By Kristy Bourgeois
Chances are, many of the leaders of your law firm or legal department are members of the Baby Boom Generation (born between 1946 and approximately 1964) or Gen X (1965 to approximately 1984). As I have written in previous columns, the values, work preference and communication styles of the Boomers and Gen Xers and those of Millennials can differ greatly, creating a chasm between the generations. This gap can create obstacles for Millennials, who are working to “build a personal brand,” specifically with their department or firm leadership.
Your personal brand is immensely important, but too many lawyers (of all generations) do not have a clear understanding of what comprises a personal brand. Simply put, your brand is the promise you make to your clients, and those clients include your firm or department’s management. It is a set of expectations you create in the minds of those clients, expectations you should meet every time. Unfortunately, this is not likely to be something you learned in law school. I did not learn about this in law school; I had to learn the hard way, through positive and negative experiences and observations.
So today, I am going to share with you my first five key lessons in developing a positive personal brand that WILL resonate with your senior peers from the Baby Boom and Gen X. By understanding these lessons, you will build a positive image in the eyes of those colleagues/clients who are important to your career success. Some of these may seem basic, but I have seen countless examples of “seasoned” lawyers who did not understand the value of each of these:
- Be responsive. Certainly, you are busy, and you may not have the answer to a question from a colleague right now, but you can respond with “I am heading into a meeting but I will call you with an answer by 2:30.” Give yourself enough time to respond with accurate information, and if you have the requested info early, call back early – that will only enhance your reputation.
- Be early to meetings. Nothing extreme, but being in the room, organized and ready to go five minutes before a meeting starts to build your reputation for being prepared, collected (you are early, so you are not flustered), and managing your time well. Also, bring printed copies of important materials to meetings: Boomers tend to like printed materials.
- Get the info. Never leave a partner’s office unless you are absolutely clear on what she or he expects from you. Take notes (you are busy, it is easy to forget things so write it down) and do not feel bad about asking questions until you fully understand what you need to do. Heading back to your office knowing exactly what is expected of you, and what your deadline is, will reduce your stress level. Also, it is a good idea to follow up with an email confirming the assignment and deadline. Partners forget these too.
- Own it. Sure, you took the time, asked the questions, did everything right, but you still made a mistake. Own it. Take responsibility, do not pass the buck, apologize for the problem, maybe briefly describe how it happened just to show your analytical approach to problem solving, then tell the partner or client how you will fix it, and when you will have the correction to them. Build a reputation for owning your work, all of it. Also, when you have a question about a project, or a problem, ask the partner but always bring well thought-out options for potential solutions. This shows you do not just show up with problems; rather, that you are indeed a problem solver, and one who is conscientious. Plus, your suggested solutions may inspire a better solution than what that partner would have come up with on her/his own.
- Know who you are talking to. Before meeting with a client, prospective client or a colleague you are meeting for the first time, learn about them Google and LinkedIn are your friends. In a few minutes you can know enough to make yourself feel comfortable (and that matters … you have plenty of stress) and you will actually know who you are talking to. Being able to ask pointed questions of your subject will impress them and avoid unfortunately silences.
Kristy Bourgeois is an Associate with Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard P.C. in St. Louis, Missouri, where she heads the firm’s Corporate Industry Group. Kristy holds a B.A. in Psychology and J.D., both from Saint Louis University. She can be reached at kbourgeois@sandbergphoenix.com or 314-446-4206.