Featured Candidates
Tax/Compliance Attorney
Kevin is a mid-level tax and compliance associate specializing in trusts and estate issues, tax transactions and business succession planning. He has a top drawer education including an LLM and substantive experience in both law firms and in house settings.
See his full resume here.
Litigation Associate
Rachel is a junior attorney with substantive real world and clerkship experience in addition to her premium education. She brings a background in health policy as well as being bilingual to the table. See her full resume here.
Alison is a very capable litigation paralegal with well rounded experience in some of the finest firms in DC and South Florida. She has a polished and professional demeanor and enjoys a fast paced office.
See her full resume here. |
|
Cindy is an amazing IP secretary who has worked in some of Denver's most prestigous firms. She has a great work ethic, a stable job history and impeccable references. See her full resume here.
Pamela is a seasoned legal IT professional who has worked with some of the finest firms in Denver. Her experience ranges from personal computer set up to complex database programming to extensive work with Microsoft Access and Visual Basic.
See her full resume here.
|
|
|
|
Greetings!
Is it July already? I hope that you have all enjoyed the long holiday weekend. As we all settle into the summer routine, you should know that we are running at full speed helping our clients organize and staff their firms with the best possible candidates! Despite the reported economic downturn, our clients continue to grow in a controlled and cautious manner. But when the economy goes south, even for firms that continue to grow, it's vital to focus on leadership and recruiting - two issues that become doubly important during the lean times.
This Newsletter focuses on management technique and debunking recruiting myths. We have included three great articles on these topics and hope you will find these articles both relevant and useful. As always, please check out our featured attorney and legal staff candidates in the upper left hand corner of this newsletter. The resumes of both our featured candidates and our other top notch candidates can also be viewed on the 'Recruiting' page of our website at www.lawqteam.com. Have a great month and feel free to contact us with any of your recruiting or employment questions.
Truly yours,
R. Christopher Newton
LAW Q, LLC |
Management: Learning to Lead
The American Lawyer
By Douglas B. Richardson and Douglas P. Coopersmith
When it comes to identifying and developing top leadership talent, law firms are way behind the curve. In a survey of large law firms we conducted with the research arm of The American Lawyer's parent company, only 20 percent of respondents said they have formal leadership development programs. That's a dismal result, given the prevalence of such programs in other professions.
Changing times create a demand for more sophisticated leadership styles and skills. Law has become a big, high-stakes business, dominated by firms that increasingly resemble large corporations. Today it is common for a firm to have as many as 20 far-flung offices, up to 40 practice groups, and scores of industry teams. The leadership challenges of such an enterprise are far different from the informal, consensus-based management style of the past. Today's top firms have complex organizational charts and operational systems, topped by C-level executives who are judged more on their ability to boost the productivity of others than on personal performance as big producers. Up-and-coming practice group leaders and business developers will have to show that they can build high-performing teams-a role for which few were trained in law school.
As a result, many firms are taking a serious look at leadership development programs, although they often don't fully understand what it takes to develop a truly effective one. Leadership is about relationships, and lawyers are often dismissive of such "soft skills" as self-awareness and empathy, and of the importance of maintaining effective relationships. These skeptics need to be convinced that a leadership program will build hands-on skills that produce immediate benefits: greater market share, better productivity, higher profits, greater retention, and more recruiting success.
The effectiveness of corporate leadership programs has long been proven, but much corporate leadership wisdom translates poorly into law firm settings. It's meant for salaried employees edging their way up a hierarchy, not people over whom the leader has limited formal authority. The legal profession must develop its own leadership development practices. And it should ask what will work, not what has worked.
In 2006 and 2007, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney retained Altman Weil to help develop an ongoing, self-sustaining leadership development program. After reviewing other firms' efforts, corporate leadership programs, university-based programs, and external vendors' offerings, we rejected both short-term off-site full-immersion programs and "cafeteria" programs of seminars focusing mainly on leadership theory. Participants generally found the former to be of limited practical value and that the latter produced only marginal gains in on-the-job judgment and skills.
Instead, Altman Weil recommended that Buchanan develop an in-house program that would emphasize hands-on experience with real-life, real-time challenges and projects. Although it assisted Buchanan with program design and content, Altman urged against completely delegating the program's implementation and management to outsiders. (Buchanan's program is now run by an experienced in-house administrator.) To position the leadership program as a unique resource, we recommended that all leadership program activity be clearly distinguished from the general professional development support the firm provides to all its lawyers.
Buchanan launched the program with a beta test in 2007, involving 15 participants from seven offices. It was a diverse group of participants, including practice group leaders, experienced lawyers poised to move into management, lawyers from two firms that recently merged into Buchanan, several younger lawyers, and one nonlawyer recently promoted into firm administration. Historically, leadership training at firms has been targeted toward partners, most often rainmakers. While Buchanan's program targets high-potential partners, leadership skills development can produce startling performance and maturity gains at the senior associate level, or even before. (Buchanan's 2008 leadership program includes a promising senior associate.)
Each participant was assigned an individual leadership coach; all of the 15 coaches in the beta test were former practicing lawyers, professional coaches, or legal consultants. Each was also assigned a "senior adviser," an experienced firm lawyer who collaborates with the participant and the coach in identifying on-the-job leadership challenges and projects. (These could include such things as committee work, improvement in business development skills, or increased activity in recruiting, diversity, or associate development initiatives.)
Coming into the program, participants were individually assessed to identify their leadership styles, aptitudes, strengths, and development needs. With their coaches, participants then prepared individual development plans detailing specific leadership objectives and skills to be practiced and mastered. This plan is the keystone for objective-setting, coaching, and feedback from the firm. While the content of individual assessment and coaching is kept confidential, the plan itself is not: It is shared with the firm and the senior adviser, as the basis of support and feedback.
We can't stress strongly enough how important this plan is. It serves as a crucial tool for directing learning and measuring progress. For participants and coaches, it is both a short-term road map and a basis for continuing leadership planning and development, long after the leadership development program is over.
The participants' real-life, hands-on leadership projects were supplemented by workshops on such topics as firm economics and operations, marketing and business development, practice and performance management, and trends in the legal profession. But most of the year-long program involved the participant, coach, and senior adviser regularly discussing leadership tactics, techniques, opportunities, and progress.
Buchanan did not set specific achievement measurements, such as increases in new clients or revenue generation, for participants in the program. After the first class completed the program, Buchanan's management confirmed that, as anticipated, the program helped participants examine their own leadership skills, learn core leadership and business economics principles, and improve their interpersonal skills. There was an unexpected networking benefit too, as participants from various practices and offices formed personal bonds and developed new channels for communication. Additionally, the firm discovered that the program quickly identified those who did not have leadership abilities or necessary interest in assuming leadership responsibility. This information was useful, both to the firm and the participants.
To its developers, the first year of the program revealed two axioms critical to the success of any leadership initiative involving lawyers:
Show strong commitment. To be seen as credible, leadership development programs must enjoy a strong top-down commitment, in sponsorship, time, and money. They should be positioned as very desirable opportunities provided to high-potential talent. Management must understand that large programs are logistically demanding and potentially expensive, particularly if participants from different offices are involved. Successful programs must have competent, dedicated internal administrators. They do not run themselves and cannot be delegated to junior partners, paralegals, or administrative assistants.
Choose the players carefully. Participant selection must reflect a clear commitment to fairness and diversity. Likewise, outside coaches should be vetted carefully. Finding coaches familiar with law firm life who are capable of standing up to partners is a major challenge. Also, in pairing participants with coaches and senior advisers, pay attention to getting a good fit and optimizing trust.
Don't be discouraged if some participants do not succeed. There are bound to be varying levels of commitment, pace, and performance, so some washouts are to be expected-and even desired. They just may serve to emphasize that the program is a serious undertaking and not just a beauty contest.
*Reprinted with permission 2008 |
Top 10 Recruiting Myths - Busted
careerbuilder.com
There are many recruiting myths that interfere with the hiring process. Past experiences, poor training, and office legends keep these myths alive. The successful interviewer needs to overcome the myths and recruit in reality. How many of these myths do you believe?
Millions of interviews take place every year and with that comes a number of myths about the recruiting process. For one reason or another, these myths have become commonplace and dispelling them becomes a prominent issue. The following list summarizes the ten most common recruiting myths.
1. Good interviews always select the best employee Unqualified candidates with very refined interviewing skills often get the job because they present themselves well and appear to 'fit in with the team'.
Managers hire unqualified people every day. Many qualified candidates simply lack interviewing skills. Nerves and other outside factors can also affect a candidate's ability to interview well. Unqualified candidates with very refined interviewing skills often get the job because they present themselves well and appear to 'fit in with the team'.
It is important to understand this disparity and to use more than the interview in making your decision. Additionally, do not spend months trying to make a bad hire into a good hire. Managers often know within a few weeks if a new employee is going to be a weak contributor. If the wrong person was hired, take the appropriate action and see if your number two candidate is still available.
2. Good questions reduce hiring errors: Good questions are essential but are fallible. Many hiring managers think that asking good questions will result in good answers and that's it. Listening, observing and adjusting the interview is as important as a list of good questions. By noting how the candidate reacts to the questions, and listening intently do the details of the answer, the interviewer can learn much more about the individual and reduce hiring errors.
3. Experience does not compensate for the lack of a degree: If the resume of a candidate with no degree is appealing, consider giving him or her a chance.
Although having a degree is usually a huge plus, some extremely talented candidates may not have the degree you desire. Life experience, work history, hobbies, and personal disciplines can sometimes compensate for not having a degree. Don't make assumptions. If the resume of a candidate with no degree is appealing, consider giving him or her a chance.
4. An HR manager or recruiter decides who gets hired: HR managers and recruiters generally have little input in the actual hiring. Higher level managers usually make the hiring decisions. However, the recruiter and HR manager play an important role in the initial screening of candidates. They weed out the bad and present the good candidates to those who make the hiring decisions.
5. Managers should hire as many people as they think they need: It is important for managers to realize the financial issues that could arise when hiring candidates. Financial offers must determine departmental budgets and allocate dollars to determine the growth of headcount. Hiring more employees than the company can realistically afford can quickly drive your company into financial trouble. Always be cautious about hiring in anticipation of growth or sales.
6. Testing is more important than interviewing: Recruiters should rely on tests, interview performance, resume, background information and references. Tests can evaluate aptitude, or how a person reacts to a given situation, but will not paint a complete picture. Good interviews and background research will reveal more about the 'whole person'. Only through leveraging all these, can your company find the best candidate.
7. Candidates who have a history of success will have a future of success: History is important, but is only one piece of the puzzle. A candidate's ability to succeed is strongly influenced by the environment in which, and the team with whom they work. Never ignore a candidate's history, but be sure to consider other factors contributing to the success if you are tempted to rely heavily on history as a determining factor in the hiring decision.
8. Structured interviews are the best approach Many people who conduct interviews possess no interview training. To avoid issues with untrained interviewers, companies implement structured interviews that ask each candidate the same questions. This can be a terrible approach because companies neglect the listening, observing and testing nature of the interview.
However, Starbucks has used a structured interviewing format and succeeded in the past. Because not all companies will be able to achieve the same level of success as Starbucks, it is important to note that a structured interview may only result in a one-dimensional view of the potential candidate.
9. Testing candidates is too risky in today's litigious environment: Not testing candidates presents greater risk. Testing candidates is critical because it is important to know how the candidate will perform under certain pressures and job requirements. Some people argue that interviews can get too personal and are an invasion of privacy.
However, under the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (http://www.dol.gov/dol/allcfr/Title_41/Part_60-3/toc.htm), any interview process has to be as valid and reliable as personality tests, ability tests and background checks. Through a test, the recruiter can see how a person acts and if they will be a problem down the road if he or she is hired.
10. The 'perfect fit' employee is out there somewhere: Look for a 'good fit' employee and allow some flexibility in the job duties, allowing the employee to leverage his or her individual's strengths as the job evolves.
All hiring managers would like to think that the 'perfect fit' employee is out there somewhere. It is possible, but unlikely that the perfect employee will be found for every open position. When hiring, consider a different approach. Look for a 'good fit' employee and allow some flexibility in the job duties, allowing the employee to leverage his or her individual's strengths as the job evolves. That 'good fit' candidate may redefine the job and help take your organization to the next level
*reprinted with permission 2008 |
Five Tips for Making Deposits into the Leadership Bank
careerbuilder.com
When assuming a leadership position, the transition to being viewed as an effective authority figure by subordinates will not occur overnight. Their trust in a leader for making change and progress must first have a foundation, developed over time through "deposits" made into the Leadership Piggy Bank. This article continues our free Leadership Development Series, focusing on Five Tips for Making Deposits into the Leadership Bank.
Most everyone recognizes Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, as the definitive expert on economic policies. But he was not always considered in such high regard. In fact, there was a lack of initial confidence in him, evidenced by the enormous bond market setback the day after his nomination in 1987, followed by the infamous "Black Monday" stock crash a few months later.
But over time, Greenspan made enough deposits into the Leadership Piggy Bank through his guidance of the economy and direction of his team of policy makers that the three subsequent U.S. presidents, regardless of their political affiliation, requested that he retain his position for an unprecedented five terms.
The premise behind the Leadership Piggy Bank is that a leadership title alone does not guarantee that people will automatically buy into your direction. The groundwork must be laid before making progress. Therefore, whenever possible, you must make deposits of "leadership" in your role by successfully executing a series of small successes.
These regular deposits of success will then start to accumulate, building the value and confidence of your leadership with subordinates. When times become challenging or a new course is set, there will be no breaking of the bank or breaking ranks-your previous deposits will have an effect of compounded interest with your abilities to guide your organization through whatever lies ahead
Top 5 Ways for Building Up Your Leadership Bank:
Always Be Honest
The most simple - yet powerful - thing you can do in any leadership role is to be truthful in every one of your decisions and interactions.
Warren Bennis, renowned author and founding chair of The Leadership Institute at the University of Southern California, says, "Trust is the lubrication that makes it possible for organizations to work-it is the emotional glue that no leader can do without." The most simple - yet powerful - thing you can do in any leadership role is to be truthful in every one of your decisions and interactions.
Follow Through
Doing what you say you are going to do shows subordinates you mean business. A leader who makes empty promises might still have people follow him or her on the simple day-to-day decisions because of a title, but credibility is never built, meaning when calling for the organization to go down a difficult or new path, employees will have more doubts than confidence.
Establish Attainable Goals Early On
Make deposits through the pocket change of achieving short-term goals. Give careful consideration to your directives; not making changes simply because you have the power to do so, but ensuring that you and your team can successfully attain them. Small victories will add up quickly, boost confidence and create momentum for tougher challenges and new directions down the road.
Own Up
No one bats 1.000, and you are bound to make mistakes. It is important to admit them rather than trying to hide from them or blame someone else. Ironically, even errors can be considered deposits when handled appropriately. Owning up to oversights, explaining what happened and establishing plans for correcting them will go a long way with subordinates.
"People will tolerate honest mistakes, but if you violate their trust, you will find it very difficult to ever regain their confidence," former PepsiCo CEO Craig Weatherup explains. "You may fool your boss, but you can never fool your colleagues or subordinates."
Invest
Establish a genuine interest in your subordinates' success by helping them succeed in both their current roles and long-term careers.
Establish a genuine interest in your subordinates' success by helping them succeed in both their current roles and long-term careers. Even if they are in a highly technical role, gain a basic understanding of what they do in order to improve your communication with them. Listen to feedback and suggestions for solutions. And share the glory - you might be the leader, but you work as a team, so publicly give credit where credit is due.
This investing will not only build their value to you and the company, but will also boost your relationship and their confidence in you. "I have found no greater satisfaction than achieving success through honest dealing and strict adherence to the view that, for you to gain, those you deal with should gain as well," Greenspan states.
Greenspan has stepped down from his role as Fed Chair. However, even today, policy makers still listen and markets still react when he speaks on the economy-an incredible testimony to the fact that if you make the right deposits into the Leadership Piggy Bank, your value never decreases.
*reprinted with permission 2008 |
|
|
|
|
