talking about my generation: professionalism in … · joint cle conference 2016 talking about my...

Joint CLE Conference 2016

Talking About My Generation: Professionalism in the Multi-Generational Workplace 1

Talking About My Generation: Professionalism in the Multi-Generational Workplace

Mark C. Palmer, Professionalism Counsel,

IL Sup. Ct. Commission on Professionalism

Joint CLE Conference 2016

About The Faculty

About The Faculty

MARK C. PALMER - Mark C. Palmer is the Professionalism Counsel of the Illinois

Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism. He strives to serve judges, attorneys,

law students and people of the State of Illinois with a dedication to the quality of justice

and the rule of law.

As Professionalism Counsel, Mr. Palmer leads professionalism programming through

the statewide mentoring program, collaborating with stakeholders from Galena to

Cairo. He also supports the development and delivery of educational programming to

lawyers and in law schools, and performs outreach across the state on behalf of the

Commission.

Prior to joining the Commission, Mr. Palmer was in private practice at the Champaign

law firm Evans, Froehlich, Beth & Chamley where his law practice focused on areas

including commercial litigation, municipal law, banking law, and creditor’s rights,

among others. He represented private and appointed clients in both civil and criminal

cases in state and federal courts.

Mr. Palmer continues his work as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Illinois

College of Law in its trial advocacy program and as a Trial Teams’ Coach since 2009.

Additionally, he has trained hundreds of law enforcement officers in Illinois at the

University of Illinois Police Training Institute, lecturing on topics such as use of force

and police liability.

Mr. Palmer received his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at

Urbana-Champaign and his law degree from The John Marshall Law School. He is

active in numerous bar and civic organizations including as an assembly member for

the Illinois State Bar Association and as the chair of the Public Interest Law Initiative

(PILI) 6th Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee.

20 Professionalism Tips for Millennial Attorneys

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Michelle Silverthorn

In my job, I often get asked what “professionalism” means. The word is lengthy and so is the range of what it connotes. Professionalism as it relates to lawyers means being a competent, effective, respectful advocate for your client and the justice system. As we explain in our Professional Responsibility Education Guide, professionalism “calls us to be mindful of the lawyer’s roles as officer of the legal system, advocate, counselor, negotiator, and problem solver.” That involves respect, civility, proficiency and a recognition that the life of a lawyer is a life of continuous learning.

However as I travel the city and the state, I meet many young attorneys who want more specific, day-to-day professionalism advice. Their requests often boil down to this single question: how should I act in the workplace as a new lawyer not accustomed to the norms of the legal profession? In my years as a practicing lawyer and professional, I have learned many tips and tricks about how to succeed in this profession. I’ve also learned that when you need advice for an advice column, the best people to ask are your friends. So here, from myself and others, are 20 tips on how to be a professional young professional in today’s workplace:

1. Remember that you are the newest person on the team. Millennials are well-known for their team-oriented approach to projects. This may not be an approach with which older attorneys are familiar. While you may be eager to speak and contribute, remember that for many older Xers and Boomers, deference is the first sign of respect.

2. Listen first. Attorneys talk for a living. Therefore your most important job as a new attorney is to listen to what senior attorneys are telling you. Being a good listener demonstrates respect to those speaking to you, a crucial skill as you move forward in your career. To quote the Greek philosopher, Epictetus: “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”

3. Incorporate feedback into your work. Many people, of all ages, respond to criticism defensively. However, for new attorneys, it is essential that you accept criticism and use it positively to create a changed work product or behavioral style. Doing so shows senior lawyers maturity, growth and respect. At the same time . . .

4. Project confidence, not arrogance. Companies want to hire people who can offer their own opinions, who demonstrate enthusiasm, and who take pride and ownership in their work. That said, there is a fine line between a confident new lawyer and an arrogant one – walk it carefully.

5. Triple spell- and grammar-check everything. There is no excuse for poor spelling and grammar. Print out and proofread your work before submitting it.

6. Be aware of your professional dress. Err on the side of conservatism when it comes to your professional dress, especially in your early days at the job. Older attorneys, in particular, may have certain unspoken expectations as to office wear. Learn what those expectations are. And as the saying goes, “Don’t dress for the job you have; dress for the job you want.” If you want to be a partner, start dressing like one.

7. Limit your personal screen time. The hours you work and bill belong to your firm and your client. Do

not spend those hours on personal blogs, social media accounts, shopping websites, etc. And remember, your company is well within its rights to track any personal use you make of company-provided devices.

8. Know your audience. This applies to both office etiquette and work product. A senior partner often wants important highlights quickly, while a more junior associate might want more details in your report. Always understand the needs of the person to whom you are reporting, and anticipate any future needs down the road.

9. Respond to communications promptly, respectfully and in the same medium you received them. In other words, do not email in response to a voicemail, and unless text messaging is specifically initiated by your partner or client, do not use text messages as your communication medium.

10. Learn to navigate the organization’s culture. Every office, company and law firm has an organizational culture. You will benefit greatly from spending your first months listening, observing and learning those cultural norms so you can modulate your behavior accordingly.

11. Create to-do lists to maximize efficiency. You will have multiple demands on your limited time. To-do lists will allow you to schedule responsibilities and handle various commitments effectively.

12. Make sure you manage expectations. Do not over-commit yourself. You will end up producing sub-standard work product for attorneys who expect superior work product. Better to under-promise and over-deliver than do the opposite.

13. If you don’t know, ask. While asking too many questions is one of the major criticisms of the Millennial generation, it is also essential that you understand the scope of your assignment before tackling it. Get as much information as you can at the very beginning of an assignment and check-in with the assigning attorney when necessary.

14. Treat all staff with respect and courtesy. Everyone in your office deserves the same respect and courtesy you would like them to show to you.

15. Always follow the ethical path. There are many ethical rules that apply to lawyers, some of which are common sense, others of which are not. Learn and apply these ethical rules to your daily practice.

16. Engage in your legal community. The legal community is very welcoming to new lawyers. Take advantage of the many bar associations, alumni groups and community organizations outside of your school and immerse yourself in your greater legal community.

17. Manage your finances. Much of the advice you receive in law school focuses on student debt, but remember, your student debt is just one part of your larger financial plan. Learn about savings, retirement funds, investment portfolios, mortgages, and, if applicable, childcare costs and college tuition plans. All of these, and more, will play a crucial role in your lifetime financial picture.

18. Keep track of your accomplishments. You are your single best advocate. Throughout your career, keep track of memoranda, projects, reviews, recommendations, and anything that demonstrates how you have positively developed as a professional.

19. Challenge yourself. Do not be content with doing a passable job. Be creative and innovative. Learn about your company or firm and always be willing to offer new ideas and tackle new projects.

20. Find a mentor. I’ve said it before so I will repeat it here. Find a mentor, someone who can offer you career advice, sponsor your success and stay a friend and guide throughout your career. It will take some time to find your match, but the pay-off is worth it.

11/30/2015 Chicago Lawyer - The magazine for the profession

http://www.chicagolawyermagazine.com/Elements/pages/print.aspx?printpath=/Archives/2015/07/Silverthorn-Professionalism&classname=tera.gn3article 1/2

July 01, 2015

Two generations and one big gap?: Mentoring requires everyone beingon the same page

By Michelle SilverthornMichelle Silverthorn is the diversity and education director at the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism. She has expandedthe commission’s national presence through blogs, social networking sites and online discussion groups on legal education, diversity andyoung lawyers. She also works with law schools, law students and other legal groups to develop interactive education courses and workshops.In addition, Silverthorn leads the professionalism education goals of the commission, reviewing courses, attending conferences anddeveloping professionalism programs.

As a millennial, I often hear the same complaint from my fellow young female lawyers: “Why is it so hard to find a female mentor?” Diggingdeeper, there are often two complaints. The first: There aren’t any female partners at my firm. The second: OK, yes, there are some female partners atmy firm, but they often made career and family choices that I don’t want to make.

Let’s look at both of these. Last year, consulting group Bain & Co. released the results of a five‑year study on men and women in corporateAmerica. The study asked about both genders’ interest in pursuing a top management position in a large company.

The results may surprise you. In the first two years of their career, 43 percent of women aspired to be in top management. Conversely, only 34percent of men aspired to be the same. Equally important, both genders were equally confident about their abilities to reach those top positions.

Two years later, the numbers changed, fairly dramatically. The number of men with two or more years of experience and who still wanted to bein top‑level management remained the same. The percentage of women, however, plummeted.

Only 16 percent of women with two or more years of experience still aspired to be top‑level management. Moreover, the number of women whowere confident about reaching those management positions fell by 50 percent. The confidence level for men remained the same.

Bain found that the dip in confidence was independent of marriage and motherhood. Rather, women felt that they failed to meet the stereotypeof the ideal worker — long hours, constant smartphone use, sacrificing free time. They also felt that their supervisors were unwilling to supportthem and their career paths. Finally, they felt there were few role models at the top — no women in senior management meant no model to look upto.

The law firm landscape shares many similarities with corporate America. According to the ABA’s Commission on Women, women make up 47.3percent of law school graduates. They make up 44.8 percent of law firm associates. However, they only make up 20.2 percent of partners and 17percent of equity partners. And only 4 percent of the 200 largest law firms are managed by women. So a female millennial attorney may have thesame thoughts as a young female member of corporate America — where are the women leaders, and how can I become one if I don’t see any?

“But just wait,” the 20.2 percent female partners may exclaim. “We are here! And we do try to mentor these young women. But many of them aresimply not interested in making the same career and life choices that we made.”

There is some truth to that. As with most things generational, this is often framed as a workplace conflict between baby boomers, born between1946 and 1964, and those old enough to be their children: millennials, born between 1980 and 2000. And as a generational trend, millennials areopting out from the classic career ladder their parents may have climbed.

In a recent survey, 94 percent of college‑educated millennials agreed that their generation does not support the current model of economic andcareer success, while 77 percent agreed that their personal lives would take priority over their professional goals. Not work/life balance; life priority.

The problem when it comes to mentoring relationships is that this may not be a paradigm with which many boomer women agree. Many boomerwomen fought hard for inclusion of family considerations in the workplace, but they understood that the reality of the workplace meant that successoften meant less family and personal time. However, one of the oft‑cited reasons that millennials reject the corporate ladder is that they are thechildren of these very boomer parents. Millennials are well‑aware of the time, dedication and sacrifice it takes to move up the ladder; as ageneration, many have chosen to not take that path.

What happens then? Older female mentors may then find themselves frustrated by younger mentees looking to prioritize (not balance) personallives and/or family lives. Conversely, younger mentees may find themselves frustrated by older mentors who offer personal life options thatyounger mentees may not find palatable or even possible. Conflict becomes inevitable.

But the reality is that being the largest group in the workforce, millennials will take over leadership positions in the next few decades.Unfortunately, the Bain report concluded that “[d]espite women comprising more than half of all college graduates and about 40 percent of MBAs,

11/30/2015 Chicago Lawyer - The magazine for the profession

http://www.chicagolawyermagazine.com/Elements/pages/print.aspx?printpath=/Archives/2015/07/Silverthorn-Professionalism&classname=tera.gn3article 2/2

© 2015 Law Bulletin Publishing Company

But the reality is that being the largest group in the workforce, millennials will take over leadership positions in the next few decades.Unfortunately, the Bain report concluded that “[d]espite women comprising more than half of all college graduates and about 40 percent of MBAs,they number only a slim 5 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs and 17 percent of board members — numbers that have barely moved in decades.”

We need to keep young women in the workplace and help them realize that there is room for women at the top. The modern Americanworkplace has changed significantly over the past century, thanks in large part to boomer women entering, staying in and leading the workplace.

What more change can millennial women bring if they stay in the workplace to lead? I know I want to find out. So let’s encourage mentoringrelationships that highlight multiple‑career paths, personal guidance, shared experiences and mutual respect.

Above all, let’s recognize that older female lawyers have a hard‑earned legacy they want to leave behind just as younger female lawyers have alegacy they’re only beginning to understand and create.

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Talking About My Generation: Professionalism in the Multi‐Generational Workplace

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Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism 1

Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism

Talking About My Generation:Professionalism in the

Multi-Generational Workplace

2Civility – Who We Are2Civility I Part 1

2Civility – Who We Are2Civility I Part 1


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Let’s Talk About The Generations 2Civility I Part 1


Learning Objectives

1. Recognize the perceptions, perspectives and values of the four generations in the workplace.

2. Engage in learning conversations utilizing those perceptions, perspectives and values.



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1.Traditionalists (1926-1945)2.Baby Boomers (1946-1964)3.Generation X’ers (1965-1979)4.Millennials (1980-2000)

FOUR GENERATIONS IN THE WORKPLACE




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“They have trouble making decisions. They would rather hike in the Himalayas than climb a corporate ladder. They have few heroes, no anthems, no style to call their own. They crave entertainment, but their attention span is … short …They postpone marriage . . .They sneer at Range Rovers, Rolexes . . . What they hold dear are family life, local activism … and mountain bikes”.



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FOUR GENERATIONS IN THE WORKPLACE


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How We Define Professionalism2Civility I Part 2

Rule 1 - “Every action done in company ought to be done with some sign of respect to those who are present.”

-- George Washington, Rulesof Civility and Decent Behaviorin Company and Conversation

How We Define Professionalism2Civility I Part 2

Navigating The Multi-Generational Workplace2Civility I Scenarios

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