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Welcome to the Talent Think Tank
Where the Smartest People in Talent Management Share Ideas, Trends, and Best Practices to Improve the Profession
Critical for Lawyer Success – Continual Growth
August 10, 2015
By Heather Bock, Lori Berman, and Juliet Aiken – According to our research, lawyers who make partner within ten years of practice, as compared to lawyers who after 11 years have not make it to partner, are masters of their fate, calibrators, and highly networked. And, promotion to partner aside, lawyers who are healthy–in that they avoid minor
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Talent People: Do Your Associates Know What Partners Want From Them?
August 4, 2015
By Courtney Dredden Carter – In interviews with more than two hundred high performing partners at AmLaw 200 law firms (through my work with the Diversity Lab), I have had the opportunity to glean what these partners value in terms of their colleagues – and particularly what they value in the associates with whom they work. While
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Implicit Bias: Light It Up
May 12, 2015
By Patricia K. Gillette – Why are so many people afraid of the dark? Maybe because you don’t know what’s there. You sense danger. So you remain quiet and wait for someone to turn on a light. That is what it feels like to be the victim of implicit bias. It is hard to detect. And
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Changing Jobs Without Making a Move
April 21, 2015
By Valerie Fontaine – It’s possible to change jobs without leaving your desk. With today’s frenetic pace of partner moves, practice group divestitures and acquisitions, new firms spinning off, and law firm mergers, you might find yourself working for a progression of different employers without really changing jobs. This can impact your career advancement, however, as
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One of These Things Is Not Like The Other, Or Is It?
April 13, 2015
By Jacqueline Wilson Cranford – Some of you may remember the Sesame Street Song, “One of These Things (Is Not Like The Other)”. For me, it brings back fond childhood memories, watching Sesame Street and trying to identify those pictures, objects, or people who were distinguishable from the rest of the group. For many people, thinking
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Career Counseling for Lawyers: It’s Never Too Early
April 6, 2015
By Naomi Beard & Jessica Hedrick – As part of the outplacement process, law firms have long invested in specialized career coaching services for departing associates to ensure thoughtfully executed and ultimately successful career transitions. Any attorney who has worked with a career coach through such a transition can point to numerous advantages afforded them by
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How to Diagnose the Four Most Common Writing Symptoms That Partners Report
March 30, 2015
By Ross Guberman – When partners report the symptoms of associates’ writing problems, they often sound like a patient who goes to the doctor and says, “I don’t feel so hot, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.” So below I reveal the four writing symptoms that BigLaw partners most often report. And then
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The “Modern” Lawyer Learner – Overwhelmed, Distracted & Impatient
March 9, 2015
By Steve Gluckman – Overwhelmed, Distracted and Impatient… Nope, I’m not talking about my 3 year-old son. (Well, actually I could be, but I’m not at the moment). Instead, I’m referring to, as Josh Bersin of Deloitte calls it, “The Modern Learner.” He states, “As training moves to more digital formats, it’s colliding with new
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What Does It Take to Be a Partner? (Part 2)
March 2, 2015
By Lori Berman, Heather Bock, and Juliet Aiken – Today, we’re going to finish answering a question we raised in our first blog post: what does it take to be partner? The partners in our study were masters of their fate and calibrators. That is, they felt in control, strategically invested in their career, and recognized the
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Thinking Like a Lawyer Isn’t Enough
February 21, 2015
By Valerie Fontaine – Law school teaches you to think like a lawyer but, to succeed in today’s legal marketplace, you also must think like a businessperson. As the legal profession becomes increasingly business-oriented, successful lawyers need to know more than just law. Business and management skills are essential to advancement, whether you practice in a
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