好律師為什么當(dāng)不了好領(lǐng)導(dǎo)
????雪拉指出,缺乏這些技能的不只是律師這一行?!白詈玫墓こ處煵灰欢ㄊ亲詈玫慕?jīng)理或團隊領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者?!彪S著這些專業(yè)人士逐步升職,他們必須依賴他人的協(xié)助,“管理是完全不同的技能”。 ????很多律所已開始提供領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力培訓(xùn),幫助合伙人和資深律師學(xué)習(xí)法學(xué)院所不曾教授的管理技能,但這看起來并沒有列為當(dāng)務(wù)之急。NALP基金會2011年的一項調(diào)查顯示,在職律師人數(shù)251-500名的律所將法律業(yè)務(wù)管理培訓(xùn)(即律所營運、領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力培訓(xùn)和管理技能)平均列在14項律師發(fā)展優(yōu)先選項的第九位,重要性高于個人職業(yè)規(guī)劃,但低于客戶關(guān)系、正式導(dǎo)師制和律師融合度(即讓律師適應(yīng)律所的環(huán)境)。 ????至少有兩家法學(xué)院,哈佛大學(xué)(Harvard)和喬治敦大學(xué)(Georgetown)的法學(xué)院已經(jīng)意識到了這一教學(xué)盲點,推出了相應(yīng)的課程來教授學(xué)生管理技能。除了著重建立領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力、團隊合作和協(xié)作技能,幫助律師們“從律師角色向領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者轉(zhuǎn)變”,喬治敦大學(xué)還提供一項合伙人薪酬課程,教授學(xué)生“獎勵明星合伙人,解決那些表現(xiàn)不好的合伙人的需求”,“確保薪酬能夠支撐律所的策略、文化和人才管理理念。” ????如果合伙人希望留住最好的律師,解決方案或許異常簡單:像對待成年人一樣對待你的律師。讓他們參與到律所業(yè)務(wù)中來。不要犯傻。別大喊大叫。做得好時請給予積極反饋。正如瑞斯金所述,“更粗的鞭子和更大的靴子并不能迫使人們提升表現(xiàn)。”換言之,如果你善待你的律師,他們的工作表現(xiàn)會更好。或者,正如上述Schulte的那位律師所說:“當(dāng)我喜歡一個人時,我自然希望給他留下更好的印象。” ????這種方式似乎在Munger, Tolles & Olson是奏效的:根據(jù)Vault的排名,這家律所的合伙人-律師關(guān)系在業(yè)內(nèi)排名第一,在2013年最佳律所雇主中排名第七。比如,通過讓律師進入管理委員會以及將律所財務(wù)信息(通常僅向合伙人披露)向普通律師公開,這家律所不僅顯示了對律師們的尊重,也教給了他們一些企業(yè)的基本信息。而且,由于這家律所采用“自由市場體系”,鼓勵律師們自己接觸合伙人找業(yè)務(wù),合伙人也有動力與律師搞好關(guān)系。 ????“它促使我們的合伙人要成為容易合作的人,”Munger執(zhí)行合伙人桑德拉?塞維利亞-瓊斯說:“因為他們知道,要想為自己的案件或交易爭取更多資源,他們需要成為別人眼中好的團隊領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人?!?/p> ????發(fā)放高額獎金的律所們,請注意了:律師們希望得到的不只是最豐厚的薪酬。(財富中文網(wǎng)) |
????Lawyers, Sherer notes, are certainly not the only professionals that often lack these skills. "The best engineer isn't necessarily the best manager or team leader." As these professionals climb the ladder, they have to rely more on other people to help them and "that's a different set of skills." ????Many firms, though, have begun to offer leadership training to help partners and senior associates learn the management skills law school didn't teach them, yet it does not appear to be a top priority. In a 2011 survey by NALP Foundation, firms with 251-500 attorneys ranked law practice management training (e.g., firm operations, leadership training, and management skills), on average, as the ninth of 14 possible attorney development priorities, making it more important than individual career planning but less important than client relations, formal mentoring, and lawyer integration (i.e. getting the attorney acclimated to the office). ????At least two law schools -- Harvard and Georgetown -- have recognized this training gap, and have launched programs to teach their law students business skills. In addition to a heavy focus on building leadership, teamwork, and collaboration skills to help attorneys "make the shift from lawyer to leader," Georgetown offers a Partner Compensation Workshop, which, for example, instructs students on "rewarding stars while also addressing the needs of non-rainmaking partners" and "ensuring that compensation supports the firm's strategy, culture, and talent-management philosophy." ????For partners looking to hold onto their best lawyers, the solutions may be surprisingly simple: Treat your associates like adults. Involve them in the business of the firm. Don't be a jerk. Stop yelling. And give positive feedback when it is deserved. As Riskin put it, "You cannot help people perform better by buying a bigger whip and bigger boots." In other words, if you treat your associates better, they will do better work. Or, as the Schulte associate put it, "It's not even a question that when I like someone personally, I want to impress them more." ????This approach seems to be working for Munger, Tolles & Olson, ranked by Vault as the No. 1 firm in partner-associate relations and the No. 7 best law firm to work for in 2013. By putting associates on management committees, for example, and sharing the firms' financial statements with the rank-and-file (usually a privilege only enjoyed by partners), the firm shows some respect to its attorneys and teaches them some business basics. And because the firm uses a "free market system" that encourages associates to find their own work by approaching partners for assignments, partners have an incentive to behave themselves. ????"That is a motivating factor for our partners to be good people to work with," says Munger managing partner Sandra Seville-Jones, "because they know that in order for them to attract the resources that they need for their cases or transactions, they need to be seen as good team leaders." ????Law firms writing those big bonus checks ought to take note: associates are looking for more than just the fattest salary package. |
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