1. Up or Out? The Dynamics of Career Progression for Professional Staff in Law Firms

2. A Partner’s Perspective

3. Individual satisfaction Client satisfaction Employee recruitment Employee retention Law firm culture Why It Matters

4. “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” Align skills and roles with the organization’s current and projected needs. Challenge 1: Murky organizational structure

5. Measure, measure, measure. Relentlessly seek opportunities to demonstrate value – in time if not money. Reallocate funds from hard cost savings back into talent development. Challenge 2: “Flat to actuals”

6. Network internally to boost your visibility and potentially identify other ways to contribute to the firm. Escalate to HR when appropriate. If you don’t have the skills to lead, find a mentor. If you don’t want to lead, make room for someone who does. Challenge 3: The accidental (and/ or unenthusiastic) manager

7. Not all jobs in technology will be equally in demand – or even relevant – in five years. Your value is your responsibility. Don’t make discussions about the changing needs of the firm taboo or uncomfortable. Early warning is critical. Challenge 4: The boiled frog

8. Have a firm wide strategy with standard tool sets Set a cadence for more frequent review cycles increasing feedback Be transparent with clear and measurable expectations Don’t micromanage and allow for individual growth Be Prepared

9. Formal meeting with Supervisor and team member, recommendation is Quarterly Use a template with targets and dates, treat like a living document with rolling cycles During capacity planning allocate time for development Team Member development is not about work done on time but acquiring the necessary skills Review Cycles

10. Development Strategies – Train the Trainer: Share the Knowledge!

11. Development Strategies – On the Job Development: The Road to Success!

12. Stretch Ability Team Member #1 Ability  Tasks level Ability Result: Now both Team Members possess the capability! Situation: A tasks comes in to the group and TM #1 can quickly achieve and TM #2 would require some ramp up \ additional knowledge. Development Strategies – Ability + Stretch: Share the workload! Team Member #2

13. Situation: Increasing attorney-to-secretary ratio Evolving client expectations Keeping up with new technology Case Study

14. Need: Upskilling! Case Study

15. Solution: Redefine positions and titles Implement Learning Management System Create learning tracks Case Study

16. Individual satisfaction Client satisfaction Employee recruitment Employee retention Law firm culture Remember, Why It Matters