By Kristy Bourgeois
As you may recall, in my column last month I discussed characteristics of Baby Boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials in the legal profession. The values, work preferences and communication styles of these generations can differ greatly, and create gaps or worse, dysfunctional relationships between the generations. In turn, this creates serious, possibly career-altering obstacles for Millennials, who are working to “build a personal brand,” specifically with their department or firm leadership.
A well-developed personal brand can have a positive, immediate impact on your professional life, inside and outside of your firm or department. Just to be clear, as I mentioned in last month’s column, your personal brand is the promise you make to your clients, and those clients include your firm or department’s lawyers and leadership. 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.
Last month I shared with you five key points to consider in developing that brand. Today, I’m sharing five more key lessons in developing a positive personal brand that WILL resonate with your senior peers, specifically, Baby Boomers and Gen Xers. While some of these may seem basic, I’ve seen too many examples of lawyers (of all ages) who did not fully understand the value of each of these:
- Be the team player who “shows up.” Make a point of attending the firm, client or prospective client events. A good rule of thumb: if a partner or leader invites you to an event, show up. Build your reputation for “being there.”
- One more time. If you finish that brief, that research, that doc review, or other work product early, proofread it one more time. Make sure the work you turn into that partner is free of typos. Build your reputation for being thorough and accurate. I’ve seen too many examples of a lawyer missing a typo and then being branded “sloppy” forever.
- Raise your hand. From time to time, your firm or department leaders may seek help with a large volume of matters or with a complex matter requiring substantial effort from a group of lawyers. If possible, be the “team player” who responds to the call for help, does the work and does it well. It won’t be long before you’ve positioned yourself as a “go to” member of the firm or department.
- Learn about the whole firm. It’s very easy to get focused on your specific area or areas of law. After all, you’re supposed to become an expert on your area of focus, right? Well, it certainly helps you build your brand if you actually know – at least the basics – of what lawyers in other areas are doing, who their clients are, what services those clients get from the firm, who the lead lawyers are in those areas, etc. Get to know lawyers in other departments or practices and learn about their areas of focus. This will help you work with them and it will show them you are committed enough to take the time to make this effort.
- Be there. It will often seem inefficient, but in many cases, seeing more senior lawyers in person is better than a phone call. And there are times when making a phone call is viewed more favorably than sending an email. (Also, remember, email is fine for communicating information, but not for resolving issues. Issues should always be addressed in person, or at least by phone). The bottom line is, take the time to learn what specific mode of communication more senior members of your firm or department prefer and try to use those modes with those people as often as practical. Accommodate those senior members just as you would a client.
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.