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In a Weak Economy, Think Like an Olympian
New York Law Journal
August 21, 2008
image: courtesy of O.C. Tanner Company
In these torpid days of summer, the extent of your heavy lifting might amount to hoisting a frosty mug and the remote control while watching the Summer Olympics. This month gives the couch potatoes of the world the chance to live vicariously though the drama, courage and pathos of impossibly talented, disciplined athletes.
If watching the Olympics doesn't stir up your emotions and leave you feeling motivated to challenge yourself, you might have ice water running through your veins. So warm up your DVR and prepare to take some inspiration from the world's best athletes: It's all about discipline, focus and extra effort. In this economy, there is no better time to step up your game and think like a champion.
Olympians have the chance to experience the thrill of victory (or the widely televised agony of defeat) because they have devoted a lifetime to exhausting, tedious, painful practice. Similarly, the lawyers you most admire didn't reach the pinnacle of their profession by chance but by years of work, patience and dogged determination.
To be the best, you must take advantage of your gifts. In a legal marketplace where associates in any specialty can become a fungible commodity, you've got to have a competitive edge and the ability to adapt. Every star athlete knows her best event and, more importantly, can drill down precisely to what physical skills and attributes give her the edge.
Take an inventory of your abilities and be as specific as possible. Consider what differentiates you from the other associates in your department at your level. If you're overly modest, or completely lost, think about your reviews and the feedback you've received from partners, clients or more senior associates. Reach back to your college days and your letters of recommendation or the specific advice professors provided on your work. Recall the positive comments from former employers, colleagues, classmates and teammates. Poll your family and friends -- this list should include your interpersonal gifts as well as your negotiation, finance, editing and drafting skills.
Now that you have an inventory of your strengths, develop a training program to enhance them. An acceptable skill level for a junior or midlevel associate will, of course, increase significantly as you advance, and new skills (supervision, business development) will be needed. Your goal is gold medal-level performance every day -- not to meet expectations but to exceed them.
Attending your firm's required CLE programs and hitting your mandatory hours won't make you a champion. So seek out additional professional reading and training programs. You should strive to be the most well-informed, well-prepared, well-trained associate in the room. That will win you the professional job you covet in this tough market.
Think you don't have time to add even an hour to your schedule? Even the busiest associate can fit in training time. The gold medal standard? The associate who is so motivated to enhance his training that he downloads audio courses onto his iPod and listens to them during his commute.
It's natural to focus on what we do best -- and enhancing your competitive edge starts with working with your natural gifts because you'll never be the best at an activity you abhor. True champions know, however, that they must face the weakness in their sport.
High-level professional positions, whether CEOs, GCs or partners, require "the whole package."
Associates often lack intangible management skills or have discovered in annual reviews limitations in their legal performance. Think about what constructive criticism you received in your annual reviews. Don't let it hold you back from reaching your full potential -- even if you didn't agree with the review or you don't plan to stay at your current firm. Reflect on the feedback and consider whether there might have been a kernel of truth to it before rejecting it completely.
Every lawyer, particularly junior and midlevel associates, has areas that present challenge. No athlete has the ability to become an Olympic champion alone -- that's why great coaches are invaluable. Find the coaching you need to become the champion you're meant to be.
ENDORSEMENTS
The athletes who end up on the cereal boxes aren't just the ones with the most gold medals; they are the Olympians with the most winning personalities. Now that you've enhanced your gifts and tackled your weaknesses, you may feel invincible -- but make sure you don't become unbearable. No one likes an arrogant know-it-all, so cultivate your interpersonal skills as carefully as you do your legal skills.
Olympians are gracious in victory as well as defeat; observe some interviews for tips on how to comport yourself like a champion. Back at your firm, be mindful of the reputation of the attorneys at all levels. Watch for the brilliant lawyers who are nightmares as supervisors, who take credit for others' work and who throw their colleagues under the bus when things go awry. Strive to be the associate respected and liked by partners, associates, paralegals and staff alike.
IT'S A SMALL WORLD
One important effect of the Olympic experience is that it reminds Americans who have a tendency to be provincial that it's a big world out there, and we face competition at every turn. The location of the Summer Games in Beijing is a subtle reminder that there's a new superpower in the neighborhood.
This colorful, two-week $40 billion coming-out party should remind every lawyer that a purely domestic practice is going the way of the buggy whip. Look at the most vibrant areas of your firm and consider the partners who seem to be weathering the current storm most effectively. Your career development plans should include an exploration of the international aspects of your practice area and an analysis of the geographic markets booming while we bust.
Needless to say, if you speak Mandarin or have a command of modern written Chinese characters, you have a valuable competitive edge. If you are willing to make a move to China (language skills needed), Singapore or Dubai (English is fine), the legal markets are in full swing.
You may have other language skills or a professional background in other industries that are hot, and you know you have real value to offer. You can't imagine why your partners haven't sought you out for your invaluable advice or language skills. Always play offense.
Assigning partners do make an effort to staff associates on matters that match their interests and skills, but often it's difficult enough just to find people who have time to cover the work. Your partners are too busy to recall your three-year stint in energy consulting or your work at a biotech startup.
It's your responsibility to bring those skills to the attention of the partner in charge when a matter comes in. Watch the announcements of new cases and deals like a hawk. Get to know the assigning partners well; let them know that if a matter comes in involving your industry or language background, you'd like to help. Attitude is everything -- you're not demanding this work, just letting them know that you're happy to pitch in with your knowledge of the company, industry or culture and could get up to speed very quickly.
And remember: If you find yourself on the wrong side of firm layoff decisions, never let it be for something that you could have controlled.
Associates have the opportunity to do their best work every day, to serve their clients with a positive attitude and to endeavor to enhance their skills. You may lose your place on the team, but don't let it be because you didn't give it your personal best.
Gail E. Cutter is the senior managing director of SJL Attorney Search. She can be reached at gail@sjlsearch.com.
