Insights

 

Filling the Confidence Chasm: Tips for Women for Improving Confidence in the Workplace

With Theresa May moving into 10 Downing Street and Hillary Clinton close to becoming the first woman President of the United States, you’d think that women would be more confident than ever. But as BBC-America anchor Katty Kay puts it, there is still a confidence “chasm” between men and women when it comes to the workplace.

Last week Katty keynoted AARP’s “2016 Women’s Leadership Forum: Cracking the Confidence Code” and shared research and insights from her New York Times best-seller, The Confidence Code, co-authored by Claire Shipman. Manar Morales, Alliance President & CEO, joined a panel of women CEOs to provide her expertise on women’s leadership as well as her personal insights on starting her own company, building her confidence, and achieving her goals. Read more

Your Full-Time Flex Policy: Put it in Writing!

You may ask yourself, “Why would we need a formal full-time flex policy? Our attorneys are professionals and they know when they can come and go and when it’s appropriate to work from home.”

While this may be true in some cases, consider the challenges the firm faces when an attorney telecommutes 5 days a week, without his or her managing partner’s full support. Or what if an attorney is hesitant to work flexibly because he believes it will be held against him when his performance is reviewed? And how will your firm attract new law school graduates if you can’t legitimately state that you have a full-time flexible work policy and you can’t prove how many attorneys use it? Read more

Asking for Flex: It’s a Business Negotiation Not a Personal Favor

Note: This post was first published on May 21, 2016 on Mindful Return‘s blog. Mindful Return helps women transition back to work after maternity leave. We are grateful to Lori Mihalich-Levin for asking us to write a guest blog post!

If you are considering asking your company for a flexible work schedule, it’s important to approach it as you would any other business negotiation.  Your reasons for asking for flex might be personal, but you’re not asking for a personal favor.  You are asking for a modification to your schedule that would ultimately benefit everyone – you, the company, the clients, and future business relationships.  Just like preparing for an important meeting, case or new business pitch, providing the rationale for a flexible work schedule takes research, strategic planning, and negotiation.
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Is Your Flex Policy Equal Opportunity?

We talk frequently in this blog about the myriad benefits of having a flexible work policy. It can be a win-win situation when attorneys gain some work-life control, clients maintain team consistency, and firms reduce attrition and thereby retain top talent and reduce recruitment and training costs. Law firm recruiters have traditionally tried to entice female law school grads with promises of flex schedules and family-life balance. It has been an assumption that women want flexible work schedules mostly so they can maintain their career while also having and raising children.
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Member Resource Center: Your Source For Diversity & Flexibility Information At Your Fingertips

Need more information, guidance or research on diversity and flexibility initiatives? If your firm is a member of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance, you have access to a plethora of resources right at your fingertips! Our Member Resource Center, accessed through our website, has all current and past program summaries, research reports, newsletters, Action Steps, and more!

Access the Member Resource Center by clicking on the orange “Log In” button in the upper-right hand corner of our website. Once you enter your login information, the latest news is always featured on the homepage – check back for the latest Action Steps, Spotlights on Flex, research reports, and upcoming event information.

Here’s a quick run down of what you’ll find in the Member Resource Center: Read more

When It Comes to Diversity, Clients Need to Put Their Money Where Their Mouths Are

Our recent annual conference included panel discussions with leaders from all sectors of the legal industry. One common theme that emerged throughout the day was that clients must help to drive diversity efforts in law firms. Speakers and panelists encouraged clients to “put their money where their mouths are” in demanding diverse teams and warned “if diversity is not a priority for the client, then it won’t be a priority for the firm.” Read more

Profile of a Leader, Mentor, and Strategist: Manar Morales

Profile Manar MoralesIf you want to create an inclusive culture that leverages diversity and flexibility to retain top talent, you want Manar Morales on your team.

Not only is Manar the President & CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance, but she is also a national expert on flexibility and a long-time advocate of women in the legal profession. A former employment litigator and adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University Law School, Manar has spent the last 10 years helping countless firms and corporate legal departments implement flexible work policies, solve attorney retention challenges, promote inclusive work cultures, and integrate women into leadership positions. Never one to criticize a firm for its lack of advancement in these areas, Manar is a leader, a mentor, and a strategist who approaches every challenge with calm optimism, business acumen, and true insight into the paths to success.

Manar is also a frequent speaker on topics such as: workplace flexibility and work-life control; unconscious bias and interrupting bias; diversity and inclusion; women’s leadership and women’s initiatives; sponsorship and mentoring programs; and individual strategies for success including confidence, mindset, and grit. Over the last year, Manar has spoken at more than 20 conferences and events across the US and around the world.

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The Business Case for Flexibility: Are You Really Giving Your Clients What They Want?

Consider these questions…Are your clients consistently happy with the attorneys working for them? Have your clients complained about turnover in the firm? Have they taken their business with a departing partner? Have they refused to pay to get a new lawyer up to speed? Read more

The First Step to Gender Diversity: Do the Math

Last month we welcomed more than 130 attorneys and corporate executives at our 2016 Annual Conference, Diversity + Flexibility = Talent Success. The day was filled with inspirational stories, sound advice, lessons learned, and expert guidance for organizations looking to improve their diversity and flexibility policies.

As we reflect on the successes of the day, we are proud to have had such a diverse group of participants, including general counsel, law firm chairs, diversity directors, and other leaders in the legal field come together to discuss the importance of having a diverse team and the value in having women in leadership positions. While the mindset of the legal community is clearly evolving, there are still many obstacles to overcome before we can truly say women have equal seats at the table. Read more

Why Become A Member?

As a legal professional, you probably know that having a diverse and inclusive workforce and flexible work options are good ideas for the success of your firm as well as the happiness of your employees. But could you be doing more to attract and retain top talent?

Let us show you how you could. By joining the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance, your organization would have access to what we like to call our “Value Proposition.” The value of membership includes access to three vital resources: Read more