New Partner Orientation: Building the Team, Delegation and Supervision

Cordell M. Parvin http://www.cordellparvin.com

“A Wedding is an Event; a Marriage is an Achievement.”

Making Partner is an Event, Being a Successful Partner is an Achievement

Justice Blackmun

To Be Successful

Build a Team

The Challenge Think like a lawyer

The Challenge

Young Lawyers

The Challenge

Dr. Larry Richard, Hildebrandt International Studies of 18 Personality Traits of Lawyers Using the "Caliper Profile"

Skeptics Lawyers are:

Autonomous

Lacking Social Skills

Abstract Reasoners

Impatient

Lacking Resilience

“Aligning the Stars” Jay Lorsch and Thomas Tierney

Why Important?

“Starmaking” is more important to a firm’s long term success than “rainmaking”

Aligning the Stars

Jay Lorsch and Thomas Tierney

Over time the people you pay are more important than the people who pay you

Aligning the Stars


Developing a star recruit into a seasoned star is multiyear task

Aligning the Stars


In great firms . . . senior people worry as much about missing out on or losing new talent as they do about missing out on or losing good clients.

Aligning the Stars


Why Important?

Must train, energize and excite your people If you do, quality and service will be outstanding If it is, you will earn superior profits

David Maister

There is a strict sequence for making superior profits:

Why Important?

To have “Raving Fans” clients a firm must have “Gung Ho” lawyers and staff

Ken Blanchard

Studies and Surveys

A"ri%on Rate of New Associates in Large Law Firms (1988 -‐ 1996)

Cost -‐ $300,000 per lawyer

Studies and Surveys

A whopping 77 percent of associates leave within five years, according to NALP’s latest survey.

Why do you believe associates leave their firms?

What Associates Are Saying

Why Lawyers Leave and What May Make Them Stay?

Studies and Surveys

What’s in it for me to work with ____________?

Building a Team

Associates are asking:

Building a Team

Why Should a Younger Associate Want to Work for You?

Building a Team

Align the team goals with the individual aspirations of their players

Building a Team

Find Motivation and Tap In

DelegaKon for Success

Learn to Delegate


Define Project and Establish Deadline


Jr. Lawyer Has Training / Up-Front Training


Information / Documents Necessary


Open Door Policy


What They Are Doing Really Matters


Provide Feedback – During / After


Ask What They Learned

Success!!

You will be a successful partner by building a team that wants to help you help your clients.

New Partner Orientation: Building the Team, Delegation and Supervision

Education

Transcript of New Partner Orientation: Building the Team, Delegation and Supervision