Risk management

Dear Santa ...I would like the following in my stocking:l A shiny new desk diary (with a central back-up system, to remind me of important dates).l Some good books ...

about time limits, especially those important ones that get overlooked, like aircraft and shipping accidents.l A notepad and pen ...

to record full attendance notes every time I see a client or speak to one on the telephone.l An up-to-date copy of the Civil Procedure Rules, to help me get to sleep at night.l Regular supervision (but done in a friendly and supportive way!), including file reviews, to help ensure nothing in my filing cabinet goes to sleep.l Regular opportunities to have my supervisor's undivided attention more than ten minutes at a time.l An open mind behind my supervisor's open door.

l A ticket for one of St Paul's Taxation in Wills and Probate seminars in the new year.

Contact Lynne Roberts, tel: (020) 7645 6920.l Colleagues who treat discussing problems as an opportunity, not a sign of weakness.l A chance to swap one of my most awkward files with someone else in the department.l Well-designed checklists for taking instructions.

l A fun training session in effective communication skills, with videos and role-play to flag up how misunderstandings can easily happen.l An effective procedure for delegating files to avoid them disappearing without trace.l A uniform approach to file management across my department so I can make sense of my sick colleagues' files when I cover for them.l Guidelines for drafting retainer letters covering all eventualities.l A clarity mark from the Plain English Society in recognition of my letter-writing skills.l A place on a training course of my choice (rather than one which is irrelevant to the work I do but which is cheap, in a convenient location and which falls on a day when I am not in court).l Some brightly-coloured 'Undertaking' stickers for marking my files - and a system for warning accounts so they are not overlooked before payments are made or files are closed.l A risk partner appointed from within the firm to make all these good ideas actually happen.l Finally, a bound set of the Risk Management articles from the Gazette, because if I'd read all those and put them into practice, I wouldn't be lying awake worrying!l This column was prepared by the St.

Paul risk management team