Phyllis Weiss Haserot's
INTER-GENERATIONAL RELATIONS e-TIP
November 2007
Emerging Trends We Hope To See More Of
From the new edition of my book, THE RAINMAKING MACHINE (Thomson/West LegalWorks 2007 - http://west.thomson.com/store/product.aspx?r=2182product_id=13975398), here is an excerpt from the "Trendwatching" chapter as this month's e-tip.
MORE DIVERSITY
More diverse professional personnel, particularly the lawyers,
will attract more clients as clients have become increasingly diverse
themselves. We need to think in terms of all kinds of differences: gender,
race/ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, geography, economic class, occupation,
practice specialties and personal style.
Inclusion of diverse backgrounds and viewpoints will produce more, fresh,
creative ideas and solutions to client problems. An inclusionary attitude
fosters collaboration. Crunch the numbers on retention and recruitment
savings and client satisfaction and there is a solid business case. Look
beyond the legal field for evidence.
Given past history, firms will only make significant strides on diversity
if clients push and the media's spotlight becomes brighter and more frequent.
SUCCESSION PLANNING
Succession planning is a business continuity requirement.
Every firm wants to avoid surprises - and loss of important personnel
can happen at any time. Yet firms have been lax with their succession
planning, and it must go beyond senior management to plan for succession
to all important positions.
With the leading edge Baby Boomers close to reaching traditional retirement
age, transitioning planning is even more crucial than in the past to retain
clients and institutional knowledge and assure that younger partners are
prepared to take over desired responsibilities. (See www.nextgeneration-nextdestination.com.)
Succession and transitioning planning will result in better client management
and retention.
NON-TRADITIONAL CAREER PATHS
Inclusion of attorneys on non-traditional career paths
is another form of diversity. We are seeing more of this in the broader
work universe, and it will grow as more people are expected to have multiple
careers.
Attorneys with previous careers can bring to a firm maturity, expertise
beyond legal skills, contacts and a strong work ethic. A career choice
made after acquiring other experiences tends to be more informed and bring
dedication. (The financial services have realized this.)
On- and off-ramping (leaving and returning to a career after some time
out) results in flexibility and increased loyalty (less free agent mentality)
from returning practitioners. To take advantage of the benefits, firms
have to remove the stigmas and obstacles to career success for those who
take a non-traditional path. Already the exodus of lawyers from the profession
over recent years and the desire of many others to do so for a breather
from the pace or an actual career change signals the need for firms to
explore seriously alternatives to the one-size fits all approach to employment.
Please share your thoughts on these generational trends
and observations.
As always, I encourage you to share your stories with me and my readers,
if you wish.
Phyllis
© Phyllis Weiss Haserot, 2007. All rights reserved.
Check out *Next Generation, Next Destination*, our blog about transitioning planning and the generations. Visit, comment and subscribe by RSS feed or e-mail. http://www.nextgeneration-nextdestination.com.
Phyllis is available to speak at your organization or at firm retreats on inter-generational relations and organizational effectiveness topics. Call or e-mail for a list of topics or to custom-tailor your own.
tel: 212 593-1549
fax: 212 980-7940
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