I’m an Attorney, Not a Magician
by
Sometimes I am asked by a client to do something that simply can’t be done. Not that what they are asking for is illegal, rather that what they ask for is just unattainable. This happened recently. And before I could catch myself, I heard myself say, “Sir, this is a pen in my hand, not a magic wand.” Yup, I said that. Aloud. To a client. Where was my filter??
hahaha. That made me chuckle.
It’s good your pen was not a wand. Because it’s well known that:
And in your hand, no telling just how dangerous and unpredictable.
What a blatantly honest response. How did the client respond? Sometimes it takes a bit of honesty to wake someone up.
Lilalia, the client was taken aback, but then I smiled to soften it and asked specifically what he wanted to accomplish and then explained the best way we could get there. It wasn’t how he wanted to go, but once he understood his way was ineffective, he was agreeable. Good news is he was astute enough to know that the reason he hired me was to get things done right in a way that works. It ended well with all involved satisfied with the plan we’d come up with. Whew.
Well, I think that should have been told to all your clients, before they take you on. How many years has it been? No wonder we ain’t seeing no magic happen.
My dad (an attorney) keeps a toy magic wand and crystal ball in his office for when his clients ask for the impossible or ask him to predict the future. No joke.
Melissa, that is hysterical. In my office, I have my husband’s old sarcastic ball (a twist on the traditional Eight Ball) and a Peanut’s bank that shows Lucy sitting at her desk with a sign that reads,
“Opinions – 5 cents
Thoughts of the Day – 10 cents
Sound Advice – 25 cents”
I like your dad’s toys better!