“There’s so much to learn”
To be a great—heck, even a good—lawyer requires a sophisticated understanding of large amounts of law, the ability to take that knowledge and apply it strategically and tactically, and to manage cases/deals and lead teams. And each of these requires developing a mastery of (or at least competence in) their many component skills. Partners need to communicate effectively with associates, colleagues, opposing counsel, and clients; they need to delegate and supervise; manage their time; draft and negotiate; develop client service skills and on and on.
To develop so many skills at the pace expected by top tier law firms requires:
-Roadmap. Imagine trying to learn a skill or body of knowledge without a syllabus
-Practice. We rarely develop competence, let alone master anything immediately. Especially if they are complex or sophisticated. Mistakes will be made. We get better through trial and error.
-Feedback. Sometimes we can figure things out on our own. But not always. And we definitely can get better faster if an expert helps us see the gaps in our skills/knowledge and, importantly, a way to improve.
-Acknowledgement of success. The journey is long, we need to see our progress to stay the course.
Each of these is important but when talking with partners I’ve noticed they often miss or undervalue the last of these. That’s why in my last post praised praise—why I thought it important to highlight how acknowledging progress has a positive impact on associate development and motivation. With the New Year, I’ve been encouraging partners to go a bit further—to look at each of the above elements of development and to craft messages and find opportunities for their key associates. Something like:
“I think associates at your level need to be really strong when it comes to X, Y and Z if they want advance (Roadmap). Over the last few months, you've grown in each of those areas. I’m impressed with your progress with respect to [X and Y], specifically [give examples]. (Acknowledgement) If you are open to it, I’d like to help you get from [good to great/associate to partner level] I think Z should be your focus over the next year because [insert reason, e.g. you haven’t had much opportunity to date; it’s critical to promotion; it will round out your skill set; etc.] (More roadmap and some feedback). I'll look for opportunities to develop Z. Please make sure I do. (Practice)”. [To be clear, this is meant to be an outline to support discussion not a script }
Some partners struggle with this – they realize they aren’t clear on the roadmaps, haven’t been giving feedback and may not have acknowledged progress. But when they do what I suggest, they all report that the impact on associates is profoundly positive. And, associates are appreciative and nearly immediately show progress.
