The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/43128
in how they like to be firm, I can always bounce ideas off of John Alber, the Strategic Officer at Bryan Cave. I met John about three months after law school when I saw him present at a conference. I was so amazed at what he did that I decided that I wanted to do it, too. We became friends and, later, colleagues in ILTA. I consider him an exceptional leader, whose qualities I constantly strive to emulate. Tell us about your efforts to mentor others and develop their leadership skills. Son: Being the manager of software development, I manage folks who are typically introverts. Because of the visibility of my group, I feel it's necessary for my team members to be able to professionally present their products and conduct meetings with the firm's leadership. I help them gain confidence by having them conduct internal presentations, demos and codes review, and by "putting them on the spot" with tough questions to simulate what it's like in front of a group of firm or community leaders. I also do one-on-one coaching sessions to discuss areas in which my team members can excel and find growth opportunities. Meredith: I love being a leader in a lot of different ways. Outside work, I like to volunteer and get involved, so I'm associated with several organizations. As an advisor for a University of Memphis women's chapter, I advise some 70 young women each year. In my 10 years of mentoring those young women, my role has been to help them find their inner strength and define their inner leadership skills. It's been truly one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done in my life. Within the firm, one the ways I mentor my team members is to give them quick and very direct feedback. After all, how can they be expected to change their behavior if they don't know they've done something wrong? Likewise, how are they ever supposed to feel they've accomplished something if they don't receive praise on a consistent basis? I try to do that with my staff regularly, not just once or twice a year. I also challenge my staff to help me set their goals for the next year. I always love to ask a couple of questions that usually catches them off-guard, like how do you like to be recognized. Every person is different 26 www.iltanet.org Peer to Peer recognized. I want them to feel that whatever the kind of recognition they need – whether it be an email, gift card, being honored at an office event, whatever – I want to recognize them in the way that makes them feel they're part of the team and part of the firm they're not just working for, but always working to make better. Carlos: Like Meredith, I believe in giving my direct reports feedback as soon as I've seen them doing something wrong or something well. I ask them to reflect on it, and tell me what they learned — assuring them not to be afraid to fail or think outside of the box. I also let them deal directly with attorneys when I get a request I know that they can handle, so they get the opportunity to develop their communication skills. In addition, from a technical and operational point of view, my team trades responsibilities from time to time, so there's no knowledge gap and they can become well-rounded technology professionals. The author Halford E. Luccok put it well: "No one can whistle a symphony. It takes an orchestra to play it." Is there any advice you'd give to other young professionals on how to stand out from their peers? Meredith: The best thing I can tell any young professional is to find yourself, never lose yourself. Each day try to be the best version of yourself you can be. Utilize all of the people around you, so you never stop learning. And don't be afraid of critiques; they help you learn and become better. Son: My best advice is to always be willing to assist your colleagues — whether you feel it's your area of responsibility or not. People appreciate when you do your own job well, but they really notice when you take that extra effort to help the firm and help others succeed — always be willing to get your hands dirty. With that goes a friendly word of caution: Always be sure to follow through; it's worse to offer and not help, than to not offer. Carlos: I'd say strive to learn and be prepared every day, and don't be afraid of failure. Set big goals that can be broken into smaller ones, always keeping an eye on the end result being something great and meaningful. As distant and hard to achieve as that may seem, I believe any goal can be achieved with discipline and determination. And don't let "experts" tell you that something cannot be done; prove them wrong. Never give up on your goals and dreams. ILTA ILTA's 2011 Distinguished Peer Awards program recognizes ILTA peers who have delivered great business value and transformational impact through their innovations and implementations or have been champions in specific areas of focus for their organizations. Thanks to everyone who participated, and congratulations to the 2011 winners. For more information about the awards program and to see a full list of winners, please visit www.iltanet.org/awards.