believe YOU might actually care what happens for them. They definitely do not think they are in control and will do anything to keep their life in order.

So, what can you do to help them manage the fear they feel? Can you really help them or are you simply offering a different path to a similar result? Do you really care about their future or are you just looking out for your own?

It is so easy to know what "I" have to do to succeed. It is a far more difficult thing to find a way for the success of our clients to be the future we choose.

Are you equal to this challenge? Can you really understand that your success is in the hands of your clients?

Saying "No" Can be a Profitable Marketing Tool

A banker friend of mine is VERY busy right now, but he did observe that most of the deals he is working are smaller with tighter margins. He also observed that some of the deals in his in-basket keep getting shuffled to the bottom of the pile. These are the deals that are higher maintenance, lowest margin for effort, and just not any fun to work on... deals that several months ago he would not have accepted.

"How many of those bottom-dwelling deals will really have any impact on your immediate income?" I asked. "Well...", he paused before stating, "None actually." So I continued, "How much will it impact your income if there are a growing number of clients out there not getting your best effort?" He could only nod as the light went off in his head.

His next words clearly showed he understood what might happen if he did not learn to say, "No." "Taking on clients I cannot service well means that I am creating my own negative referral network." "And," he continued with renewed inspiration, "If my reputation depends on excellence than I should be hand-picking every new client as if my career depended on it!"

"Exactly!" I replied. "Saying "No" can be your strongest marketing tool in any economy."

I know he is going to continue to do great things but his lesson is also ours -- Even when we feel the desire to panic our best action is to focus even harder on what we do best and turn down anything and everything outside that envelope. That is where profit lives and our success is ensured.

Lawyers Should Blog for Their Clients, Not Themselves

Would your potential clients want to read your blog?

I had a great conversation with Damian Nassiri of Howard | Nassiri this evening on the topic of promoting his firm through blogging. Damian is an earnest young lawyer with a great plaintiff practice built on good results from hard work... and he's about to launch a blog for his firm.

He's been encouraged to publish articles about developments in legal precident surrounding his area of expertise... which I guess is pretty good if he was trying attract other attorneys as clients.

But his clients are consumers... plaintiff side work. I am certain his advisors are really smart people, but if I was writing to attract new clients for a plaintiff audience I feel certain I would not be writing legalese articles.

Instead I encouraged Damian to post articles that would be attractive to his clients.

Here is what I advised: "When your potential clients use the internet to search for answers, what are the questions they might enter into a search engine box?" And, "Do your blog posts answer their questions?"

I encourage you to do this -- if you publish a blog ask your current clients to review your articles and answer this question, "Would this blog have helped you choose us as your law firm?"

If you actually pose this question to your clients I would love to hear your feedback!

Every Law Firm Needs a Flag to Rally Under

When I was an active Marine we enjoyed an esprit de corps that lived within each of us.

Like any large organization there were thousands performing all form of tasks from highly technical to digging holes. Yet we all believed in our credo, "Every Marine is a rifleman first". This one common belief meant that any job we performed should ultimately result in a single outcome -- a perfectly aimed round (bullet) headed toward an enemy.

I hear from so many firms that are looking for growth and stability but cannot conquer their culture of individualism -- every partner/owner is running like crazy in their own direction and marketing can barely keep up with everyone being all over the map. Does this sound familiar to you?

What these firms lack is esprit de corps -- one flag that all can march beneath.

Any culture promoting that "you" must be successful and not "we" must succeed is a firm without a flag. By the way, "let's all make lots of money" is not a flag. It is a result.

I encourage firm leadership to find their flag, the identity of their firm, and to become hardline about keeping everyone faithful to that purpose.

Authors note: Uuuuurah!

A Marketers Lesson in Changing Demographics

As a marketer I have always been hyper-observant -- I tend to notice EVERYTHING and anything taking little mental notes about people, culture, change, influences, and on and on. While I may be a bit over the top on this I am rewarded with incredible moments that others might miss. Today my moment taught me a ton about how much technology is reaching ALL generations.

I was sitting on a porch in an older neighborhood of craftsman homes on a tree-lined street. Sitting there, soaking up the sun on a crisp, beautiful morning I watched an older woman shuffle around the corner of the block heading up my street.

She looked like the stereotypical "old woman" -- short, hunched over and walking slowly like age and arthritis were taking their toll. She wore a long overcoat, dark boots, bright red scarf wrapped around her neck, matching knit cap, and a large shopping bag clutched under her arm (she had probably already journeyed a mile to go to the store and back again).

And as she shuffled along I was rewarded with my moment of the day....

She was gabbing away on a cell phone! Yup. Barely moving along at 0 miles per hour she was talking away with the phone held tight to her right ear. Wow! Technology totally messed with my perceptions!

The lesson is that I should never expect anything to remain the same. Old or young, people change with time, and with the times. As a marketer I should never assume anything except that only this moment matters... Have I done a good job of learning about my audience?

Work the Goal, Not the Plan

Having a plan is a good thing, but too often The Plan keeps us from achieving our goal.

I had an interesting meeting with a potential client, and we were discussing his ambitious vision for his company. His comment was, "Yes, we do need to sit down and put together a plan for getting things done..." My sense in that moment was that the process of planning was so daunting for him the "planning" may never take place.

I know this place. I too have seen a goal in my head and never sat down to plan just because it can feel like there was no place to start. If I do start the planning, too often the process becomes its own monster -- a new goal that keeps me from actually moving forward on my original purpose. And I have also participated in planning meetings where the debate is not about reaching the goal but instead is a discussion on how to plan the plan and all of the endless variations of analyzing choices before a single step has been taken (a common roadblock when working with committees).

What I asked my potential client to consider was; "What will it look like if you reach your goal?" This simple question permits me or you to determine (and write down) where we want to be.

• How many people will be working here?
• How many projects or clients will you have?
• What kind of cases or projects will you be working?
• What will your income be?
• How will you feel at your goal?
• Etc.
  

Then I asked this gentleman, "What if instead of planning from here forward, we work instead from there backward?"

"Why don't we put the goal on the wall and walk backward through all of the little goals that will get us there? And then, from here forward why can't we look at The Goal, and the little goals in between, and for every idea that comes along we throw it at the wall and see if it sticks?"

In action it is like working a case study in success.

Now there are pundits out there that will throw sports and combat analogies at this theory. They can talk about how having a concrete plan in place first is the only method to succeed. But to them I say; here-forward planning for an action that will happen in a brief period in controlled environments is completely different from aiming for a goal that will happen over an extended period of time in a culture and environment that is constantly changing.

I say, if you are aimed at a goal that is months or years out there, don't work it from here to now. Work it from there to here. That way, your next step each day is still aimed at The Goal, not The Plan.