We recently ran two Boot Camps for junior marketing/BD professionals from law firms. I would like to highlight 4 key things participants found most valuable and said they would use when they returned to their firms:
- Attendees said they would invest the time to understand how to work best with lawyers and team members who have different work styles than their own. For example, when delivering an analysis of a client, they would stop and figure out whether the Partner would prefer to have a detailed report with data attached or a summary of the findings with key factors bulleted.
- Most of the attendees were surprised that the #1 Pet Peeve that drives CMO/Directors crazy is lack of responsiveness. Specifically, not acknowledging a request and waiting until the product was complete before responding.
- They appreciated learning that one thing “bosses” love is when they receive status updates on long-term projects. For example, every Friday, emailing the Partner or Director they are working with on a project a summary of what has been completed and what is still in progress.
- The most common time management tip attendees committed to adding to their day is a “3 O’clock Check-Up.” To feel more in control, they said they would stop and reassess their day at 3pm so they could re-prioritize, follow-up with those they were waiting for to approve or edit materials, and delegate what they could to available resources.
The program was filled with strategies and tips for being successful and adding value to your Firm’s marketing initiatives. It was very clear that everyone who attended was committed to being a valuable team member. The challenge, we all agreed, is making the time to strategize how to best work with others and be proactive, when so much of the day requires a reactive, “putting out the fire,” response.