Professional Development Is Not an Individual Sport: Six Tips from the Experts to Help You Reach Your Goals

• Publication year: 2019
• Pages: 0032
• Citation: Vol. 24 No. 6 Pg. 0032

Professional Development is Not an Individual Sport: Six Tips From the Experts to Help You Reach Your GoalsNo. Vol. 24 No. 6 Pg. 32Georgia Bar JournalJune, 2019

Professional Development is Not an Individual Sport: Six Tips From the Experts to Help You Reach Your Goals

The 2019 Business Development Symposium was held on April 24 and the focus of this year's program was the value of allies. Here are six tips from the experts that we can all include immediately in our respective practices and lives.

BY REBECCA CHRISTIAN SMITH

(Left to right) Rebecca Christian Smith, executive director, Georgia Diversity Program; Charles Lester, partner (ret.), Eversheds Sutherland; and Kristy Weathers, professional development partner, Eversheds Sutherland.

One of the goals of the Georgia Diversity Program's (GDP) mission is advocacy for the advancement of all members of the Bar. Every year, GDP provides programming specifically aimed at advancing the careers of lawyers through its Business Development Symposium. This year's theme: “The Value of Allies: How Allies Can Help You Develop Business and Further Your Professional and Personal Goals,"provided participants with action-oriented takeaways, access to experts, networking opportunities and CLE credit. Viewed through a broad lens, the CLE focused on the necessity of allies and the role allies play in our professional and personal development. Here are six tips from the experts that we can all include immediately in our respective practices and lives.

1 Allies and knowing the difference between a mentor and a sponsor.

An ally is generally defined as someone helping another. However, allyship is an intentional process of building relationships. Ally relationships consist of trust, consistency and accountability. An ally relationship may call for one or both parties in the relationship to move outside of their comfort zones. It is important to define who can be your ally as broadly as possible. Allies can be internal or external to your organization. An ally can be a peer who refers matters to you or a client willing to use his or her power to influence who works on client matters. An ally can also be someone willing to speak up on your behalf and use his or her voice to positively talk about you and your work with someone who has influence and power in your organization.

Mentors, sponsors and champions can all be allies. Understanding the difference between mentors and sponsors is...