PDC BOARD MEMBERSChair:

James Lovelace, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

Vice Chair: Heather Edes,

Sullivan & Worcester LLP

Secretary/Treasurer: Gillian Murray, Bryan Cave LLP

Ruth Alexandor, Miller Thomson LLP

Marni Becker-Avin, Becker & Poliakoff

Lori Broderick, Sutherland, Asbill and Brennan LLP

Kathleen Dunn, Squire Patton Boggs LLP

Peter Glowacki, Sidley Austin LLP

Anthony Grumbach, Farella Braun Martel LLP

Milana Hogan, Sullivan and Cromwell LLP

A publication from the Professional Development Consortium.

Managing Editor: Marni Becker-Avin, Becker & Poliakoff

Address article submissions to newsletter@pdclegal.org

Articles in this publication represent the views of the authors and are presented for that purpose alone, and should not

be construed to express the opinions of the PDC.

Chair’s Noteby Jim Lovelace

Welcome to the “new look” PDC Linkletter! This issue, which truly is a “double (even triple?) issue,” is brimming with features, notably interviews with PDC members and friends. In this issue, you hear from founding PDC member Barbara Geier, PDC member and e-learning pioneer (and I’m proud to say, PDC Board member) Peter Glowacki, and 5 of our 7 new Trusted Advisors: Ida Abbott (also a founding PDC member), Ross Guberman, Tracy LaLonde, Tim Leishman and Terri Mottershead. All of them answer questions and offer insights that are relevant to

each of us as legal PD professionals. Read and enjoy.

In addition to the superb substance, our newsletter has a new look and feel. We hope you like it!

I tip my cap to Linkletter editor (and PDC Board member) Marni Becker-Avin, PDC Executive Director Amy Lotz, and PDC Coordinator of Association Services Sally Burroughs for making this happen.

Thank you!

JimPDC Chair

Inside: PDC LinkletterGEt to Know youR tRustED ADvisoRs

Ida Abbott ................................................................................................... 2PDC Winter Conference ............................................................................ 3Ross Guberman .......................................................................................... 4PDC Competency Model .......................................................................... 5Tracy LaLonde ............................................................................................. 6Richard Pearson Award .............................................................................. 7Tim Leishman ............................................................................................. 8Terri Mottershead ....................................................................................... 9Website Information ................................................................................ 10

MEMBERs’ CoRnERPeter Glowacki.......................................................................................... 11Connect with us on LinkedIn ................................................................... 12Barbara Geier ........................................................................................... 13Membership Benefits ............................................................................... 14

LinkletterTHE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONSORTIUM

Professional Development Consortium

Fall 2014, Vol. 2, Issue 2

GET TO KNOW YOUR TRUSTED ADVISORS:

What attracted you to the Trusted Advisor Program?I was one of the founding members of the PDC and have always supported the organization. I’m happy to see it expand, and happy to be back. When we started the PDC, Professional Development wasn’t a field, and to see it grow and thrive is very gratifying. It’s nice to see that firms recognize its importance. It’s also a great way to stay in touch with people and see how firms are changing.

How did you decide to start the PDC?Richard Lee and Leslie Belasco were the first to pioneer it. When I was asked to run PD at Heller Ehrman, I called Dick for guidance because he was the expert and we were both in SF (he was at Morrison & Foerster). About a year later, he called and told me that they were going to start a group and was I interested, and I was. When the PDC started, members met every six months. Everyone knew each other because there were so few of us in the field.

What would you like the PDC membership to know about you and the services you provide?Right now most of my work is in mentoring, sponsorship, leadership and trying to advance women in the profession. I started out doing PD more broadly, and now I am focusing in those areas.

What are some of the most important, current Professional Development industry trends? One trend is the growing interest in sponsorship. Sponsorship is critical for advancement and promotion, especially for women and diverse lawyers. Sponsors serve as champions and strong advocates, and without them it is difficult to become a partner or move into leadership. Many firms want to start sponsorship programs but I’m skeptical as to whether they will work in most law firms. I applaud and welcome the efforts and think there are ways to make them work, but assigning sponsors is hard in a law firm because of the economic, billing and political

dynamics in firms. Some firms are just calling their mentoring programs “sponsorship” but it is important to understand the differences.

An article from The Glass Hammer

An article from Attorney At Work

An article from Men Advocating Real Change

A related trend is the increase in men supporting the advancement of women. Men are becoming more engaged in the process, with firms placing greater emphasis on men being active in efforts to promote women, and I am very happy

about that. In leadership, we are seeing a greater focus on collaborative and team leadership, another positive trend.

What are some of the key challenges for Professional Development professionals?A big challenge is the relentless emphasis on billing hours and the competition to get business. Law firm economics puts pressure on partners to focus on profits at the expense of developing talent. Losing the human element in learning is a real risk. For example, more and more training is done electronically and we emphasize technology to the point where the hands-on training may get lost. The

opportunities should be greater these days for associates to learn on the job because there are fewer associates and smaller teams, but the pressure on partners is high to bring in work, so they are focused on that instead of training and are not paying attention to developing the lawyers they will need for the future.

Do you have any special advice for people who are new to the field? Think about innovations and new ideas because once you get into the system,

“Sponsorship is critical for advancement and promotion, especially for women and diverse lawyers.”

Ida Abbott has been helping employers develop, manage and retain legal talent since 1995, and has been at the forefront of efforts to promote women in the legal profession. Ida is a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management and co-founder of the Hastings Leadership Academy for Women at Hastings College of the Law. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the National Legal Mentoring Consortium and is an Advisor to the Institute for Mentoring and the New York Women’s Bar Association Foundation.

Ida is a leader in the field of lawyer’s professional development, with leadership experience in many bar associations and legal organizations. She is the author of many acclaimed books and articles, and one of the co-founders of the PDC. Ida received her J.D. from Hastings College of the Law, M.A. from the University of Miami, and A.B. from Smith College.

For a complete biography of Ida Abbott click here to visit her page on the PDC website.

PDC Linkletter • Fall 2014 Page 2

We asked our Trusted Advisors a series of interview questions related to Professional Development. Continue reading for a look at current industry trends and helpful advice.

it gets harder to bring those up and sell them. Generate ideas for new ways to do things before you become acculturated.

What should all Professional Development professionals know about mentoring, women’s initiatives, etc?The common thread in all of them is personal relationships. Mentoring is based on a personal relationship. In the best mentoring relationships, the parties know, trust and feel responsible to each other. The more I know you, the better I can help you. The more you know me, the better you know what you can ask me and how I can help you. With sponsorship, it’s less about advice and more about helping someone get the opportunities, visibility and credibility they need to move up. A higher level of trust is required because the sponsor is taking greater risks for the protégée. If I am your sponsor and advocate for you, I need to believe that you won’t embarrass me or let me down. You need to trust that if you run into a problem, I’ll have your back. Women’s initiatives are focused on developing relationships among women. It’s important to have forums for women to speak without men present because it gives them a chance to speak openly and candidly about issues that affect them, but it’s a mistake to leave men

out all the time because men control the firms and the vast majority of firm clients - who are also men. Women need to build relationships with men who have business to send them, who can support their career aspirations, and who can be strong allies to achieve institutional changes.

What is the most exciting/innovative thing happening in the mentoring, sponsorship, and women initiatives space?The most exciting thing is that women’s groups are reaching out to men in terms of their role as sponsors of women and as people who can make changes that women have been trying to make for a long time. And many men are becoming engaged. They realize that these changes will benefit them as well. It’s finally happening in law, although there is much more going on in the corporate world.

What’s happening in the corporate world that’s not happening in the legal field?Managers in the corporate world are expected to develop the people they supervise, and they are held accountable for making sure that women and diverse employees move up. There are clear rules about what’s supposed to happen, and in a law firm it doesn’t work that way. Partners can walk away and take everything with

them if they want, so it’s hard to hold them accountable. Leaders in law firms don’t have the same kind of clout and ability to enforce what they want.

What are you working on now that you think will particularly interest PDC members?I just came out with a book called Sponsoring Women: What Men Need to Know, which describes the part that men and women play in the sponsorship process, with some concrete advice for men about how to start sponsoring women. It’s published by www.attorneyatwork.com. In connection with the book, I’ve designed “Breakfast for Champions” events that honor men and women who have been champions for women, and teach sponsorship principles through the stories of their protégées. You can read the details at http://www.idaabbott.com/resources/breakfast-champions. I’m also working with Kenneth Imo, Director of Diversity at WilmerHale, on a survey of law firm sponsorship programs, which focuses on how they define sponsorship programs, how their programs work, what their goals are and so on. It may be too soon to offer advice based on best practices because the concept is so new and the programs even newer. But we hope we can report on the programs that are out there right now and highlight promising practices.

REGISTER NOW2014 PDC WINTER MEETING

December 3, 2014 • 9:30am-5:30pmMandarin Oriental Hotel, Washington, DC

Now Accepting Online Registrationswww.pdclegal.org

GET TO KNOW YOUR TRUSTED ADVISORS: Ida Abbott

PDC Linkletter • Fall 2014 Page 3

To read an article by Ida on the distinctions between coaching, mentoring, and sponsorship, click here.

What attracted you to the Trusted Advisor Program?It seems like a terrific opportunity in both directions, for the membership and the Trusted Advisors alike. In the past, the PDC as an organization didn’t have much direct interaction with consultants, but now that seems to be changing. We “Trusted Advisors,” for our part, have a novel perspective to offer because we see so many different initiatives succeed or fail at so many different firms. The new program is also a great chance to interact more effectively with the PDC members themselves. I’m very grateful to be included.

What would you like the PDC membership to know about you and the services you provide?I see myself as a PD person, not just a writing guy. I got a postgraduate certificate from ASTD in part so I could learn more about organizational development, assessment, and adult learning. On the services front, I try to be as flexible as I can and am always trying to learn and to remake myself. I’ve developed nine different customizable workshops and have written five books or guides. I’ve created a one-of-a-kind standardized writing assessment for lawyers of all levels. I’m also working with Caren Stacy to help female lawyers return to the workplace. I’ve also given advice on challenges that have nothing to do with writing, such as business development, marketing and branding, and lateral partner integration. Hanging around the PD crowd and learning more about PD are two of the best parts of my job. I can also be tough. I believe very fervently in my training method. I strive

to be engaging, but I never wanted to be seen as an entertainer or as a motivational speaker. In the end, I think that attorneys and judges respect that.

What are some of the most important, current Professional Development industry trends?Front and center is bridging the gap between law school and practice, especially because many law-firm clients are refusing to pay for first-years. More and more law students are coming out of elite law schools with great grades but huge skill gaps. On the writing front, I am shocked by some of what I see even at some ultra-elite firms. Another PD trend is the effort to quantify how PD initiatives generate a favorable “return on investment.” Yet another trend is what I call “Phase 2” of competency models. There may have been some irrational exuberance about putting together the models for their own sake. Now comes the hard part: figuring out how to get people where they need to be. And the scary part: making good on “no lockstep” by finally admitting that not all associates are above average. A final trend seems to be a focus on non-legal personality traits as a predictor of success. Time will tell whether this focus will endure or whether it will go the way of the project-management craze of a few years back. I know that some law-firm partners, simply by looking around at their colleagues, many of whom are not exactly brimming with charisma, are skeptical of the idea that personal traits matter more than legal acumen.

What are some of the key challenges for Professional Development professionals?Younger associates have an aversion to live classroom-style training, and it’s hard for get Millennials to focus on anything for a long period of time. Another challenge is that PD people are undervalued at firms and seen as a luxury, when in fact they can help

resolve two of the biggest money wasters: the skill gap problem and the attrition problem. Neither of these is touchy-feely. They are actual budget items. If associates’ skills improve, less time gets written off. (Incidentally, more time gets written off because of poor or inefficient writing than because of all the other reasons combined.) Finally, PD people need to strike a balance between accommodating, on the one hand, and pandering, on the other. Millennials often respond to criticism defensively, but they can’t always be allowed to call the shots. For your employer’s sake, you need to tell associates the truth about their strengths and weaknesses. If firms are doing their job, for each core skill, about a third of the associates should be told that they are below average and should be given an action plan to get up to snuff.

Ross Guberman, a former lawyer, editor, and award-winning journalist with degrees from Yale, the Sorbonne, and the University of Chicago Law School, has helped tens of thousands of lawyers and judges write, edit, and mentor more effectively. He has also immersed himself in the professional development of lawyers generally and holds a CPLP™ certification from ASTD. Ross has spoken at many lawyer-development conferences as well.

Ross has written many books and articles, including Point Made: How to Write Like the Nation’s Top Advocates (Oxford 2011, 2014) (2d ed.), whose first edition sold over 30,000 copies, Write Better, Train

Better, Mentor Better (2d ed.) and The Attorney Toolkit. He has also coauthored Deal Struck: The World’s Best Drafting Tips with Gary Karl.

To learn more about Ross, click here to visit his full biography on PDC’s website.

GET TO KNOW YOUR TRUSTED ADVISORS: Ross Guberman

“You want to be more than just a logistical

official who makes the trains run on time.”

PDC Linkletter • Fall 2014 Page 4

Do you have any special advice for people who are new to the field?You want to be more than just a logistical official who makes the trains run on time. Challenge yourself to walk around the halls to find out what the attorneys really need and then to help them get it. The new PD competencies put out by the PDC, which I helped edit, are a fantastic set of benchmarks for new people entering the field and beyond.

What should all Professional Development professionals know about legal writing training and performance management?Here’s a secret: even at the most prestigious law firms, many attorneys have writing problems at the sentence and paragraph level that have nothing to do with legal writing at all. If you simply read their writing and didn’t know that they were lawyers with degrees from Princeton and Yale, you wouldn’t think that they are very good writers. There are many exceptions, of course. Here’s some more not-so-good news. By the time attorneys are second-years, they have had AP English and probably scored a “5,” four years of college with countless papers, an entire year of legal writing, several hefty papers in law school, at least one summer associate position, and thousands of hours of on-the-job training. It is not easy to improve your writing once you get to that point. On a happier note, let me also offer

some often-overlooked free vehicles for improvement: A great pro bono project is an asylum brief before either the immigration court or an appellate body. These briefs present terrific opportunities to interview a client, streamline facts, and fit the story into a present statutory framework with a manageable number of cases. Client alerts are another missed opportunity. Even the ones drafted by partners are mostly very poor, which means that they have no business-development value. Rarely do I see a client alert on a legal topic that’s as well written as what the Wall Street Journal puts out dozens of times a day. So make your firm’s client alerts and articles into a development opportunity and not just busywork.

What is the most exciting/innovative thing happening in the legal writing and training space?The advent of on-line tools to generate and edit various documents, including contracts. The quality varies, but there are some great tools out there. And some are even free. Microsoft Word’s readability statistics, for example, measure how easily the reader will understand a given document. Effective edits also boost the stats, so the writer feels rewarded. On the personal front, I’m developing a complete on-line training program for associates and partners that I’m going to tie to competency models. This interactive tool, which will allow for endless improvement at all levels (and

which will offer CLE credits as well), will launch next year. The details are still a secret!

What are you working on now that you think will particularly interest PDC members?Besides my online interactive training product, I’ve just finished two books: Deal Struck: The World’s Best Drafting Tips, which I coauthored with Gary Karl, and a book for judges called Point Taken: How to Write like the World’s Best Judges. I’m also excited about creating new live seminars and continuing to expand the diversity of my client base.

Have you read (or written) anything recently that really inspired you?As many of my clients know, I like traveling almost as much as grammar. So I never get tired of reading Patricia Schultz’s 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. I actually read it like a novel, cover to cover. I also loved two sections of Malcom Gladwell’s recent book David and Goliath: The part on the advantages of being a big fish in a medium pond rather than always striving to be in the “best” school or workplace, and the part on myths about class size in school. Both parts are fascinating in their own right and have dramatic implications, but more generally, they also show how much we need to challenge our own intuitive notions, no matter how entrenched they may be.

© 2014 Professional Development Consortium. All rights reserved.

PDC COMPETENCY MODELThe PDC Competency Model will be officially unveiled to the membership in November, 2014. The culmination of years of work with input from hundreds of PDC members and industry professionals, the PDC Competency Model is the first competency model developed specifically for Legal Professional Development practitioners. To preview the model, click here.

GET TO KNOW YOUR TRUSTED ADVISORS: Ross Guberman

PDC Linkletter • Fall 2014 Page 5

To read an article by Ross from Professional Development Quarterly about alternative approaches to competencies, click here.

Tracy LaLonde helps lawyers and law firms develop business. With a background in professional development, adult learning and marketing, she helps lawyers to become business partners with their clients. With an emphasis on clients’ needs, issues and opportunities, she has helped several hundred lawyers generate millions in business through Akina’s coaching and training offerings.

Excellence is one of her top values, and she continuously tries to raise the bar for both her clients and herself. Prior to joining Akina, Tracy worked in professional development in three law firms.

To read more about our Trusted Advisor, Tracy LaLonde, click here to visit her page on the PDC website.

GET TO KNOW YOUR TRUSTED ADVISORS: Tracy Lalonde

What attracted you to the Trusted Advisor Program?The ability to give back to the organization. Part of what makes the PDC so successful is the ability for its members to share with one another. Given the consulting role, I have a broader purview than folks within their own firms, so I am excited to share what I am seeing in the marketplace across

all different types of firms, practices, geographies, size, etc. that will enable them to have more success.

What would you like the PDC membership to know about you and the services you provide?When the members think about Akina, I want them to understand that Akina can help lawyers maintain and develop business in an authentic and generous way. We help lawyers really deepen and expand genuine relationships with clients and potential clients, and approach it from a helping perspective, rather than a used car sales (“give me”) perspective. We find that approaching business development in this way helps to be much more sustainable for lawyers.

What are some of the most important, current PD industry trends?The notion of lawyers being able to engage in business development is becoming a critical success factor for a

lawyer’s career. Business development is no longer optional, and applies to lawyers at all levels. Five years ago, many firms engaged Akina to help their newly promoted partners. Then we saw a trend to help associates think about networking and business development as an aid in the promotion to partnership. Now we are seeing firms have an increased focus on mid-

senior level partners as the market has become increasingly competitive for legal services. Business development skill development really permeates at all levels.

What are some of the key challenges for PD professionals?PD professionals also have to learn good business development concepts and techniques because they are not taught it either. There is an opportunity for PD professionals to potentially coach lawyers in business development. That said, many lawyers are still very nervous about business development, as well as claim that they don’t have time for it. So PD professionals could leverage their already existing relationships to help associates and partners grow in another way.

After the training workshops, how do you prevent people from going back to business as usual?You just asked the million dollar question. PD folks need to approach

business development training as an ongoing concern because just attending a course will not change behavior, so it has to be a continuous learning effort. People may need more than a workshop. They may need coaching. PD folks should partner with their marketing teams to maximize success.

How do you get the Marketing Department and PD Department to collaborate and play nicely in the sandbox together?That’s another million dollar question. We need to suspend the territorialism for the greater good of the whole. We have to find ways to be in relationships together, whether that means learning more about each others’ personal or professional interests, things we have in common, etc. Ask yourself, what is one thing that I like or appreciate about this person? Hold onto that one thing. Recognize that you need each other in order to be successful as a team and for the firm.

Do you have any special advice for people who are new to the field?Learn, Learn, Learn; whether that is through authoritative resources about theory and best practices or learning from those around you, which is what is so valuable about the PDC. Training and development is actually a profession.

What should all PD professionals know about business development? It’s a process. Success doesn’t happen overnight. I think more so than any other area of skill development, business development involves true behavioral change, at the core of a

“The notion of lawyers being able to engage in business development is becoming a critical success

factor for a lawyer’s career.”

PDC Linkletter • Fall 2014 Page 6

GET TO KNOW YOUR TRUSTED ADVISORS: Tracy Lalonde

person sometimes, in order for people to be successful. I liken it to “The Biggest Loser” TV show because the ones that lose weight are the ones that change their mindset. We have to transform the mindset in order for sustainable change to happen, and that’s unique in business development as compared to other skill sets.

What is the most exciting/innovative thing happening in the business development space?Innovation itself. Innovation as it relates to experiences we are creating with our clients. Clients are stuck in this “Sea of Sameness” from all law firms. Firms

need to be much more innovative in the kind of services they deliver and the experiences they are creating with clients so that the clients want more of it. For example, one firm I know is creating an R&D Department to continuously think about the substantive services for clients and also how to deliver those services for their clients.

What are you working on now that you think will particularly interest PDC members?There are so many things I am working on now. I’m probably the most excited about working with mid to senior level partners that are already having a level

of success and engaging in coaching or training to take that success to a higher level. The folks who are already doing well want to do better, and I am working with those folks to elevate the game, which therefore elevates the game of the entire firm.

Have you read (or written) anything recently that really inspired you?One of my favorite business development books is Getting Naked by Patrick Lencione because it approaches business development from a generous, problem-solving perspective.

PDC Linkletter • Fall 2014 Page 7

To read Tracy’s article about the importance of developing authentic relationships to promote business development, click here.

InauguralPDC Richard Pearson Award

At the PDC Winter Meeting onWednesday, December 3, 2014,we will honor the recipient ofour inaugural Richard Pearson Award. Richard, as many of you know,died tragically last March in Seattle. The PDC has decided to honor hismemory by creating this award, whichwill be given to a “PDC member whohas, over the past year, exemplified thewonderful qualities that Richard broughtto the PDC: an innovative spirit, ademonstrated commitment to teachingand mentoring, and a passionate,life-long love of learning.” We are now accepting applicationsthrough November 13, 2014.For more information, click here.

Tim Leishman has been working with major law firms for more than 25 years, as a partner with management responsibilities in a leading Canadian firm and as a consultant since 1997 with more than a third of the Global 100 law firms and firms of all sizes. Tim designs customized leadership development programs for practice group and client team leaders, and for partners who wish to make leadership contributions in their respective practices. Tim has created advanced programs in business development, goal-setting, and managerial skills, including delegation, team leadership, project management, and feedback. Tim’s consulting expertise is in strategic planning, governance, partner compensation, succession planning, and talent strategy.

To view Tim’s complete bio on PDC’s website, click here.

GET TO KNOW YOUR TRUSTED ADVISORS: Tim Leishman

What attracted you to the Trusted Advisor Program?I have standing relationships with many PDC members and I think this is an excellent forum for sharing information and knowledge. I’m hoping to learn as much as I can share.

What would you like the PDC membership to know about you and the services you provide?I focus on leadership, business development, and managerial skills training for lawyers at all levels. Our approach is based on extensive research into the success factors that differentiate outstanding performers and our programs are designed to lead to behavioral change and development. There are a number of best practices which fall into different patterns of success. “Sustaining Practice Styles,” an article I wrote, is a framework that identifies different ways in which partners can be successful, which is liberating for people coming up the ladder. When they realize they can take the path that makes sense for their strengths and interests, they feel that it’s possible to make the transition.

What are some of the most important, current PD industry trends?The business models of firms are evolving significantly. Firms are experimenting with teams that include different types of professionals, non-partnership track-associates, etc. Clients are demanding innovation. Attorneys need to know, for example, how to manage projects much earlier than traditionally has been the case.

What are some of the key challenges for PD professionals?The challenge is to integrate different types of professionals into a well-oiled machine. The world is more complicated for PD than it used to be.

Do you have any special advice for people who are new to the field? They should develop a focus on the business objectives of the Firm, which is synonymous with client objectives. There is more opportunity for PDC members who understand business drivers and what the firm is trying to achieve.

What should all PD professionals know about leadership training, management skills, business development?It’s important to understand that behavior change is difficult, so training alone is never enough. What happens before and after the program is important. There are two types of development: (a) technical learning, such as understanding financial statements, and (b) transformational learning, which often means leaving behind current routines and learning new habits.

After the Leadership Program is finished, how do you prevent things from going back to “business as usual”?In our experience, in order to help people develop new habits, the reinforcement falls into 3 patterns: (a) providing check-ins so the individuals are continuously refocused on developing new behaviors, which doesn’t work so well, because serving clients takes priority, (b) peer pressure,

such as meeting with colleagues to discuss progress, however, that too could fall victim to client priorities, and (c) integrating development into existing teams so that new skills are developed “on the job.”

What is the most exciting/innovative thing happening in the leadership training, management skills, business development space?There is more focus on leadership development that incorporates both business development and managerial skills. The intersection of those skill areas is critically important for firm leaders. There is also more potential for e-learning than ever before. It’s an area we’ve resisted in the past, but technology is advancing.

What are you working on now that you think will particularly interest PDC members?I’m working on developing some learning tools (rather than learning programs), which individuals can use to take stock of their behavior and practice area, and then can utilize those tools to help with customized development.

“It’s important to understand that

behavior change is difficult, so training

alone is never enough.”

PDC Linkletter • Fall 2014 Page 8

To learn more about the focus of Tim Leishman’s work in the field of Talent

Management, click here.

Terri Mottershead is the founding Principal of Mottershead Consulting – Change and Talent Development Strategists (www.mottersheadconsulting.com). She brings to her consulting work more than 30 years of experience on five different continents in law firm and law school management, international law practice and legal education, talent management, organizational development, and change management.

Terri is an award-winning teacher, a regular contributor to legal industry newsletters, journals and blogs, and General Editor of and a contributing author to The Art and Science of Strategic Talent

Management In Law Firms (West, September 2010). Terri holds a Master of Laws from the University of Queensland in Australia and a Master of Business Administration (with distinction) from the University of Wales. For a complete biography on Terri, click here to visit her page on the PDC website.

GET TO KNOW YOUR TRUSTED ADVISORS: Terri Mottershead

What attracted you to the Trusted Advisor Program?The opportunity to give back and to support PD professionals. I’ve worked in PD for a long time, and it’s always been in the legal industry. I started as a practicing attorney, I worked in PD in law firms and as a law academic so I’ve seen it from lots of different

viewpoints. I’m a strong believer that it’s a wonderful profession, and an exceptional group of people involved with this – I just like to hang out with them, they are my friends! I also think that when you get some experience under your belt, the best thing is to be able to share it and to share in the knowledge and experience of others – that’s what a profession is all about and it is what builds a legacy.

What would you like the PDC membership to know about you and the services you provide?I believe in establishing a relationship with the people I work with. My approach is collaborative and customized. I like working with people in partnership to develop something that suits their needs. As a consultant, we are often brought in to be a catalyst for change, provide the opportunity to think about things differently, bridge or plug a gap in skills, knowledge or competency. I deliver a product or a solution, but that then needs to be sustained when I am no longer there, so I see part of my role as providing the

platform or tools for people to sustain whatever it is we are working on after I am gone. I often work in areas that require changing long-held beliefs or behaviors – that generally doesn’t come easily or quickly. Change and implementing a sustainable talent management strategy only works if there is buy-in across the board.

My contact and partner in these adventures is first and foremost the PD professional in the firm and my role also often includes supporting that person in what they do. I have walked in their shoes, so I know how hard that role can be sometimes. I also strongly believe in the right person for the right job – not everyone suits every firm and no one can be a specialist in everything. If I am not the right person for the job, I have no hesitation in referring prospective clients to someone else whom I know, trust and I am confident will be a good fit for the firm and for the job. For me, my work is all about relationships and that is also the reason I love what I do!

What are some of the key challenges for PD professionals?Firms are still trying to find their way in terms of what a 21st century law firm looks like. There is not, and there never will be, a one size fits all. That’s the exciting thing about the “new normal.” It’s also the scary thing for many law firms. Law firm management and leaders very often haven’t been trained in management and leadership. They

have been trained as lawyers. There are some skills in common but there are many that are not. Law firms are businesses that need great leaders and managers. Great leaders and managers in law firms today are not exclusively attorneys, they are all the C (Chief) and D (Director)-suite professionals too. When times are

tough, you particularly need great leaders and managers who know how to work effectively and efficiently with all the firm’s professionals. In law firms, we typically select leaders who are great at practicing law and ask them to practice less law and do something they often don’t like doing and don’t want to do: lead or manage. Law firms today need to be intricately associated with their firm and its success. By that I mean knowing who the firm is, what differentiates it and how that is messaged to the market – all of that requires great people pulling together led by visionary leaders. Law firms need to have a way to identify these leaders early and consciously support their development. They also need to finds ways to retain their C- and D-suite professionals too. Law firm leaders need to run great businesses, think strategically and empower their people – in the past, there has not been enough of this but the post-recession 21st century law firm demands a different approach. PD professionals are pivotal and key players in all of these changes and, most particularly, in

“Firms are still trying to find their way in terms of what a 21st century law firm looks like. There is not, and there never will be, a one size fits all.”

PDC Linkletter • Fall 2014 Page 9

turning challenges into opportunities.

Do you have any special advice for people who are new to the field?You need to know your industry and you need to keep up to date. Know what matters to the firm, what keeps the firm leaders up at night and be part of the solution, not part of the problem. What you say and do has to be relevant and it can only be relevant if you know what makes the wheels turn and you have worked out opportunities ahead of the curve that will keep them turning. Know what information to capture, analyze and present. Know what it means to the firm and to what you need to focus on for the firm. Find a way to get that seat at the strategic table. It may take time but it will be time well spent. Encourage diversity and inclusion in every place and every time you can because if you don’t have diversity, then you will deny yourself and the firm the opportunity to make great decisions – the sort that only come if they are tried and tested by those who hold a different point of view. Know that what you do and what you say matters – be brave and bold enough to say it but do it with a good dose of political savvy - the benefit of counsel from your firm champions, supporters and the PDC therapy group! Know that this time, right now, is your time – carpe diem!

What should all PD professionals know about change management?Change is never easy, and it makes just about everyone uncomfortable. No one will change – individually, as a group or an organization - until they feel a sense of urgency to do it. It never stops. It should never stop. Your role is to build the sort of resilience,

adaptability and change management skill set that turns a firm into a learning organization. If you create a culture of innovation and change, then the firm will have the ability to adapt and if it can adapt, it will survive.

What is the most exciting/innovative thing happening in the change management space?Law firms are changing. We have waited a long time for the change. Firms are starting to realize the value of their workforce. It’s way, way overdue. We are starting to do more than think about diversity and inclusion and work-life balance. We are starting to move beyond “people are our greatest assets” as little more than a cliché. Law firms are working more closely with their clients, talking with them, understanding their expectations. It gives me great hope for the survival of the profession but in new and different ways and that’s the exciting bit.

What are you working on now that you think will particularly interest PDC members?I have just put together a new multi-authored book on innovating talent management in firms and law schools, which will be published by the ABA in 2015. It looks at knowledge as a continuum, starting at law school and moving into firms and beyond. It asks and answers the question about how talent management in law firms is different now or put another way, what PD professionals are doing to match, through their work, the changes taking place in the “new normal” law firm. For example, law firms that are set up using a sophisticated technology

platform, impacts who you recruit, how you recruit, how new ideas bubble up in a firm and then get to management, how we deliver learning in a firm, when, where and what we need to focus on. Firms need to interview not only for technical skills but also for resilience, adaptability, and relatability. Face to face learning programs are giving way to blended or online learning especially if an attorney is working mostly from home. Law firms need to be career destinations and not career dead ends for the multitude of specialist professionals other than attorneys. PD is no longer something done in silos or isolation or just for attorneys. It is the glue that merges a law firm’s business model with its staffing model and ensures that all of its people have the knowledge, skills and competency they need to do their job.

Have you read anything recently that really inspired you?I read blogs and newsletters, topical industry publications. There are so many things in the industry that are changing so quickly these days that I find opinion pieces and commentary more immediately thought provoking and relevant to the work I do. I was recently invited to contribute to Caren Ulrich Stacy’s Talent Think Tank collaborative blog (http://www.talentthinktank.com), I am deeply honored to be a part of this, it brings together an amazing group of authors and it is a great example of the sort of thing I find inspirational – innovative, practical, informative and supportive of the PD community through the sharing of experience and knowledge.

GET TO KNOW YOUR TRUSTED ADVISORS: Terri Mottershead

PDC Linkletter • Fall 2014 Page 10

Please visit our new website atwww.pdclegal.org.

Once there you can set up your bio andjoin our Trusted Advisor groups.

To read an article by Terri about her views on innovation, lawyers, and law firms, click here.

MEMBERS’ CORNER

Peter Glowacki joined Sidley Austin LLP in 2008 as the Midwest Director of Training and Professional Development. He was promoted to Director to further help Sidley distinguish its award winning Lawyer Training program and focuses on strategically expanding Sidley’s efforts to all offices around the globe. With more than thirteen years of experience in CLE production, MCLE, and Professional Development coaching, Peter has helped support initiatives to enhance and improve the profession through education. Mr. Glowacki was recently recognized as one of the 2011 Top Young Trainers by his peers and Training Magazine’s Editorial Advisory Board for his contributions and leadership in professional development.

Peter is a graduate of Marquette University where he received his B.A.’s in both Broadcast and Electronic Communication and in Industrial Psychology. He is also a graduate of the John Marshall Law School in Chicago where he received his J.D. and an LL.M. in Information Technology.

What does e-learning mean in the PD context? It’s any form of electronic learning, whether it is videoconference, on-line, on demand, mobile apps, etc. It’s very broad because we are using different modes other than in-person live classroom settings to reach learners. Each form has its own strengths and weaknesses.

How have you seen e-learning change during your PD career? When I started with the ABA to help develop and promote the acceptance of e-learning within the profession, there were a lot of questions about what e-learning was at the most basic level. There has been greater acceptance, by regulators, by attorneys, and by leadership over the years as more and more is delivered over the Internet by more and more providers. Everyone is now accustomed to this as a method of learning and has a better sense of what works well.

How about the last 2 – 3 years?People who have been dabbling in producing e-learning now own it and focus their attention on perfecting the lessons delivered through the various forms of e-learning and finding the right one that fits them and the organization they serve. More mobile applications are being utilized, the formats are shorter, and there is more interactivity being appropriately mixed in.

How do you use e-learning?We use it to augment and enhance our curriculum with on-demand resources and to help reinforce lessons. Anything from delivering a traditional one-hour lecture across several offices while capturing it for those that couldn’t participate in live session due to a

work conflict is now standard practice, while we constantly develop shorter modules focused on professional skills to make sure valuable lessons are a click away when an attorney might need them most. We have introduced online interactive exercises as well as precursors or follow-ups to the live training sessions.

What are the positives and negatives of moving to an e-learning platform?The positives are that it allows us to time shift. We can pull resources and training when they can be most relevant, for example, when a lawyer is about to delve into a new area that he/she needs to become familiar with quickly or can focus on developing a professional skill. E-learning can help internalize the information, with quizzes and simulations. E-learning platforms, if the catalog is large and

diverse enough, can allow curriculums to be individually tailored. Lawyers can advance through the areas they know and jump right to areas they need to learn more about. It can take advantage of time that otherwise would have been unproductive (such as when you are commuting on a train/flight). One

of the challenges with offering more e-learning is helping the participants devote sufficient attention and help them learn to minimize surrounding distractions. Self-paced individual learning can be extremely powerful and beneficial if one is fully engaged.

What do attorneys like most?The convenience and the quality. Our presenters like that e-learning allows them to reach more broadly and uniformly across the Firm. We also offer e-learning for our clients like most firms and they are extremely appreciative.

What do attorneys dislike most? I haven’t heard too many dislikes. Initially, I warn everyone to understand the technology and use it appropriately. Early on, a lot of groups learn that capturing hours of an all-day event, which for example might have been

“There is a move to encourage more interactivity, gaming, simulation, and the development of shorter

concise lessons.”

PDC Linkletter • Fall 2014 Page 11

a wonderful interactive in-person workshop, may not translate well to an on-line or videoconference version of the course without significant adaptation to make sure they are using the modality appropriately.

What are your training and implementation strategies as they apply to e-learning?We start with our curriculum and business objectives. We use e-learning as a way to achieve those objectives. The focus has been to make it as simple and easy as possible so the technology doesn’t interfere with the objectives. We have a great support team here, an AV team that focuses specifically on the technology and allows the training and development team to use those technologies. We use a blended approach, so there may be e-learning together with live training, depending on the training objective.

What are the e-learning trends in the legal industry?There is a move to encourage more interactivity, gaming, simulation, and the development of shorter concise lessons. The tools are getting better that can help us do all this. Today, various tools are allowing us to do many of the things that we can do in a live session. Also, there are shorter, more concise programs being offered, allowing learners to focus on the specific topics and areas that they individually may need to develop. These technological advancements are letting PD designers focus more and more on the quality. If you have 100 people in a room, and you wanted to break them up into groups to have discussions, we can now do that with e-learning and have smaller discussions, and then bring them back together to debrief. We can also poll the audience, use white boarding, etc. There are systems that allow participants to feel like they are in

the room, and due to the technological advancements we don’t experience the delays in communication as was associated with e-learning in the past. It is much more reliable. The profession has experimented with the technology, and now they are perfecting the quality of the delivery and the content.

Can you provide an example re: how it lends itself best?With the just-in-time resources, we can get lawyers and staff information quickly through e-learning. It has empowered organizations to get information across when they need it, and work as a virtual team, as well as create opportunities to practice on exercises and simulations. If there is an auditory person, visual person, etc., e-learning allows one to tailor their learning experience based on how they may learn best and allows one to get the information they need rather than going through an entire hour course to simply get the five minutes of content that is most beneficial.

What is your advice to other Professional Development Directors regarding the roll-out and implementation of an e-learning platform?Get good people in place from various departments to help support the initiative because it is a team effort. You’ll need someone with technical expertise, subject matter expertise, and learning and development expertise. Try it, adapt and learn from what you have done, but do it in increments. It can seem daunting and overwhelming quickly. You’ll have hundreds of titles and even more supplementary resources before you know it, so think about how you want to manage the curriculum. I get asked by a lot by people, “Should I outsource e-learning?”, but there is not one perfect solution because there are so

many options for delivering e-learning and ways each of us differentiate our curriculums. I suggest that the PD leader do a needs analysis first and outline the specific goals for e-learning. It’s also important to remember to work closely with the presenters to make sure they are comfortable being in front of the camera if applicable and with not seeing an audience in the room. Additionally keep in mind our subject matter experts are not routinely teaching or working with the online tools we use to deliver the courses, so be prepared to support them and practice incorporating the various enhancements with the specific content. Take the opportunity to work with them ahead of time on the overall program even further.

What are some resources that our members can turn to if they are interested in establishing an e-learning platform?Budgeting for Online Learning Trends Report http://www. lawyer learning.com/Online_Learning_Trends_Report_Aug_2014.pdf

Special Report: Learning Technologyh t t p : / / w w w . c l o m e d i a . c o m /articles/5764-special-report-learning-technology

How Gamification Reshapes Learninghttp://elearningindustry.com/free-ebook-how-gamification-reshapes-learning

5 Trends for the Future of Learning and Developmenthttp://www.trainingmag.com/5-trends-future-learning-and-development

E-Learning for Law Firms http://www.amazon.com/E-Learning-L a w - F i r m s - S t e v e n - G l u c k m a n /dp/1590315839

MEMBERS’ CORNER: Peter Glowacki

PDC Linkletter • Fall 2014 Page 12

Join the PDC LinkedIn group.

MEMBERS’ CORNER: Barbara Geier

Barbara Geier, one of the founding members of the PDC in 1990 and a recognized and accomplished leader in lawyer professional development, retired in September after almost 30 years designing and implementing successful lawyer professional development programs. Barbara was a PDC Board member from 1996-1998, and again from 1999-2001 and a PDC member throughout her career.

Barbara began her legal career in 1985 at Powell Goldstein (now Bryan Cave) and after 12 years left to join The Coca-Cola Company providing professional development training for their lawyers worldwide. She left Coke to go to Turner Broadcasting Systems for a brief time as Director of Organizational

Development before joining King & Spalding, where she spent the remaining eleven and a half years of her career.

Barbara received her B.A. in English Literature from Ithaca College, her M.L.S. from the University of Maryland, and her J.D. from North Carolina Central University.

How did you get into PD initially? I was graduating from law school in 1985 and heard about a position in Atlanta with Powell Goldstein, just when Lexis, Westlaw and databases were starting to be used by attorneys. In addition to my law degree, I have a Masters in Library and Information Sciences, and was hired to teach attorneys how to use Lexis and Westlaw and litigation support databases, which at that time were single stand-alone databases. The managing partner asked if I wanted to also manage lawyer training and CLE programs. I had planned to practice but decided to give this a try and found I really loved it. In 1997 after 12 years at Powell Goldstein, I went to Coca Cola where I was responsible for the training of their in-house lawyers worldwide. At that

time, Coke had a learning consortium and a chief learning officer, and each business division within Coca Cola was asked to appoint a liaison, and I was the liaison for the legal division. As a result of my work in this role, I was selected to be one of 20 training and development professionals worldwide to be trained as an internal organizational development consultant for Coke. The focus was on training people to get better business results by partnering with the business executives they served, which was a new concept for the lawyers. We

analyzed whether the lawyers had gaps in their knowledge or skill sets and designed training to address the gaps. The underlying concept was to ensure training was an integral part of business strategy, rather than just a “nice to have.” I traveled to Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro and London to work with Coke’s lawyers who were working in these regions, which was a wonderful experience. In 2000, I took a position at Turner Broadcasting as Director of Organizational Development working with Turner’s business people. While an opportunity to explore new responsibilities, I really missed working with lawyers and decided in 2003 to go back to the law firm world when offered a position at King & Spalding. I liked that you usually know where you stand with lawyers because they tend to be

direct and are trained to deal with conflict in a professional manner. I also liked that if lawyers tell you they are going to do something, they usually do it.

What brought you together with the other PDC founding members? We all knew one another a little bit and began to realize that we had a lot in common. We were each grappling with what were best practices in lawyer training and development and how to effectively deliver that training to the

lawyers in our firms. But it was also apparent that we were doing different things and we soon realized we could learn a lot from sharing and getting together. A willingness to help one another soon grew and no one kept things to themselves to maintain a competitive advantage. It was a group that was very willing to be collaborative. People were willing to come in and do presentations and show what they were working on in new areas. When I was working on competencies and benchmarks, there were a number of people who were very helpful to me with that.

How did you communicate / share info as a group?We had a lot of phone call meetings, and we would meet once a year in person. I’m very proud of how the PDC has evolved. Now we are an international organization with close to 470 members all around the world. I think it is good that we have two tracks, one for newbies, and another for more experienced members.

What are a few of your best PDC memories?When we first got together and collaborated--those were wonderful times. We all recognized the importance of this newly evolving world of lawyer professional development. My favorite memories are presenting with other people on topics at PDC meetings. There have been some fun times when we were on panels together too. The connections with so many wonderful colleagues throughout the years are the times I hold most dear.

“A willingness to help one another soon grew and no one kept things to themselves to maintain a

competitive advantage. It was a group that was very willing to be collaborative. ”

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What wisdom do you have for those new to legal PD?I think one of the things that opened my eyes a bit was jumping over to the client side. There is much to be learned from what the clients do and expect. We should look for opportunities to collaborate with in-house client trainers. I learned at CocaCola the

importance of relationship-building and how understanding emotional intelligence leads to success. It’s an important cross-over from the corporate world. Keep your eyes and ears open about what’s going on with training in the corporate world. We need to help clients problem solve through legal solutions. And we all now

know the importance of soft skills as differentiators. I also learned through my work with King & Spalding’s alumni that it is just as important to have a lawyer’s departure from the firm be as pleasant as their joining the firm. Those lawyers who leave may one day be your client.

MEMBERS’ CORNER: Barbara Geier

PDC Linkletter • Fall 2014 Page 14

PDC MEMBERSHIP BENEFITSTake advantage of all that membership in the PDC has to offer! As a PDC member, you receive these exclusive benefits:

{ Exchange ideas, advice and best practices with colleagues via the PDC email listserv and PDC online communities.

{ Locate colleagues and firms through the Online PDC Membership Directory.{ Connect with your local Professional Development Group via the member info sections.{ Engage with peers and industry experts through PDC conferences, webinars and online materials.

For more information on your PDC membership, email membership@pdclegal.org.