Action Steps

 

Action Step – Feedback Essentials Part 1: Delivering Feedback Effectively

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. 

FEEDBACK ESSENTIALS PART 1: DELIVERING FEEDBACK EFFECTIVELY

Feedback is critical to career advancement, but research shows women and other under-represented professionals are much less likely than their majority group counterparts to receive the kind of constructive feedback necessary to improve performance. The reasons for this vary, but common ones include supervisors’ concerns they will be perceived in a negative light and fear that the person receiving feedback will leave. These issues are particularly pronounced when feedback is being provided across differences. This introduces additional challenges to an aspect of managing and leading others that many supervisors would prefer to avoid. Overcoming these challenges, however, is essential to fostering the success of all talent, and applying the following best practices provides supervisors with a framework to successfully meet this responsibility….

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Action Step – Don’t Overlook Overwork: Why and How to Compensate Reduced Hours Lawyers for Extra 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. 

DON’T OVERLOOK OVERWORK:
WHY AND HOW TO COMPENSATE REDUCED HOURS LAWYERS FOR EXTRA WORK

It’s becoming increasingly dangerous for legal employers to overlook overwork by reduced hours lawyers. Issues of retention and competition for legal talent, which are always of concern, are taking on greater importance now that more firms are competing in the hot lateral market with effective work-life control programs and “new model” legal services providers are attracting lawyers who want to work fewer hours. A more serious threat looms, however: equal pay claims.

Legal employers have provided extra compensation using a variety of methods. Some examples are…

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Action Step – Strategically Approaching Women’s Initiatives

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. 

STRATEGICALLY APPROACHING WOMEN’S INITIATIVES 

Retaining and advancing women where they are underrepresented takes more than hosting a panel discussion, establishing a committee, or more than engaging just the women. Creating a meaningful initiative to increase the representation and inclusion of women up the organizational ladder requires a strategic process reflecting the commitment of leaders and engaging both men and women.  As detailed below, the hallmarks of that strategic process include: 1) assessing the current state; 2) articulating the purpose; and…

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Action Step – Self Reflection: The Key to Setting Your Individual Goals for Next Year’s 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. 

SELF REFLECTION:
THE KEY TO SETTING YOUR INDIVIDUAL GOALS FOR NEXT YEAR’S FLEX SUCCESS™

The end of the calendar year is the perfect time for organizations to take stock of their business initiatives and to reflect on both their successes as well as areas of improvement for the coming year. Metrics are an essential part of this equation and help organizations measure past successes to create future goals.

It is also important for individuals to incorporate this type of year-end reflection and goal setting to ensure career objectives and personal goals are balanced and integrated. As with business initiatives, individuals should have a clearly documented, personal, strategic plan as well as a mandate on how to execute that strategy for career success. This is especially critical if you are working a flexible work schedule….

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Action Step – Implementation Essentials For Flexibility Programs

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.

IMPLEMENTATION ESSENTIALS FOR FLEXIBILITY PROGRAMS

Successful business initiatives, including flexibility programs, feature a clearly articulated and documented strategic plan as well as a mandate to execute on that strategy. When it comes to flexible work, many organizations have a plan in the form of a policy but struggle with execution. Whether your organization is launching a flexibility policy for the first time or enhancing an existing policy, a strong implementation process is the key to closing the gap between policy and action. Here are the essential features of successful implementation…

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Action Step – Out of Sight, But Not Out of Mind: Individual Strategies for Remote Team 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.

OUT OF SIGHT, BUT NOT OUT OF MIND: INDIVIDUAL STRATEGIES FOR REMOTE TEAM SUCCESS

In Seven Strategies for Managing Remote Teams, we guided supervisors through the necessary steps to embrace the reality of leading teams of individuals who are working remotely. While supervisors play a pivotal role in making these teams work, individuals who work remotely also have the responsibility for their own and the team’s success. Carrying out that responsibility includes being visible, proactive, and adaptable. Here are some concrete tips for achieving each…

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Action Step – Paid Leave Policies: Five Common Mistakes Can Lead to Attrition and Liability

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.

PAID LEAVE POLICIES: FIVE COMMON MISTAKES CAN LEAD TO ATTRITION AND LIABILITY

Having a generous paid leave policy for lawyers can be a great recruiting and retention tool. Legal employers commonly provide at least 12 weeks, and sometimes 18 or more weeks, of paid maternity leave. Unfortunately, these legal employers often make mistakes that undermine the usefulness of their leave policies and could even expose them to liability.

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Action Step – Seven Strategies for Managing Remote Teams

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 MANAGING REMOTE TEAMS

Whether it’s full-time, remote work, to occasional telecommuting due to weather or other events that keeps someone from coming into the office, working remotely is becoming the norm. If you are supervising others in the knowledge-based workplace, chances are you are leading or will soon lead a team of individuals working remotely in some fashion. While good management and leadership skills apply regardless of how and where your team is physically working, here are some additional strategies that leaders need to employ to successfully manage remote teams…

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Action Step – Elements of a Well-Crafted Reduced Hours Policy

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.

ELEMENTS OF A WELL-CRAFTED REDUCED HOURS POLICY

Reduced hours schedules are a critical part of holistic flexibility policies, which recognize that a diverse workforce requires different ways of getting great work done. Yet, reduced hours schedules tend to be the most stigmatized form of flexibility, too often misconstrued to signal a lack of commitment to one’s career. Reduced hours professionals were also once subjected to formal haircuts – that is, being paid less than the time agreed to work (e.g., 60 percent pay for a 75 percent schedule) – and many still do not receive a true-up when they work more than their agreed upon schedule. For these reasons and more, it is important for organizations to send a clear message of support for reduced hours schedules through a well-written policy that addresses the following key areas…
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Action Step – Teaching 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.

TEACHING FLEX SUCCESS™

Holding everyone within an organization accountable for its flexibility program is critical to its success. Individuals, however, must first know what is expected of them and have the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to carry out those expectations. This is why a robust flex education program for lawyers and other professionals working flexibly, those who supervise them, and all members of an organization is essential. The information conveyed in these programs should be tailored to the needs of each group, covering the following fundamentals…. Read more