Whenever I encounter situations where work is done carelessly, whether because the person doing the work thinks no one will notice or is simply cutting corners, I’m reminded of a story about Steve Jobs.

Walter Isaacson shared the story in Harvard Business Review and in his book:

“As a young boy, [Steve Jobs] had helped his father build a fence around their backyard, and he was told they had to use just as much care on the back of the fence as on the front. “Nobody will ever know,” Steve said. His father replied, “But you will know.” A true craftsman uses a good piece of wood even for the back of a cabinet against the wall, his father explained, and they should do the same for the back of the fence.”

In the legal profession, it’s often the small details – the ones no one notices at first – that may turn out to be the deciding factor in certain transactions or contract interpretations. It’s the issue you overlook that can come back to haunt you. The quality of our work is defined by how we approach every task, even when no one is looking.

#malaysiancorporatelawyer

#lawyers

This post was first posted on LinkedIn on 1 January 2025.