Action Steps

 

Action Step – Appreciating Your Flex Program

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility.  Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

APPRECIATING YOUR FLEX PROGRAM

Lawyers are taught to apply critical inquiry to solve clients’ problems. While this approach is useful to spot issues, applying a model that allows for analysis of strengths is equally important when working on a change initiative like promoting holistic flexibility in the workplace. The field of organizational development offers such a model in appreciative inquiry…

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Action Step – It Takes A Community: Foundational Considerations For Women’s, Flex, And Other Affinity Groups

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility.  Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

IT TAKES A COMMUNITY:
FOUNDATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR WOMEN’S, FLEX, AND OTHER AFFINITY GROUPS

Establishing affinity groups can be an excellent way to build a community and effectively address the social isolation that interrupts the career advancement of lawyers from underrepresented identities including lawyers who work flexibly. Positioning these groups for success requires consideration of a number of different factors and ensuring they serve the following three main purposes…

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Action Step – Who’s Monitoring Your Flex Program: Key Roles for Effective Flex Program Management

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

WHO’S MONITORING YOUR FLEX PROGRAM:
KEY ROLES FOR EFFECTIVE FLEX PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

Your organization has a flexible work policy. Leadership vocally supports it and promotes the business case for flexibility. The desire and need for flexible work is clear, and your lawyers are utilizing the policy. What’s next? How will your organization manage it all? Read more

Action Step – Individual Strategies for Interrupting Flex Stigma

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility.  Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

INDIVIDUAL STRATEGIES FOR INTERRUPTING FLEX STIGMA

Lawyers are often concerned that working flexibly will change how they are viewed at work and lead to career derailment. They are right to be concerned. Studies show that flexibility bias can affect all aspects of a lawyer’s career – from assignments, to evaluations, to promotions. Legal employers can take steps to reduce flexibility bias, and individual lawyers can protect themselves with these strategies: Read more

Action Step – Make Your Family Leave and Flexibility Policies Inclusive

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility.  Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

MAKE YOUR FAMILY LEAVE AND FLEXIBILITY POLICIES INCLUSIVE

Most lawyers will be caregivers to someone – a child, significant other, a family member – at some point during their careers. This is true regardless of gender and parental status. Providing paid leave is an attractive benefit and can help alleviate the chronic stress, depression, and burnout that caregivers experience. Findings from the Yale Law Women Top Ten Family-Friendly Firms 2015 Report support the Alliance’s recommendation that law firms can improve recruiting and retention by including all caregiving lawyers in their family-friendly programs and policies.  What else can firms and law departments do to attract and retain lawyers who provide elder or family care?… Read more

Action Step – Seven Strategies for Flex Success™

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility.  Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

SEVEN STRATEGIES FOR FLEX SUCCESS™

Flexibility and success go hand in hand. Just as in nature, flexibility provides a unique advantage to thrive in a variety of conditions. The key is to leverage the benefits of flexible work for your career success by demonstrating its connection to motivation, innovative problem-solving, and productivity. Here are seven strategies to help you achieve Flex Success™:

1. Define your success and clearly map out your one, three, and five year vision.

2. Own your value and know your value-add…

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Action Step – Asking the Right Questions:Surveying Your Outside Counsel About Diversity & Flexibility

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility.  Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS:
SURVEYING YOUR OUTSIDE COUNSEL ABOUT DIVERSITY & FLEXIBILITY

It has been said that “what gets measured, gets done.” For corporate law departments that understand the value a diverse team brings to solving complex problems, surveying outside counsel about diversity is a powerful tool for securing the best talent on their matters. Given the connection between attorney control over when, where, and how they work and retaining top, diverse talent, the surveys must have key elements, including questions about flexible work in order to have the most impact. Here are a few more principal considerations and features of a well-crafted diversity survey…

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Action Step – Recruit Men With Flexible Work

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility.  Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

RECRUIT MEN WITH FLEXIBLE WORK

Law students talk to each other about their law firm interview experiences: what they were asked; what insights they gained into the firm; and what the firm seems to be looking for. As they compare notes, a pattern might emerge; some employers tell female recruits – but not male recruits – about the firm’s flexible work programs. Female recruits often express disbelief, and some take offense at the assumptions the firm is making about them. However, they aren’t the only ones. Male recruits have also been put off by the assumptions firm’s make about them and their interests… Read more

Action Step – Hold Your Partners Accountable for Supporting Flexible Lawyers

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility.  Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

HOLD YOUR PARTNERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR SUPPORTING FLEXIBLE LAWYERS

No matter how carefully crafted, a flexible work program will fail unless the firm’s partners make it work on a daily basis. Partners control lawyers’ assignments, opportunities, access to information, evaluations, compensation, and promotion – which means they can undo even the best flexible work program through bias, inattention, or worse, in how they treat lawyers who work flexible schedules. It is essential that partners be invested in making flexibility work… Read more

Action Step – Tips for Starting an On-Ramping Program at Your Organization

The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility.  Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.

TIPS FOR STARTING AN ON-RAMPING PROGRAM AT YOUR ORGANIZATION

On-Ramping is one of the best ways to retain talented lawyers. It’s also inexpensive, measurably effective, and gaining in usage among law firms of all sizes. An on-ramping program eases lawyers’ transition back to work after medical/family leave with the option of working reduced hours for a limited period of time without having to apply or request permission. More importantly, returning attorneys are given support to make sure they can successfully ramp back up to their full practice levels… Read more