Peer to Peer Magazine

feature article Michele Gossmeyer is the Information Management 44 Emerge Anew with Professional Reinvention Director for Dentons UKMEA, U.S. and Asia Pacific Regions. She is responsible for the firm's information management and risk management as well as IT budgeting and procurement. Michele has been in the legal IT arena for 20+ years, and she recently took on a new role at a new firm. Michele currently serves as President on ILTA's Board of Directors and previously served on the Board as the Peer Group Liaison. She can be contacted at michele.gossmeyer@dentons.com. coordinated by Michele Gossmeyer To borrow (and slightly tweak) a familiar proverb, "necessity is the mother of all 're'invention." Whether necessity comes from one's internal need for change or change is brought on by external sources, we have seen a significant amount of reinvention occurring in roles and career paths in the legal technology profession. Law2020™, coined by one of our industry's thought-provoking leaders, John Alber, was created to educate us on and prepare us for the changes shaping the future of the legal profession. A few key drivers of change include new law firm models (Clearspire, Riverview Law, Potomac Law Group, PLCC), new billing and service delivery methods (AFAs/LPM), law school enrollment and recruitment levels, lawyers opting for nonpractitioner roles, and new technology requiring subject-matter experts. There is a consistent theme in most changes we're seeing: Organizations and individuals best poised for future success are those that can adapt to emerging trends in both the business and operations of law firms and legal departments. In last year's June edition of Peer to Peer, six esteemed members of our ILTA world shared ways in which they reinvented themselves in particularly challenging times, providing valuable tips to spark or validate our own action plans for success. smart moves Reinvent Yourself in Challenging Times The legal IT world is a challenging arena in which the best of contenders have been defeated. Recent economic challenges added an extra layer of complexity to the ability of legal IT professionals to keep their tenure clocks ticking. However, it is in the face of adversity that some of the best opportunities arise, usually with the right combination of skill, planning, ingenuity, experience and even a little luck. I recently reached out to six of our peers who have won various bouts by reinventing themselves, reaffirming that they have what it takes to continually go the distance. They shared their secrets to success, providing nuggets of wisdom that can come in handy for all of us. After reading their insights, we hope you'll use the take-away diagram at the end of this article as a handy reference for future inspiration and guidance. There's the bell ... let's go 10 rounds with our champs! —Michele Gossmeyer, President of ILTA's Board of Directors 26 Peer to Peer Make Your Own Good Luck TJ Johnson: I was a paralegal for 10 attorneys in a law department and developed the job into a law department manager role. This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't seen what was needed and took it upon myself to get things done. When I was the IT director for a law firm, I volunteered to be on the ILTA conference committee. Now I work for ILTA, planning the annual conference and managing other ILTA conferences as well. How much of that transition was a perfectly timed job opening, and how much was passionately attacking a volunteer role and looking for ways to add more value to it? No one will ever know for sure, but you can bet that it wouldn't have happened without perseverance, hard work and being completely open to the possibilities (as wild as they might have seemed at the time). Bill Mertes: One of the best things that worked for me while I was between jobs was keeping up the "work routine." I didn't lounge around the house; I did my regular morning routine, went downtown and did my work for the day, which was figuring out my next career move. I was fortunate that I had office space I could use, but a table at the library also would have worked well. This made me available for on-the-spot networking opportunities and interviews, and I stayed in the "work" mindset. Brand Yourself Without Bragging Tom Koulopoulos: Many years ago I had the incredible good fortune of being introduced to Peter Drucker, one of the 20th century's most influential and well-known management thinkers. Over the course of the following decade, until he passed away, Drucker graciously gave me his time and mentorship. The fact that a man with as great a personal brand as Drucker would give of himself so freely and generously was perhaps the greatest lesson I ever had on the importance of personal branding — namely that the value of the personal relationships we form will always be the greatest testimonial to our brand. While today's gurus may be extraordinary at self-promotion, Drucker was extraordinary at selfless promotion. His brand was built on focused, thoughtful content and a genuine interest in sharing it with others. He did not worry about "who" he was (Peter Drucker — the great guru) as much as "what" he was (a teacher with an eagerness to share his insights and experiences), and he always looked for ways others could find the same in themselves. Is this a model for an old-world view of personal brand? No. Our brand in the cloud is simply a magnification of "what" we are. The cloud is incredibly transparent and you won't fool anyone for long. To boil it down, focus on the value you have to offer; be sincere, humble and give freely of your knowledge to others, whatever the medium. Your brand will follow. Kate Cain: If you won't advocate on your own behalf, who will? That said, it can be tricky to navigate that narrow margin between marketing yourself and becoming "that guy" who loves the sound of his own voice. The key to telling your own story effectively is to remember two axioms you've known since childhood: • Actions speak louder than words, so let your actions speak for themselves. If you are interviewing for a new role, tell your story in a way that aligns your accomplishments with the specific requirements of the role, highlighting what you learned along the way. That story should include examples that strike a balance between independence and team work and between smashing successes and good ol' fashioned lessons learned the hard way. • You'll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Focusing your story on the positive impact you had or could have will be more effective than criticizing the status quo. For example, a former colleague came up with an idea for a new approach to training and professional development. Her approach was novel and had a lot going for it. However, she framed her "pitch" by focusing on the gaps, inadequacies and dysfunction of the existing program. Although these criticisms were not necessarily unfounded, the audience was immediately turned off and tuned out before she could make her case. Read the original article " Reinvent Yourself in Challenging Times" http://epubs.iltanet.org/i/67910/26 It is your story to tell and you're the best person to do it — just remember to stick to the relevant facts and keep it positive. Peer to Peer 27 One year later, we're checking in with three of the original contributors and reaching out to three new ones to see how reinvention has helped them emerge anew. 44 Peer to Peer Recom_PtoP_5-3-13.pdf Peer to Peer 1 5/3/13 11:07 AM 45 To borrow (and slightly tweak) a familiar proverb, "necessity is the mother of all 're'invention." Whether necessity comes from one's internal need for change or change is brought on by external sources, we have seen a significant amount of reinvention occurring in roles and career paths in the legal technology profession.

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