Coaching: A Shift in Law Firm Culture

Seyfarth Shaw ' an international law firm with 800 attorneys and offices in the United States, Europe, China, and Australia ' takes great pride in its innovative client-focused culture. This sustained effort has already led to a robust program of competency models, multi-rater performance appraisals, customer service initiatives, mentoring, summer fellowship positions, Lean Six Sigma certification, and “best place to work” awards. However, like other firms, Seyfarth found that developing employees, increasing engagement, addressing generational changes, and matching associate objectives with firm goals is a constant challenge.

Many firms are trying to adopt the methods that successful corporations use to cultivate talent (many addressed in this newsletter). One of Seyfarth's seasoned partners joined with a consulting firm (Strategic Performance Group, strategicperformance.net), and developed an associate coaching program that has proven effective in changing the culture and positively influencing law firm performance. Here's what we learned:

The Dilemma Law Firms Face

Even with more flexible work options, dual career tracks (partner vs. legal specialists), and reduced workloads, today's associates often do not embrace traditional law firm culture as a long-term career goal. It is not uncommon for an associate to take a job in a large firm to pay back loans and gain credentials to then move on to other legal/business oriented jobs.

Studies on employee engagement indicate that employees and younger attorneys embrace cultures where there is acknowledgement, investment in personal development, transparency, feedback in open- and non-political ways, and discussions on how to go about “my work.” This, in turn, leads to an increased sense of belonging, willingness to go the extra mile, and pleasing clients. For years, gurus like Daniel Goleman have claimed that creating more emotionally intelligent organizations increases job satisfaction and loyalty. Yet, it wasn't until Goleman's seminal Harvard Business Review article titled “Leadership that Gets Results” (March, 2000), where he proved that coaching cultures actually lead to an increase in financial results, that leaders began to see that this wasn't just “that touchy-feely” stuff.

Putting the Concept into Practice

Three years ago, Seyfarth decided to build a coaching program for its associates. The challenge was to create a coaching structure that would go beyond classic programs ' one that would lead to positive outputs in improved culture, more precise and tailored development, involved associates, development of existing leaders, and a funnel of future leaders.

Seyfarth and the consultants piloted the program within the Labor Law Practice Group in Chicago. The program had a champion at the top, implemented by respected partners in the firm, tailored to meet the needs of this particular firm, and tracked with defined measures. The results of the pilot exceeded expectations and led to improvements and a staged implementation for other parts of the firm.

The Program

The essence of this coaching approach, and why it works in a law firm setting, is that the coaches are partners who are also the teachers within the firm. They are in a position to role model the very culture that a firm wishes to build. Given this, it is best to structure this role modeling in a mindful way rather than to have it happen haphazardly. It takes this kind of “power” to give the program weight, seriousness, depth, attention, and resources. Imagine one of your most engaged partners getting trained as a coach and personally coaching two associates for six months. The very thought is stunning. The results can be equally stunning.

Keep in mind that this is not mentoring. A mentor gives advice and steers a mentee in a certain direction, usually the direction that the mentor himself/herself has used to get ahead. A coach begins with the coachee and helps that coachee take accountability toward an envisioned future that meets specific goals. It is based on safety, exploration, trust, and dialogue ' not casual conversations about “how things get done around here.” With coaching, there is a shift in mindset. The coachee is encouraged to create his/her future ' not “force oneself into” one. This is a more personal encounter that fosters real behavior change, not surface actions.

Seyfarth identified 10 partners who had the commitment and attitude to become internal coaches. These 10 attended a one-hour individual session and a full-day group coaching session on coaching concepts/skills that emphasized dialogue, powerful questioning, creating spaces of exploration, fostering ownership towards personal vision and goals, action planning, fields of practice on the job, and the inclusion of others for direct feedback (increasing the “community of coaching”). These skill sets were further supported with roadmaps, sample schedules, guidelines, checklists, videos of real law firm coaching situations, and tracking tools. The internal coaches, in turn, then received one-on-one coaching with an outside professional coach to assist and talk through issues concerning their coachees. This “coaching of the coaches” provided a simultaneous learning experience for the firm.

Possible coachees were then identified based on pre-determined criteria. Coachees self-selected three possible coaches, and a matching process was used for final assignments. Coachees were encouraged to choose partners they presently did not work with in order to eliminate conflict with performance assessment and to increase exposure and networking. Coaches held hourly sessions with each coachee for six months using a flexible scheduling approach.

The Bottom Line

The coaching model has yielded a number of positive results at Seyfarth in the following targeted areas:

More Targeted Development. Because coaching concentrates on the individual, the process surfaces those associates who are interested in specific skill development (not a blanket development approach or off-the-shelf workshops), want a long-term partner career track, desire to follow an individual contributor track, or otherwise wish to learn and add value through their own professional development. This establishes honest expectations and relationships without game playing. The program has also led to greater alignment with other development processes within the firm. One coach remarked that “the coaching process enabled us to identify areas for improvement in a more centered way. We confidently deal with sensitive issues that, up to now, often didn't surface until three or four years into the pre-partner process.”

More Accountable and Engaged Associates. Coaches said they were amazed that some associates hadn't given any thought whatsoever to their futures. Basically, they had been just trying to get through each day, allowing the rhythm of the firm to push them along. The notion of reflection, taking stock, and charting one's own path was a new concept for many of them. Coaches created a safe environment in which to explore different areas of success, role-played important conversations that the coachee had to “go out and make happen,” and kept behavioral action plans for next steps. Coachees learned not only to list actions that seemed relevant ( i.e. , increase networking), but to claim specific outputs for those actions ( i.e. , interact with two prospective client contacts by the end of the month). And since it was the coachees themselves designing their paths and claiming their own futures, they were more inspired to “find the time” to make it happen. The regular interactions made the concept of “feedback, reflection, action, and results” part of the everyday culture. As one coachee said, “I began to feel more connected to the firm. I was actually being listened to.” During the pilot, one coachee confessed that he was thinking of leaving the firm and the coaching program is what made him stay.

Better Leaders. The Seyfarth coaching approach tackled leadership from two sides. First, the coaches chosen were partners who had both people and business skills, ensuring that the right skills sets were being modeled. Second, by engaging in the coaching process, associates were being asked to practice both people and business skills together. Consequently, both present and future leadership competency was being strengthened at the same time. Coaches confessed that they started using coaching tools at problem-solving meetings and even with clients. As one coach noted, “one of our clients specifically asked for a partner because of his coaching approach.”

Business Development. Seyfarth has been able to measure bottom-line results. These include blogs, journal articles, board memberships, outside networking, process improvement, visibility both inside and outside the firm, and new business. The entire Seyfarth brand and footprint has grown.

Coaching has also created a better understanding among coaches of the importance of relationship building, credibility and innovation.

Tips

• Keep the process simple. Provide easily accessible tools.
• Fully educate the coachee on what coaching “is” and “is not” up front.
• Let the coaching morph into other forums ' forums such as team coaching, coaching pairs, virtual coaching.
• Match coachees with coaches not involved in their immediate everyday work.
• Build internal champions.
• Clarify that coaching requires reflection, action, and accountability. This is not a “check the box” activity.
• Keep the program voluntary and confidential.
• Focus on those who can benefit from coaching ' force-fitting doesn't work.
• Measure and track results on multiple levels and build results into other planning ' strategic planning, staffing, orientations, promotions, assessments, client comments, etc.
• Use outside experts to partner with the firm to develop and refine programs, fill in gaps, provide ongoing support and to provide the depth and resources essential to a successful program.

Virginia Bianco-Mathis is Managing Partner, Strategic Performance Group, and Professor of Management, Marymount University. Reach her at [email protected]. William Schurgin is Chair of Chicago Labor and Employment Practice Group, Seyfarth Shaw. E-mail: [email protected].

Seyfarth Shaw ' an international law firm with 800 attorneys and offices in the United States, Europe, China, and Australia ' takes great pride in its innovative client-focused culture. This sustained effort has already led to a robust program of competency models, multi-rater performance appraisals, customer service initiatives, mentoring, summer fellowship positions, Lean Six Sigma certification, and “best place to work” awards. However, like other firms, Seyfarth found that developing employees, increasing engagement, addressing generational changes, and matching associate objectives with firm goals is a constant challenge.

Many firms are trying to adopt the methods that successful corporations use to cultivate talent (many addressed in this newsletter). One of Seyfarth's seasoned partners joined with a consulting firm (Strategic Performance Group, strategicperformance.net), and developed an associate coaching program that has proven effective in changing the culture and positively influencing law firm performance. Here's what we learned:

The Dilemma Law Firms Face

Even with more flexible work options, dual career tracks (partner vs. legal specialists), and reduced workloads, today's associates often do not embrace traditional law firm culture as a long-term career goal. It is not uncommon for an associate to take a job in a large firm to pay back loans and gain credentials to then move on to other legal/business oriented jobs.

Studies on employee engagement indicate that employees and younger attorneys embrace cultures where there is acknowledgement, investment in personal development, transparency, feedback in open- and non-political ways, and discussions on how to go about “my work.” This, in turn, leads to an increased sense of belonging, willingness to go the extra mile, and pleasing clients. For years, gurus like Daniel Goleman have claimed that creating more emotionally intelligent organizations increases job satisfaction and loyalty. Yet, it wasn't until Goleman's seminal Harvard Business Review article titled “Leadership that Gets Results” (March, 2000), where he proved that coaching cultures actually lead to an increase in financial results, that leaders began to see that this wasn't just “that touchy-feely” stuff.

Putting the Concept into Practice

Three years ago, Seyfarth decided to build a coaching program for its associates. The challenge was to create a coaching structure that would go beyond classic programs ' one that would lead to positive outputs in improved culture, more precise and tailored development, involved associates, development of existing leaders, and a funnel of future leaders.

Seyfarth and the consultants piloted the program within the Labor Law Practice Group in Chicago. The program had a champion at the top, implemented by respected partners in the firm, tailored to meet the needs of this particular firm, and tracked with defined measures. The results of the pilot exceeded expectations and led to improvements and a staged implementation for other parts of the firm.

The Program

The essence of this coaching approach, and why it works in a law firm setting, is that the coaches are partners who are also the teachers within the firm. They are in a position to role model the very culture that a firm wishes to build. Given this, it is best to structure this role modeling in a mindful way rather than to have it happen haphazardly. It takes this kind of “power” to give the program weight, seriousness, depth, attention, and resources. Imagine one of your most engaged partners getting trained as a coach and personally coaching two associates for six months. The very thought is stunning. The results can be equally stunning.

Keep in mind that this is not mentoring. A mentor gives advice and steers a mentee in a certain direction, usually the direction that the mentor himself/herself has used to get ahead. A coach begins with the coachee and helps that coachee take accountability toward an envisioned future that meets specific goals. It is based on safety, exploration, trust, and dialogue ' not casual conversations about “how things get done around here.” With coaching, there is a shift in mindset. The coachee is encouraged to create his/her future ' not “force oneself into” one. This is a more personal encounter that fosters real behavior change, not surface actions.

Seyfarth identified 10 partners who had the commitment and attitude to become internal coaches. These 10 attended a one-hour individual session and a full-day group coaching session on coaching concepts/skills that emphasized dialogue, powerful questioning, creating spaces of exploration, fostering ownership towards personal vision and goals, action planning, fields of practice on the job, and the inclusion of others for direct feedback (increasing the “community of coaching”). These skill sets were further supported with roadmaps, sample schedules, guidelines, checklists, videos of real law firm coaching situations, and tracking tools. The internal coaches, in turn, then received one-on-one coaching with an outside professional coach to assist and talk through issues concerning their coachees. This “coaching of the coaches” provided a simultaneous learning experience for the firm.

Possible coachees were then identified based on pre-determined criteria. Coachees self-selected three possible coaches, and a matching process was used for final assignments. Coachees were encouraged to choose partners they presently did not work with in order to eliminate conflict with performance assessment and to increase exposure and networking. Coaches held hourly sessions with each coachee for six months using a flexible scheduling approach.

The Bottom Line

The coaching model has yielded a number of positive results at Seyfarth in the following targeted areas:

More Targeted Development. Because coaching concentrates on the individual, the process surfaces those associates who are interested in specific skill development (not a blanket development approach or off-the-shelf workshops), want a long-term partner career track, desire to follow an individual contributor track, or otherwise wish to learn and add value through their own professional development. This establishes honest expectations and relationships without game playing. The program has also led to greater alignment with other development processes within the firm. One coach remarked that “the coaching process enabled us to identify areas for improvement in a more centered way. We confidently deal with sensitive issues that, up to now, often didn't surface until three or four years into the pre-partner process.”

More Accountable and Engaged Associates. Coaches said they were amazed that some associates hadn't given any thought whatsoever to their futures. Basically, they had been just trying to get through each day, allowing the rhythm of the firm to push them along. The notion of reflection, taking stock, and charting one's own path was a new concept for many of them. Coaches created a safe environment in which to explore different areas of success, role-played important conversations that the coachee had to “go out and make happen,” and kept behavioral action plans for next steps. Coachees learned not only to list actions that seemed relevant ( i.e. , increase networking), but to claim specific outputs for those actions ( i.e. , interact with two prospective client contacts by the end of the month). And since it was the coachees themselves designing their paths and claiming their own futures, they were more inspired to “find the time” to make it happen. The regular interactions made the concept of “feedback, reflection, action, and results” part of the everyday culture. As one coachee said, “I began to feel more connected to the firm. I was actually being listened to.” During the pilot, one coachee confessed that he was thinking of leaving the firm and the coaching program is what made him stay.

Better Leaders. The Seyfarth coaching approach tackled leadership from two sides. First, the coaches chosen were partners who had both people and business skills, ensuring that the right skills sets were being modeled. Second, by engaging in the coaching process, associates were being asked to practice both people and business skills together. Consequently, both present and future leadership competency was being strengthened at the same time. Coaches confessed that they started using coaching tools at problem-solving meetings and even with clients. As one coach noted, “one of our clients specifically asked for a partner because of his coaching approach.”

Business Development. Seyfarth has been able to measure bottom-line results. These include blogs, journal articles, board memberships, outside networking, process improvement, visibility both inside and outside the firm, and new business. The entire Seyfarth brand and footprint has grown.

Coaching has also created a better understanding among coaches of the importance of relationship building, credibility and innovation.

Tips

• Keep the process simple. Provide easily accessible tools.
• Fully educate the coachee on what coaching “is” and “is not” up front.
• Let the coaching morph into other forums ' forums such as team coaching, coaching pairs, virtual coaching.
• Match coachees with coaches not involved in their immediate everyday work.
• Build internal champions.
• Clarify that coaching requires reflection, action, and accountability. This is not a “check the box” activity.
• Keep the program voluntary and confidential.
• Focus on those who can benefit from coaching ' force-fitting doesn't work.
• Measure and track results on multiple levels and build results into other planning ' strategic planning, staffing, orientations, promotions, assessments, client comments, etc.
• Use outside experts to partner with the firm to develop and refine programs, fill in gaps, provide ongoing support and to provide the depth and resources essential to a successful program.

Virginia Bianco-Mathis is Managing Partner, Strategic Performance Group, and Professor of Management, Marymount University. Reach her at [email protected]. William Schurgin is Chair of Chicago Labor and Employment Practice Group, Seyfarth Shaw. E-mail: [email protected].