Did I forget the Moat for that Sandcastle?

I was reading yesterday's post, and I thought you might get the wrong impression.  I am not saying that it is acceptable for the client to tell the lawyer how to run the case.  There are things we do as a matter of strategy. There are things we do to position our clients for the future.  We do them because we can see the 5 or 7 steps ahead that our clients cannot.  That is part of the advice we give and why we, and not our clients, guide the process.  Please forgive me if I led you to believe otherwise.

There is a difference, however, between process and substance.  It is in the area of substance that we here in the Trenches need to really listen to our clients and work with them, and not just for them.  I think I should illustrate.  As you know, I'm taking Brene Brown's online course based on her books, Daring Greatly and Rising Strong.   The course revolves around the process of becoming more aware of your emotions, being comfortable with vulnerability and developing strategies for working through and rising above set backs.  I've mentioned it here and there in this blog, and talked about how hard the process is to work through.  Well, yesterday, a friend who is also taking the course and I were talking, and she said that although she is enjoying the process of the course and appreciates the work, understanding why someone is a jerk or why something makes you feel bad doesn't solve the underlying problem.  The person is still a jerk and that something still makes you feel bad.  In other words, process can only take you so far.  You still need substance to solve a problem.  Here in the Trenches.