Online Reputation Management for Professionals and Their Organisations
Online Reputation Management (ORM) has become one of the latest marketing and brand buzz-concepts. This is one every professional should be concerned about and should understand. Much has already been written about ORM, as any search on the internet will show. I have found that much of what is available online does not explain where […]
One of the Most Important Discussions Law Firm Leaders Will Have: Welcoming New Associates or Graduate Lawyers to the Firm
New associates or graduate lawyers follow a long and mostly arduous path through the university and local law society systems before they can join a law firm. They arrive at their first law firm with mixed feelings of excitement, trepidation and uncertainty, but mostly they are yearning to learn the ropes and do well. As […]
Associate Advancement and Client Dissatisfaction
Is your firm aware of client dissatisfaction with the way your associates are developed and advanced? The signals of dissatisfaction are all around us, yet most firms just manage the symptoms, without restructuring their associate talent development model. Your firm can get ahead of this problem with a solution that leading firms have adopted – […]
Star Watching
As law firms wrap up the evaluation season, much of the conversation revolves around the under-performers and what should be done to get them “up or out.” At the same time, every firm acknowledges that they have both rising stars and established stars. What attention did they get and how will they be watched and […]
Can Law-Firm Associates Learn to Govern?
Many firms have gone beyond the usual training diet of substantive law and ethics to offer management and business development skills for associates. One of the next challenges is to learn law-firm governance. But is this a topic for associate training, and does it matter? From our consulting engagements we know that firms of all […]
Are You Driving your Bus?
You are a walking / talking brand! The way you dress, the way you communicate (both in-person and over the phone), the way you present – all have an impact on your personal brand. Your brand in turn can be linked to your success. Are you aware of your brand, and are you driving your […]
Bias and Recall in Associate Evaluations
The first quarter of the year is the season of verbal evaluations for associates in many law firms. The written performance reviews have come in from several lawyers, the data on hours and billings are reported, and the availability of rewards (bonus, salary increments) is known. Now the partners sit down with the associate to […]
Talent Retention: A Big Conundrum
With the rise of the new East, emerging economies of Asia are undergoing a tremendous transformation. With the continued inflow of foreign direct investment and major policy changes, businesses are flocking to capture the opportunities presented by increased customer base. This is intensifying the competition for talent and leadership – a trend that is cutting […]
Building Trust: The Inviolable Rule
With all the attention given to the external forces bringing about change and impacting the legal profession, we sometimes forget how much of successful legal services business is still about human relationships and building trust. Trust is the key building block for so many different areas and interactions in law firms: one that impacts just […]
Helping Partners Jump Hurdles
Just about every law firm strategic plan requires some degree of business development planning and activities. For three reasons, however, lawyers often find the related areas of marketing and business development difficult hurdles to jump. THE PROBLEMS Doing what we have always done For decades, lawyers have been able to restrict their marketing strategies and […]