We’ve all had the uncomfortable experience of adding team to the bus. Those first few weeks and months of fumbling around, learning the dynamics of your new workplace, navigating coworkers’ (often competing) expectations of the team leader as well as the new hire – the uncertainty is uncomfortable, at best. At worst, if you don’t provide the guidance to progress, then the whole experience can be damaging if not destructive
It’s a difficult problem for an employer to navigate, and it’s arguably more difficult in the legal world. You are probably looking at an office full of Type A personalities, and simply tossing a new one in the mix is begging for conflict, and ultimately heartache.
The best firms, of course, have a plan to prevent this. They will thoroughly orchestrate a newly hired attorney’s first several months of training, often in well-thought-out phases that monitor progress toward the goals that have been established. The plan will cement the firm’s tools, processes, priorities and rules firmly in place within the first 90 days. If this sounds like your firm, then read no further; but if you could use such a plan, or if you need improvement on the training plan you have, email mhall@lawyerswithpurpose.com for a Complimentary Associate Attorney Training: 90 Days At-A-Glance™. Here are a few areas covered in our four-phase approach:
* Company culture: How to rapidly sync your new attorney into the workings of the company.
* “Going live”: How to involve your new Associate in daily meetings and other interactions.
* Marketing and relationship-building:
Getting your new hire on the track to producing revenue. Getting your new hires off to a good start is key to a well-run, productive practice and could be very costly if you’re not taking the right steps to incorporate your new associate into your team.
Molly L. Hall, Co-Founder, Lawyers with Purpose, LLC, and author of Don’t Be a Yes Chick: How to Stop Babysitting Your Boss, Transform Your Job and Work with a Dream Team Without Losing Your Sanity or Your Spirit in the Process.
Molly: Your comments are so practical and spot-on for practicing lawyers, have you ever tried to get one of them published by Attorney at Work? It’s a great one-tip -a-day e-mail service that goes out to thousands of lawyers daily. Your comments are every bit as good–better–than anything I see on that site. I’m sure they’d love to publish one of your contributions such as the one you just posted. Peace. Kevin.
P.S,. Thanks for the nice words on one of my “observations-on-life posts” on my FB page. kp
Thank you for the information Kevin! I’ll look into it for sure and appreciate the information!