Cog or valued professional? Grooming the next generation of attorneys for business development.

• Author: Sklar, Carolyn Davis

Equipping the next generation of attorneys-Generation X and Generation Y-is a relatively new and, at times, daunting challenge. To meet this challenge, forward-thinking firms are addressing two critical components: an infrastructure for learning and an investment in people.

Without a connection to a systemic learning infrastructure, it is impossible to succeed in grooming the next generation of attorneys for business development; your business development learning initiatives will have minimal impact and will remain unsustainable.

Investment in people is an ascending firm priority. Generation X and Y attorneys are distinct from previous generations. They won't be motivated to pursue business development for a firm that is not investing in them. They don't want to be a cog; rather, they want to be a part of the firm's valued human capital.

To address these issues, firms must answer the following questions: Is your business development initiative integrated into a firm-wide framework? Does your initiative account for generational differences?

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Is your Business Development Initiative Integrated into a Firm-wide Framework?

Driven by Firm Leadership

For any learning initiative to succeed, it is essential that firm leadership supports and drives it. This leadership must come from either the managing partner or other management-level partner, who is both selected for and rewarded for taking on this responsibility. This person should understand the value of attorney development and possess a vision for embedding attorney development into the firm culture. Done correctly, your initiative will have a better chance of gaining traction and realizing results.

Integrated into a Broader Talent Management Strategy

The ad hoc business development training of the past has offered some value, but it suffers from serious weaknesses. First, while a great deal of money is spent on these initiatives, internal firm support systems are often lacking. Second, firms tend to follow each other by retaining popular speakers, consultants or sales coaches without analyzing the specific client development competencies they want their attorneys to develop. Third, without alignment to specific learning competencies, a smorgasbord of business development language and tactics emerges. No one is on the same page and firm profitability potential is impeded.

By way of contrast, there is a human capital and economic benefit to applying a systemic approach to...