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BEYOND THE BILLABLE HOUR ™ - Making the Hours of Your
Life Worth More ™
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Issue # 15 - Mentors and Strategic Alliances
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Your FREE subscription to "Beyond the Billable Hour" ™
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ARTICLE SUMMARY: Lawyers at every stage of career
development need to be able to
learn from other people in order to
succeed. A process for proactively
developing relationships with knowledge
experts, mentors and strategic allies
is described. The characteristics of
an ideal personal strategic advisory
board are presented and methods for
creating and maintaining it are explained.
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Index: 1. The American Bar Association Annual Meeting
2. Final Report of the Project for Attorney
Retention
3. "Mentors and Strategic Alliances"
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Ellen Ostrow, Ph.D., Editor
Ellen is the founder of LawyersLifeCoach.com (TM)
Personal and Career Coaching for Lawyers Determined
to Achieve Professional Success AND
a Fulfilling Life
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OUR PERSPECTIVE
Most attorneys -- especially women -- live impossibly busy lives.
Finding a balance between work and life without sacrificing
professional success, deciding on the best practice area or
work setting, and making career transitions can be a daunting
task, even for the most gifted and accomplished lawyer.
Just as every person deserves the best possible legal
counsel, every attorney deserves professional, dedicated
support in accomplishing her most important goals.
You know how hard you've worked to get where you are --
you serve others, both personally and professionally.
You've earned the right to both career success and
a fulfilling life.
This newsletter is intended to help you create a
satisfying life -- within, or outside of -- legal practice.
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1. The American Bar Association Annual Meeting
Are you planning to attend the ABA Annual meeting
in Chicago, August 2-8, 2001?
If you are, and we haven't already met in person,
please introduce yourself to me. I'll be presenting
on a panel entitled "Life Management for Lawyers"
which will take place from 2:00 - 3:30 PM on Saturday,
August 4, 2001. I have the honor of sharing the
panel with Martha Barnett, President of the ABA;
Deborah Rhode, Chair of the ABA's Commission on
Women in the Profession and author of "The Unfinished
Agenda" (see Issue # 14 of Beyond the Billable Hour (tm)
for more information); Patricia Meador, Chair of the
ABA's Health Law Section and Andrew Demetriou, Member
of the ABA's Health Law Section Council.
I'd love to have the opportunity to meet you personally
and hope to do so if you'll be in Chicago for the
meeting.
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2. Final Report of the Project for Attorney Retention
"Balanced Hours: Effective Part-Time Policies for
Washington Law Firms," the final report of the
Project for Attorney Retention, is now available
at http://www.pardc.org/final_report.htm
You can download the entire report at the site or
request a hard copy.
Lawyers are already utilizing it to craft their
own proposals for balanced-hours schedules.
Even if you don't work in a Washington law firm,
this report is a must-read for every attorney
concerned about work/life balance.
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3. Mentors and Strategic Alliances
"As any good mountaineer will tell you, a successful
ascent requires a good deal of preparation: choosing
fellow climbers, ensuring team conditioning,
assembling first-rate equipment, and having
experienced guides." [1]
It's no secret that law school doesn't provide a
practical legal education. As a new lawyer, you
need to understand the culture of the organization
in which you're working. Faced with the task of
writing a document you've never written before,
you need some practical guidance - and some examples
to use as models would help too.
But the need for guidance doesn't end after a few
years of practice. A new partner is faced with
the challenge of bringing in new business. An alliance
with an experienced rainmaker or someone who can
connect you to the right people would be invaluable.
Furthermore, the need to strategically plan your career
never ends. In order to accomplish your long- and
short-term objectives, you must be planning ahead and
designing your current work so that it will pave the
way to your goals.
At mid-career you're probably ready for new professional
challenges but may feel trapped by an overwhelming
amount of work which prevents you from exploring more
satisfying options. Guided professional development is
an ongoing necessity for a successful legal career.
Every attorney, then, needs a mentor. But the old model
of mentoring, in which a senior attorney took on a
protégé, is rarely a realistic option in today's legal
workplace.
First of all, the demands on partners' time make it
all but impossible for them to devote themselves to
this kind of relationship. Furthermore, the
apprenticeship model was viable when all attorneys were
white men. But the heterogeneity of the profession
makes it more difficult for senior partners to see
themselves reflected in the associates around them;
and there is a paucity of models for women attorneys
and attorneys of color.
Ironically, it is these very attorneys who most
need and benefit from mentoring. The exclusion
of women from informal networks and the devastating
effects this can have on career success and satisfaction
have been repeatedly documented. Woman attorneys wanting
to balance work and family need experienced colleagues
who can share their own time-tested strategies. You
need an advocate when your efforts to care for your
family are used as evidence that you lack professional
commitment.
Furthermore, David A. Thomas compellingly argues the
case that professionals of color need mentoring that
is not just instructional, but also provides emotional
support, builds confidence, and helps the protégé to
effectively deal with the potential barriers to success
posed by racial stereotypes.[2]
MENTORING PROGRAMS
Although many firms have formal mentoring programs,
few are successful. When I ask the attorneys I coach
about their mentors, they typically say they've had
an occasional lunch with this person but have never
found the relationship to be helpful. Often, they
perceive the "mentor" to be uninterested in their
professional development. Certainly this doesn't
sound like "a person of more experience, prominence,
or influence who serves as a trusted counselor or
guide, answers the protégé's questions about the
practice of law, and helps further the associate's
career."
To be fair, these relationships are "arranged marriages"
in an association that, in reality, relies on good
chemistry. That's not to say that if your assigned
mentor is willing to mentor you, it's not worth
a try. Sometimes supportive and productive
relationships evolve out of firm-arranged mentoring
alliances. (Remember "Fiddler on the Roof" when Tuvya
sings "Do you love me?").
Even when mentoring programs are successful, they rarely
address the needs of attorneys beyond the first year or
two of practice. The new partner, the mid-career
attorney, and the attorney considering retiring are
not offered mentors to help them navigate these
transitions.
STRATEGIC ALLIANCES
One of the most important messages I try to leave
my attorney coaching clients with is that no one
will ever care more about your career than you. When
you take personal responsibility for your own
professional development and success, you're far more
likely to feel in control of your career and to be
able to steer the course with your whole life in mind.
Rather than wait for your firm or organization to offer
a mentor, why not develop a number of strategic
alliances with people who can provide mentoring across a
wide variety of professional concerns?
You might think of this group as your personal strategic
advisory board. Whether or not you meet with them all
simultaneously, each can be chosen to fulfill specific
goals. As Ida O. Abbott points out, the list of
expectations lawyers have of mentors is daunting; no
wonder so few senior attorneys are willing to try to
fill the role.[3] It's far more likely that you'll
get all the different kinds of help you need if you
clarify your goals and objectives for mentoring
relationships and then identify a group of people
who can assist you in accomplishing your goals.
DEVELOPING ALLIANCES
1. Evaluate Your Learning Needs
The first step is to assess your learning needs.
As part of your strategic career planning, you
should be regularly evaluating your skill
repertoire and identifying knowledge gaps.
Selecting potential mentors will depend largely
on your assessment of these needs. Ask yourself,
"What expertise do I need to develop in order
to undertake this project? What skills do I
need to acquire or improve in order to achieve my
career goals for this year?" Don't wait until
evaluation time to hear what others think of your
skills. Be proactive in clarifying your goals and
the expertise you need to achieve them.
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If you'd like a list of "lawyers skills"
to use for your self-assessment, send an e-mail
to Ellen@lawyerslifecoach.com with "lawyers
skills" in the subject line.
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2. Proactively Identify Resources.
Once you've determined the kinds of knowledge you
need to acquire, you can ask yourself, "Who would
know something about this?"
It's essential that you take responsibility for
identifying potential mentors and establishing
relationships with them.
Your mentors, or strategic allies, or personal board
of directors serve as a kind of informal, customized
personal knowledge resource to fill in your knowledge
gaps.
Attorneys have traditionally been taught to value
self-reliance. You're not supposed to ask for help,
or to admit the need for assistance. Asking others
for answers is considered "cheating."
But as a knowledge worker in today's economy, you
simply cannot know everything. Suppose you're
asked to draft a document you've never done before
concerning some esoteric area of the law and you
have a 24-hour turnaround time. Wouldn't it be
better for the client if you had a knowledge network
available to you? You'd be learning as well as
providing good client service. According to Robert
Kelley's research, successful people ask themselves,
"What is the fastest route to get the information I
need, and who are the people I need to go through to
connect with the person who has the best
information?" [4]
Having identified your knowledge gaps, you can
look for mentors in a variety of places. Consider
law school professors you had who possess the
expertise you're trying to develop. Maybe you've
come across an in-house attorney who knows a great
deal about the subject. Perhaps there's a legal
expert you're aware of in a non-competing firm.
Contact your local bar association, or look at the
ABA's website or search via Martindale-Hubbell.
Ask successful attorneys to recommend people
with particular expertise, or who have been helpful
to them in some way.
Every situation presents you with possibilities
for finding mentors. Listen to the contributions
people make to meetings you attend; be attentive
to who has special expertise in areas you want
to develop, whom you admire, who has values similar
to your own. Work on collaborative projects with
people, both at work and in your community and
observe others' skills. Take note of good
networkers whose success secrets you'd like to
emulate. If you attend a program and are
particularly interested in the speaker, try to
approach her/him afterwards. Tell her you admire her
work and would like to learn from her, or that you
want to achieve what he has and would appreciate his
advice.
If possible, get a feel for what it would be like to work
with a potential mentor. You might volunteer to
serve on a committee or request an assignment that
will allow you to work with a potential mentor as a
way to establish a working relationship.
Try to spot people who seem particularly disposed to
invest in a mentoring relationship. When people
express genuine interest in you and your career,
consider taking them up on it.
3. Different Functions for Different Mentors
Younger associates need a mentor within their
firm or organization to help them learn about its
culture. This mentor can provide tips on who is
powerful, who the key players and decision-makers
are, whom to seek out and whom not to cross.
A more senior person in your organization can help
you learn the protocol; s/he can speak up for you when
you need a champion and facilitate your socialization
and integration into the firm. Attorneys with whom you
forge alliances within your firm can assist you in
learning the skills needed for advancement.
It is extremely useful to find a mentor who
does the same kind of work as you. A senior
and successful attorney in your area who can
provide candid and constructive criticism of your
work is an invaluable resource.
Within your firm or organization it's beneficial to
build alliances with people who have influence
with decision-makers. It's important to identify
people you trust and admire and who share your
values. You'll need to feel comfortable enough with
this person to honestly share questions and concerns.
It's especially helpful for women attorneys to form
alliances with other women lawyers who share their
values concerning work/life balance. It's even
better if you admire how this person has handled
the issue in her own life.
An associate told me about her efforts to obtain
mentoring from a senior woman partner in her firm.
The advice she got was, "Forget about having a life
if you want to succeed here." Since this associate
wanted to start a family, this was hardly a good
mentoring match.
It's also advantageous to build alliances with
people outside of your firm or organization. These
may be individuals with expertise in areas where
you have knowledge gaps, people you generally admire
and believe can teach you a lot, or attorneys who are
particularly supportive and whose perspective on the
profession is of value to you.
Your personal knowledge board may also include
people in other professions, perhaps in the industry
you serve.
It's also good to include someone who can guide
you in strategic life and career design. Often
a professional coach serves this purpose.
It's essential to keep in mind the importance of
discretion when speaking to a mentor within your
firm. You must protect the confidentiality of
client information when speaking with advisors
outside of your firm. If your coach is a
psychologist, your communications are privileged.
4. Developing and Maintaining Relationships
The alliances you form are substantive, strategically
important business relationships. They have far
more depth than someone to whom you hand a business
card at a networking event. These are meaningful,
productive relationships with people at all levels of
experience who can provide career enhancement and self-
development.
Especially if you dislike the superficiality that
networking connotes, these alliances will be easier
to develop because they evolve in a natural and
authentic way. They depend upon personal chemistry
and often occur serendipitously. But you can influence
serendipity by volunteering for committees or work
assignments that allow collaborative relationships
to develop. This also allows both parties to evaluate
the benefits of the working relationship.
Knowledge and assistance are privileges, not rights.
It's important to clarify each person's expectations of
the relationship. Negotiate how long you expect
the relationship to proceed in this form - you can
always arrange to continue the alliance.
Try to gain an understanding of what your mentor
or ally needs in order for the relationship to
be mutually rewarding. For some advisors,
helping another attorney succeed is sufficient.
Others might feel rewarded by your offers to
assist them in writing an article or speech.
Developing your own area of expertise makes you
a desirable ally. You can be a source of
information to your mentor by sending clippings,
articles, etc. which you know would be of
interest. When you can link the problem for which
you're seeking expertise to an area of your
advisor's interest, your mentor can deepen his/her
own knowledge while helping you.
It's important not to abuse your relationships
with your personal advisory board. Be clear
about each individual's willingness to be
available and helpful and structure your requests
accordingly.
Treat these relationships with great care, show
appropriate gratitude, and give proper credit for
contributions. Never waste your advisors' time. When
you seek their expertise, prepare your questions well
and summarize the efforts you've already made to
solve the problem.
5. Lay the Groundwork in Advance
The worst time to be constructing your strategic
advisory board is when you need it to work for you.
It's essential to be proactive and to find ways
to build these relationships before you need to
call on them for their assistance.
Try to find ways to collaborate with potential
information sources. Build credit by offering
help and following through.
And don't forget the unique contribution a professional
coach can make to your career and personal
development. Other attorneys can teach you practical
applications of the law or show you the ropes of your
firm, but only your coach is dedicated to your success,
is an expert in the change process, has no vested
interest in your choices, and has special knowledge
about how to plan your career without sacrificing
the important things in your life.
Notes:
1. Jay M. Jackman. Quoted in Nichols, Nancy, A. (Ed)
(1996) "Reach for the Top: Women and the
Changing Facts of Work Life." Harvard Business
School Press. P. 81.
2. Thomas, David A. 'Race Matters: The Truth About
Mentoring Minorities.' "Harvard Business Review,"
April, 2001.
3. Abbott, Ida O. "Adapting Mentoring to the Modern
Legal Workplace." LexisOne, January, 2001.
4. Kelley, Robert E. (1999) "How to Be a Star at
Work - 9 Breakthrough Strategies You Need to
Succeed." New York: Three Rivers Press. P. 81.
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Ellen Ostrow, Ph.D. and her associates at Lawyers Life
Coach (TM) are available for individual and group
coaching, seminar and conference presentations, and
speaking engagements. We also provide professional
consultation to law firms and other legal service
organizations. You can reach us at 301-578-8686
or send e-mail to Ellen@lawyerslifecoach.com
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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: A brief phone call is all you need
now to find out more about Ellen's
coaching. Call 212-461-2749 and
hear Ellen interviewed by a woman
lawyer and forensic psychologist.
You can learn about Ellen's coaching
practice and get a sense for what
virtual coaching is like, just
by listening to the recorded
interview. This is available 24
hours/day, seven days/week.
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BEYOND THE BILLABLE HOUR ™ is published monthly by
Ellen Ostrow, Ph.D., founder of LawyersLifeCoach.com.
She brings 20 years of experience assisting women
attorneys to her work in Lawyers Life Coach ™.
LawyersLifeCoach.com is a professional and personal
coaching firm specializing in working virtually (by
phone with email and fax backup) with women attorneys
interested in developing strategies to find greater
satisfaction in their careers within the law or
in exploring career alternatives for lawyers.
Ellen Ostrow, Ph.D. established Lawyerslifecoach.com
to coach busy lawyers who might benefit from the
insights gained from 20 years as a psychologist
combined with her experience and familiarity with
the legal profession.
Ellen holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
from the University of Rochester and is a managing
member of Metropolitan Behavioral Health Care, LLC.,
a multispecialty, multidisciplinary psychotherapy
practice in Washington, D.C. and suburban Maryland.
She is a member of the International Coach Federation
and a graduate of the Mentor Coach Program ™.
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NOTE: BEYOND THE BILLABLE HOUR ™ is intended
for informational and educational purposes only.
It is not a substitute for a personal consultation
with a mental health professional and should not
be construed as a form of, or substitute for,
counseling, psychotherapy, or other psychological
service.
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CONTACT INFORMATION
Ellen Ostrow, Ph.D.
LawyersLifeCoach.com
Phone: (301) 578-8686
email: Ellen@LawyersLifeCoach.com
Web: http://LawyersLifeCoach.com
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(c)Copyright 2000 Ellen Ostrow. All rights reserved.
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