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8 factors that will influence your long-term career
8 factors that will influence your long-term career
An earlier version of this blog was first published here on 20 July 2021.
Do you think far enough into the future about how your future will be? Probably not. In practice, almost everyone leaves things until it’s too late. Then you have to settle for second best.
So I’ve been working on creating a coaching program – whether you’re in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s – that gets you into the habit of thinking long now so you’re not wrong-footed later.
I’ve outlined the format of this program below – 8 things to think about – and I encourage you to get in touch for a chat if you’re curious, intrigued or ready to work on this.
Earlier this year, in another article, I speculated that you might be (then congratulated you on being) a Young Fogey if you were only in your 20s to 40s, but were already planning for retirement.
I wasn’t thinking of the money (because having a pension is a no-brainer – that’s why auto-enrolment came about).
I wasn’t thinking about being retired in the traditional sense (because being free from having to do any work at all isn’t necessarily good for your mental or physical health).
Instead, I was thinking of taking time today to manage, plan and structure your life and work tomorrow on your own terms, rather than by reference to conventional expectations.
Some people refer to the period when you stop working for one person or organisation as having a Portfolio Career. I’ve also heard über-fashionistas refer to it as an Encore Career.
By then, however, you’ve missed the boat. Because by the time you get to the Portfolio or the Encore stage, it’s too late to do things on your terms.
What I’m thinking of is what you do now to get to what I call a Designed Retirement. But what does it mean in practice?
It means you’ve planned enough to be able to choose whether to work for money (or not). To choose whether to do things (or do nothing). To choose whether to travel (or stay put). To choose whether to learn a new skill (or watch box sets of Norwegian crime dramas on Netflix). You get the picture…
The risk, of course, is that this all sounds ideal, unachievable and naïve. It’s also an approach – if you’re a goal-driven executive or a logical solicitor – that might be a bit scary if the goal can’t be identified, calibrated and benchmarked.
I get it.
But it’s quite achievable if you build up and recognise your experience, perceptions, preferences, resources and self-knowledge in a way that lets you design-think your own future.
This is where my coaching framework suggests that the 8 things to think about NOW if you want to control your career and design your retirement are as follows:
- What does the word “retirement” mean for you? Quiet and withdrawn? Busy and proactive? Something else?
- How does the word “retirement” make you feel? Resigned and worried? Hopeful and optimistic? Something else?
- How do you want to split your time when you have the ability to choose? Do you need a pie chart?
- Who else do you need to think about? Family (older and younger)? Friends (current and future)? Other people and their opinions of you?
- Which abilities, experiences, priorities, skills, talents, values (your Toolkit) do you develop and bring to your own party?
- How will you try out things to see if you like (or dislike) them or are good (or useless) at them and whether they’re worth including in your Toolkit?
- What practical steps will you actually do to implement your Toolkit and control your own agenda and how you live your life later?
- Do you want to look back and be a regretful Formerly Important Person (a FIP) or be present and look forward as an enthusiastic Happy Invested Person (a HIP)?
Coaching on big picture plans of this nature is obviously a process, not a one-off fix. It involves self-analysis, curiosity, discovery, trial and error and framework planning. But it also involves doing not just thinking. And you need to start now.
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Are you a high-functioning sleepwalker?
Are you a high-functioning sleepwalker?
An earlier version of this blog was first published here on 31 March 2021.
Recently I’ve developed two unexpected habits:
- the first is reading one pandemic novel after another. They all paint a picture that’s much worse than our ongoing Covid-19 world. They all have dystopian endings based on having to conform to a New Normal. They all have protagonists who thrive only by having, and implementing, a vision that challenges the New Normal.
- the second finds me coaching the protagonist in the novel (yes, it’s a bit weird). I find myself asking: what would be the best outcome here; how are you going to achieve that; how long have you got; who else do you have to think about; what will happen if you don’t do anything; and what’s the smallest thing you can do right now?
One of these novels, Station Eleven, by Canadian author Emily St. John Mandel, stopped me in my tracks. It brought together pandemic novels and coaching solicitors and executives. This was the dialogue:
- “I’m talking about these people who’ve ended up in one life instead of another and they are just disappointed. Do you know what I mean? They’ve done what’s expected of them. They want to do something different but it’s impossible now, there’s a mortgage, kids, whatever, they’re trapped. Dan’s like that … You probably encounter people like him all the time. High-functioning sleepwalkers.”
What does sleepwalking have to do with coaching solicitors and executives? Well, I’ve noticed from my coaching programs that many successful people experience the following at any stage of their career:
- a good income and a fine reputation
- but with concerns about such things as:
- business development
- promotion politics
- leadership challenges
- responsibility without recognition
- networking challenges
- appraisal and promotion pressures,
all of which muscle in and put you in I-just-need-to-get-through-this-to-the-end-of-the-day-or-week sleepwalker mode, and prevent you from having a vision that’s been distilled into a plan that actually achieves that vision. In other words, you’re working to progress, but you’re actually treading water.
I’m going to call this Limited Joy Syndrome (and if you’re a solicitor, you’ll be delighted if I go further and define it as “LJS”).
But what can my coaching programs for solicitors and executives do to alleviate LJS? As I’m a practising solicitor and have a coaching business, I know from coaching people that the following tips are useful:
- invest some time in mapping out, chronologically, all of your personal and professional achievements.
This helps to confirm your value(s) and capabilities in a work environment that can limit your aspirations
- think about which of those achievements led to an Ah Ha! moment that changed your personal or professional direction.
This helps to identify what drives you to do what you do (or want to do)
- ask yourself, if you had done this sort of exercise sooner, whether you would be doing or could do the same, or something different, now or in future.
This gets you thinking about how to shape your future.
These tips are, of course, only the beginning of any coaching program.
But (whether you’re newly qualified, a rising star, an established solicitor or thinking about succession planning or a portfolio career or an executive at any stage in your management career) a coaching program will get you to do at least this:
- learn more about yourself
- learn more about what you want
- learn more about managing and developing your future;
- learn how to navigate and spread out your talent between your job (you might also get promoted) and everything else (this is where LJS gets hammered).
So don’t run the risk of finding out that you’re a high-functioning sleepwalker with LJS.
But how do you minimise that risk?
- have chat about coaching programs by clicking here: https://calendly.com/wynlewiscoaching/45min
- call me on 020 3159 5161 to do the same
- think about how things might be if you don’t…
Wouldn’t it be better for you, and for everyone else in your life, if you had a goal that’s your (not someone else’s) choice? Yes, is the answer.
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Dorothy followed a Yellow Brick Road...
Dorothy followed a Yellow Brick Road...
A version of this blog was first published here on 28th July 2022.
Dorothy Gale followed the Yellow Brick Road…
… and, although challenged and exhilarated by several diversions in Munchkinland, was ostensibly disappointed by what she encountered on reaching the Emerald City: a charlatan wizard.
There are, of course, other analyses of The Wizard of Oz, one of the most well-known of which, attributed to Mr. Rick Polito, is this:
- “Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first person she meets and then teams up with three strangers to kill again.”
But there’s more to the film than this…
… although you may well be wondering, given the title to this Article, what any of this has to do with planning and controlling your career as a solicitor.
I’ll explain.
There are at least three elements you have to think about in the context of your career:
- the first is that, whatever stage of your own (yellow brick road) career path you’re on, you’ll be wondering (and if you’re not, you should be) how things will progress – both next and eventually;
- the second is that, if you don’t go beyond wondering and, instead, consciously assess where you are and where you want to get to and then take steps to control how you get there, you’ll end up somewhere else – which may be suboptimal;
- the third is that, at every stage of your own (yellow brick road) career path, you have to make strategic decisions, but wonder if you have the resources, the support and the time to do so (or, even worse, you drift along without making any decisions at all).
This is where two rarely-remembered features of The Wizard of Oz are relevant:
- the first is when the Wizard gives each of the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man a token that symbolizes the qualities they thought they wanted, but didn’t realise they always had: courage, intellect and passion respectively.
So perhaps the Wizard wasn’t a charlatan at all, but was an early-day career or life coach.
- The second is that, in contrast, Dorothy herself was consistent and persistent about her goal: getting to the Emerald City, which is a goal she achieved.
But even she had the benefit of being guided by the good witch, Glinda.
Career coaching involves applying the principles of The Wizard of Oz to your career as a solicitor:
- me being a bit like Glinda: not directing you, but listening, observing, questioning, suggesting, summarising and supporting you;
- you being a bit like Dorothy: taking time to ask yourself where you are, where you want to get to, how you can do that, what resources you already have, what resources you need and not being distracted from your goal by the intermediate demands of others.
I have three programs that form the framework for solicitors at different stages of their careers: the Uncertain Solicitor; the Rising Star Solicitor; and the v2.0 Solicitor. One of those will apply to you.
The benefit to you of recognising that you’re at one of those stages and then working out what to do next is that, later on, you can choose what you do on your terms, rather than on someone else’s terms.
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In your 20s, 30s or 40s and already planning your retirement, but feeling like a young fogey?
In your 20s, 30s or 40s and already planning your retirement, but feeling like a young fogey?
An earlier version of this blog was first published here on 6 May 2021.
Are you a Young Fogey if you’re in your 20s, 30s or 40s and planning for retirement? Yes. Is there anything wrong with that? No. But why is coaching relevant to this issue?
The term Young Fogey was revived in The Spectator magazine in the 1980s to describe someone who is younger in age, but older in thoughts and preferences.
Think of a current-day Influencer on social media, but who prefers a tweed suit to a T-shirt and jeans, who prefers brogues to Nike, or who likes present-day rap music, but checks their favourite rapper’s grammar.
Then think of a young business executive or young accountant or solicitor, who works hard and long hours, then (post-pandemic) plays hard, but still has a plan for when they get older and retirement beckons.
There you have it: the contemporary Young Fogey.
The problem is that others’ reception of the Young Fogey is a mixture of gentle humour, benign disparagement and a touch of charitable transferred FOMO by those who are also young, but are living only in the moment.
Of course, the Young Fogey will triumph. But only if this occurs:
- you must forget about the concept of “retirement” (i.e. not working at all any more). It’s no longer relevant. You must focus instead on building a long-term smörgåsbord of diverse activities and separate income streams that keep you interested, involved and remunerated when you’re older. Otherwise, you will get bored, wither away, or worse.
- you must have a clear image of what your non-retirement will look like (what do you want to do? how much do you want to be worth? how will you spend your time?) and plan your career in a such way that each job, each promotion and each new skill isn’t an accident or a haphazard opportunity, but is a conscious milestone in your career.
This is where coaching is useful.
These are some of the things you’ll learn from my long-term career coaching:
- where you’re going (or not)
- where you are now
- how to create and control a career framework
- how to fill your framework with active steps to a clear goal (which you can review and modify all the time)
- how to identify what you like (or not)
- how to identify what you’re good at (or not)
- how to develop and strengthen your network
- how to end up where you (not others) want to be
These are some of the benefits you’ll get from my long-term career coaching:
- less stress from not knowing what comes next
- an enhanced reputation
- clarity about your values, preferences and who you are
- how to help yourself (because your employer will help you, but ultimately for their own benefit)
But let’s return to the questions in the strapline:
- are you a Young Fogey if you’re thinking about retirement? Yes, you are. Because retirement, as a concept, is fading fast. So get over it.
- are you a Young Fogey if you’re thinking of how to manage your long-term career? Yes, you are. But that’s good, because you’ll have choices that aren’t imposed by others.
So much for the Young Fogey.
But are you an Old Fogey who should be thinking about this now, but thinks they’ll wait until later (when it may be too late)? If so, you need to get on my program for rapid career planning.
Finally, imagine this:
- you’ve got to a point where people expect you to retire
- but you choose to do less of one thing (working for one organisation) and do a lot more of several different things.
Who will have FOMO now
Not you.
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Is your career linear or squiggly?
Is your career linear or squiggly?
An earlier version of this blog was first published here on 20 July 2021.
This blog comments on the ways in which working from home and hybrid working are having unforeseen and disadvantageous consequences on the ability and/or willingness of some members of our Gen Z workforce to conform to professional expectations and to recognise and understand social cues at the workplace, as a result of which work not only actively fails to meet their expectations, but also passively damages their career interests and thwarts opportunity.
My own experience of our Gen Z workforce has been in the context of coaching solicitors and other lawyers at the start of their careers. From this, it’s clear that, these days, even the previously typical linear career progression of a professional lawyer isn’t as predictable as it used to be. It can be much more of what members of our Gen Z workforce apparently call a “squiggly” career that involves trying out and having a number of different roles (but what others might previously have criticised as having the character of a rolling stone who moved from one job to another and resulted in someone who was a jack of all trades and master of none).
But is there anything wrong with that? Not necessarily. In fact, there may be several hidden benefits of being squiggly. Why? Because, ultimately, people are living longer (and hopefully better), but everyone who lives longer will not want to carry on doing the same job and the same work for 40+ years. It will result (for most people) in boredom, anomy and a reluctance to stay informed and at the top of the professional or technical game (with disadvantages to and risks others in terms of your ability and propensity to deliver). Could there be, therefore, a massive hidden advantage of the “squiggly” career? In my view the answer is “yes” and needs to be embraced.
That hidden advantage becomes apparent when you get to an age – whether you are a lawyer, a business executive, or anyone else – when you want to do things on your terms (rather than by doing what someone else tells you to do on their terms, or being bin-bagged and told – however illegal that might be – that it was time to retire or “do other things”). But to do this successfully (and to have what is traditionally called a Portfolio Career) you must have built up the experience that comes from having had a “squiggly” career and having been a deliberate and conscious rolling stone in the first place. Only if you do that will you be equipped with knowledge, nous and knowhow that a One Job Lifer” would never acquire and have the “retirementality” to work differently and not feel bad about being a PIP (a Previously Important Person).
Imagine this interview when you’re (say) in your 50s or 60s and would like to take on a non-executive role. The first question is: “Have you done something like this before?” If your answer is “No” then the rest of the interview will be a sham. But if (starting in your 20s or 30s) you explore roles outside your “day” job and do other things (including volunteering) then, 40 years later, you can answer the same interview question with “Yes, and this is what I’ve learned” and the rest of the interview could be a shoe-in (assuming you’ve learned the workplace cues when you were Gen Z).
The point is this: whether you’re a member of the Gen Z workforce or older, the range of experiences that you have will stand you in good stead later when you want to do things on your terms. If you haven’t tried something, then you don’t know if you like it, hate it, are good at it, are bad at it, or whether it adds something or nothing to your life. Carpe diem is the name of the game.
But you still have to think clearly; you still need to have a goal; and you still need to have consciously decided on the resources and skills you need – both now and for the future. Because if you don’t have those things in mind and if you don’t have an idea of where you’re heading, then you will drift and you will end up somewhere else that may be suboptimal and have the same effect on your life and career and the challenges faced by the Gen Z folk mentioned at the start of this article.
That’s when coaching becomes really important and much more valuable than you might ever think – regardless of your age now.
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Let's spend 2 hours telling you what went wrong during the last 2,078 hours
Let's spend 2 hours telling you what went wrong during the last 2,078 hours
An earlier version of this blog was first published here on 28th June 2023.
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The Annual Appraisal. I hated it.
The Annual Ambush. That’s more like it.
Carried out by people who didn’t know how to; people who didn’t want to; people with inadequate information; people with a personal agenda; people who had said nothing for a year and then let rip; people who didn’t know the difference between a dialogue and a lecture; and people who wanted to be doing something (anything!) else.
To make it worse those features applied to all participants: to me and them. As a result, they were mainly a waste of time and succeeded only in harming (not enhancing) relationships at work.
But you can make them work. Read on to learn how to show off your skills, achievements and potential to take charge of your career growth like a Pro!
Here’s how:
- Set Clear Objectives: while goal-setting is important, it’s essential to navigate away from the myth that pursuing overly ambitious objectives guarantees an exceptional appraisal outcome. Instead, focus on setting measurable and realistic objectives that align with your role and your organisation’s objectives. Quality trumps quantity. Remember that a well-crafted list of objectives will leave a better impression than anything long and unfocused.
- Gather Evidence: contrary to popular belief, your appraisal isn’t all about hard data and numbers. Don’t cram your evidence portfolio with every tiny achievement. Instead, select the impactful ones that showcase your unique contributions. Think beyond the numbers and incorporate qualitative feedback and testimonials that highlight your skills and abilities, plus anecdotes to showcase the depth and breadth of your professional prowess.
- Know Yourself: although there’s no need to oversell or undersell your capabilities, admitting areas for improvement doesn’t diminish your chances of a positive appraisal; it demonstrates your self-awareness and willingness to grow. So, reflect on your strengths and weaknesses, and present a well-rounded self-assessment that accentuates your strengths and shows a proactive attitude towards getting better.
- Get Feedback: comments about you shouldn’t be limited to line managers or senior people. They often have no idea about the Whole You. Get input from peers and subordinates as well. It’s often like getting advice from experts who want to see you succeed. Plus, they might give you useful tips to enhance your talents!
- Go Beyond The Numbers: yes, metrics matter, but it’s not all about hitting targets. Appraisals go beyond the surface. Delve into the qualitative aspects of your work – how you’ve made an impact, built relationships, and contributed to your organisation’s, your clients’ or your customers’ success. Show the hidden stories behind the numbers to highlight your value.
- Identify Development Opportunities: don’t limit yourself to focusing on things you know you need to improve. Supplement this and embrace unexpected avenues for growth that ignite your passion and broaden your skills set. Pursue opportunities beyond your current role. Stretch your boundaries and unlock your full potential – you might discover hidden talents along the way!
- Be Yourself: don’t fall into the myth of exaggeration – it won’t do you any favours. Instead, craft a narrative that tells your unique story – include challenges you’ve overcome and lessons you’ve learned en route. Keep it concise, yet impactful, so people can empathise with your journey.
- Turn Minuses Into Pluses: addressing potential challenges head-on is a sign of resilience and adaptability. Embrace constructive feedback and proactively develop strategies to overcome your weaknesses. Remember, the goal is growth, and by showing your ability to address challenges, you transform stumbling blocks into stepping stones. Even if things don’t go perfectly, it’s all about how you learn from new things.
Preparing for your appraisal doesn’t have to be nerve-wracking. An appraisal is your chance to shine and show what you’re capable of. So go forth, conquer, and pave the way for a bright future!
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Solicitors are decisive, right? Not necessarily.
Solicitors are decisive, right? Not necessarily.
An earlier version of this blog was first published here on 11 March 2021.
Last week I wrote here about some of the issues that affect solicitors during early / mid / established career paths.
I’ve explored in a separate blog – Are You Stuck On A Career Conveyor Belt – how my focused coaching programs can support and empower solicitors at all stages of a career.
Relevant questions include:
- why am I doing this:
- what do I want;
- how do I get from here to there;
- how do I bridge the gap;
- what skills set and networks do I need;
- what does my organisation expect; and
- what must I do now
Some law firms who want their solicitors to progress and excel deal with these questions head-on through good appraisals and coaching. But most don’t. Often, it’s down to the individual.
Of course, similar career questions relate to most of us. They’re not limited to particular job types or business sectors. All employers and non-solicitors would also benefit from strategic career planning.
Why? Because if you don’t plan where you (or your staff) are headed, you’ll end up somewhere else instead. That’s not good for anyone who wants to have direction. And most don’t want a career to be an adventure.
If you want to explore the dilemma of indecision and the benefits of decision-making in the future, get in touch via Wy*******@wx*.coach or via www.wxl.coach – for more information.
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Solicitors: what bothers you at work and how can you make things better?
Solicitors: what bothers you at work and how can you make things better?
A version of this blog was first published here on 23 May 2023.
I’ve been a solicitor for a long time and was nervous when I started.
My supervisor said: “Don’t worry – everything will be fine after 5 years”.
They lied.
I say this because, even after 35 years as a solicitor, everything is not “fine”.
So I’ve been speculating about whether what I was worried about then is what solicitors still worry about now.
The answer (more or less) is Yes.
Listed below are the 10 things I’ve identified as the main culprits – ranked in order of importance to the solicitors I’ve coached or mentored over the last few years (though this will vary for each of you):
1. Work-Life Balance: keeping a healthy work-life balance can be a significant concern if you have long working hours, high workloads and a demanding client, line manager or partner. Balancing personal and professional commitments can be challenging. But if don’t do this now, there’s a chance you’ll regret it later (when you might be too old or too committed or too unwell to do then what you want to do now). So do it (because most workers love their firm much more than their firm loves them). It really is possible, and you’ll be respected for having taken a stance. My coaching can help you:
- set boundaries
- prioritise tasks
- develop time management skills
- with strategies for stress reduction and self-care
2. Stress and Burnout: the legal profession can be highly stressful, leading to burnout. Meeting client, line manager and partners’ expectations, handling complex cases, and managing tight deadlines can contribute to mental and physical exhaustion. The cumulative effect of this is that you get less efficient, less good and less happy at what you do, which then has a knock-on effect on your friends and family. My coaching can help you:
- identify sources of stress
- develop coping mechanisms to manage stress effectively
- develop resilience
- implement stress management techniques
- (if you’re a woman) deal with expectations about traditional gender roles
3. Career Progression to Retirement: solicitors often strive for career progression, which may involve becoming a legal director or partner in a law firm or generally advancing to higher levels within an organisation or specialising in a specific area of law. Competition for promotion and limited opportunities (and the politics of promotion of people who may not obviously deserve it over you) can be sources of concern. And then you also have to think about retirement (and how to fill your time without timesheets). My coaching can help you:
- clarify your career and longer-term goals
- create action plans and strategies
- with guidance on networking
- navigate organisational dynamics and politics
- (if you’re a woman) deal with gender bias, lack of representation in senior positions, or implicit biases in promotion processes
4. Financial Stability: building a financially stable career is important to many solicitors. However, concerns may arise regarding income stability, fee structures, billing targets, time recording and economic fluctuations that in turn cause redundancies or reorganisations, all of which can impact earnings. My coaching can help you:
- set financial goals and budgets
- explore avenues for increasing income and financial stability
- with guidance on fee structures
- develop business development strategies
5. Client Development: you may face challenges in attracting and retaining your own clients (and client jealousy from “source partners” who do no more work for those clients, but still bask in the operational and financial glory of their original relationship). Developing a solid client base requires networking, marketing, and establishing a reputation, which can be time-consuming and competitive. My coaching can help you:
- enhance your networking skills to build relationships
- develop effective marketing strategies to attract and retain your own clients
- with guidance on personal branding
- cultivate strong client relationships
6. Technological Advancements: staying abreast of technological advancements in the legal field is essential but can be daunting. Embracing new technologies such as legal research tools or case management software (and now AI generally) while adapting to changing client expectations and the threats to your longer-term usefulness can pose challenges. My coaching can help you:
- adapt to technological changes by providing training, resources, and guidance on using legal tech tools effectively
- develop a technology strategy to integrate new tools into workflow
- stay updated on emerging trends
7. Ethical Dilemmas: as solicitors, we sometimes encounter ethical dilemmas in practice. Balancing professional responsibilities, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, and maintaining high ethical standards can be a source of concern. The demands placed by compliance are also increasing (and frustrating when all you want to do is provide a service to a client). My coaching can help you:
- navigate complex ethical dilemmas in a safe space to discuss concerns
- clarify your personal values
- navigate conflicts of interest
8. Workload Management: solicitors often handle multiple cases simultaneously, leading to heavy workloads. Managing deadlines, prioritising tasks and maintaining quality (as well as juggling priorities when different partners want you at the same time) can be challenging and overwhelming – not only at the start of your career, but for some time afterwards until confidence, experience and familiarity with managing expectations is a norm. My coaching can help you:
- develop strategies for prioritisation, time management, and delegation
- set realistic goals
- streamline processes
- optimise productivity
9. Continuing Professional Development (CPD): staying updated with changes in legislation, legal precedents and professional development requirements is crucial. Solicitors need to invest time and resources in CPD activities, which may pose challenges alongside your existing workload. My coaching can help you:
- create personalised CPD plans
- identify relevant learning opportunities
- manage your professional development
- with accountability on skill enhancement
10. Workforce Diversity and Inclusion: increasingly, diversity and inclusion are important issues within the legal profession. Solicitors (especially when you’re more senior and have wider management responsibilities) may have concerns about even having (let alone promoting) a diverse workforce, addressing bias, and creating an inclusive work environment. My coaching can help you:
- foster inclusive practices
- raise awareness of actual or unconscious bias
- develop strategies to promote diversity within your organisation
- with inclusive leadership techniques
- (if you’re a woman) deal with issues due to historical underrepresentation and the need for equitable representation at all levels of the legal profession
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Stuck on a career conveyor belt?
Stuck on a career conveyer belt?
An earlier version of this blog was first published here on 6 March 2021.
Are you stuck on the career conveyer belt of someone else’s ambition is the gist of what two different solicitors told me recently during our coaching sessions.
I wasn’t surprised by the less experienced of the two solicitors I spoke with. Having qualified 4 years previously, she was struggling with deadlines; not sleeping enough; watching her friends earn less, but have more fun; and was juggling ambition with the need for “me” time. As for the future, she didn’t know whether to stay on the solicitors’ conveyor belt and speed it up to the next level, or slow it down and jump off. We agreed it might be useful to sense check what she (not someone else) really wanted and how far away she was from what she wanted. So that’s what we’re working on. And it’s the basis of my coaching program for new(ish) solicitors: the Uncertain Solicitor.
Disappointingly, I wasn’t surprised by the more established of the two solicitors I spoke with. After more than 25 years in the business, he was struggling with the same issues, but with the additional nagging thought of his own professional shelf life and the need for a “Plan B”. He had enough money, but he too didn’t know whether to stay on the solicitors’ conveyor belt until he was asked to step off, or was pushed off, or to slow it down and explore something else – but not be perceived as copping out as a failure. We agreed that his concerns could be met by modelling some scenarios that could inform his decision-making. So that’s what we’re working on. And it’s the basis of my coaching program for more established solicitors: the v2.0 Solicitor.
These are examples of career belt curiosity (What Now) and of approaching a career belt milestone (What Next). There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s good that they are willing to be coached and empowered to think creatively and to explore their options. Because if you don’t plan where you’re headed, you’ll end up somewhere else instead – which can be serendipitous, or leave you floundering.
That said, even solicitors who are focused on the next (and next-but-one) stages in their career can benefit from thinking strategically. You need to get noticed; to develop different professional and personal networks; and to have an effective plan that’s good for you and is good for supporting and promoting your organisation (which has invested in you and wants you to hit the ground running after each promotion). It’s also essential that you understand the politics and practice of promotion. And this is the basis of my third new coaching program: the Rising Star solicitor.
You’ll see from this that I coach solicitors to plan, manage and develop their careers and have a better work-life balance. Doing this also has a knock-on effect of improving my solicitor clients’ mental health and resilience. Also, not many people who coach solicitors are (like me) practising solicitors. So I can Walk the Walk and Talk the Talk.