about coaching first and give some small, safe options as to where to begin. Law firms can be competitive environments. How do you help lawyers move from a focus on individual achievement to more collaborative leadership? It helps to have a common project that they can collaborate on together, both within their roles and outside of them. For example, a cross-functional, co-associate, or co-partner initiative on a particular new law or regulation, educating peers or clients on new regulations and the impacts across the company or on clients, or co-leading a company initiative to mentor college graduates who aspire to be attorneys. For law firm leaders investing in coaching, what does success look like? I suppose it is different for each law firm, and/or legal department in a corporation. For some law firms, having senior associates and junior partners (high potentials) prepared to understand the business leadership aspects of running a law firm, as well as working well with their people. This might include delegating, prioritizing, building relationships and taking care of themselves to bring their best to work. It also might include strategies for building a book of business. What leadership traits do you think are most essential for law firm leaders right now — especially as the industry evolves rapidly? Enterprise thinking – the ability to shift into a business leadership mindset, staying open to other perspectives to forward the business’s priorities – seems to be essential across a variety of companies. Relationship building and management (influencing across) is equally as important. There’s often a stigma in law around asking for help — whether for mental health or leadership coaching. Do you see that changing? I’m not aware of such a stigma and have not worked with anyone for whom that was an issue. Perhaps by having a coach, they have already asked for help, and their firm’s/company’s culture has normalized coaching as an investment in high performers. For law firms or companies where asking for help is difficult or not accepted by their culture, then this would seem infinitely more difficult for coaching. As I mentioned earlier, the very nature of legal work is one of justice and protection, so asking for help may be viewed as being too vulnerable, and that would seem too risky. How do you help clients move past that hesitation? If clients are unsure or hesitant, we take time to discuss all questions and concerns, especially noting confidentiality within the coaching engagement. I also might share other resources to help clients learn more For corporate law firms, developing an enterprise mindset among their attorneys, having a team that is highperforming where attorneys work well together, and contribute in thought leadership. It may also include the legal department being seen as a thought partner in the enterprise. Additionally, it may mean developing a succession pipeline where direct reports develop leadership plans that they refine over the years. It might also include delegating, prioritizing, relationship building and appropriate self-care. How do you measure the impact of coaching on performance or firm culture? I would first define what does success look like to that company’s or firm’s culture. For example, are there specific leadership behaviors to be cultivated and celebrated? The coaching works best when it fits into those cultural values. Typically, we measure the client’s current performance in leadership through a customized 360 that reflect those cultural leadership values. During the coaching engagement, feedback measures are built into a leadership plan with stakeholder engagement. Then towards the end of the engagement, we measure progress by selecting a few stakeholders and asking how much progress has been made (or not) in certain areas outlined by the plan. The client leader and those sponsors can determine where the leader is on their path at that point and what plans are made to sustain progress. Ideally, the coaching catalyzes leadership performance, which supports cultural values. www.arielgroup.com WWW.LAWYER-MONTHLY.COM 21
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