Save the Date: 2023 Annual Conference - November 2 in Washington, DC!
UPCOMING SEMINARS
More details about our upcoming 2023 seminars are coming soon!
RECENT SEMINARS
2023 Signature Seminar
Interrupting Bias in the Interview Process
Featuring Manar Morales, CEO, Diversity & Flexibility Alliance
May 3, 2023 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm EST
During this virtual presentation, Manar will share how to identify unconscious bias in the interview process as well as the steps organizations and interviewers can take to mitigate bias during the interview. Participants will walk away understanding how to:
- Interrupt bias patterns that impact candidate consideration;
- Incorporate pre-interview planning to structure the interview for success;
- Integrate a consistent framework of step-by-step interview components; and
- Apply consistent standards when evaluating candidates.
The May Signature Seminar has been approved for 1 SHRM Professional Development Credit. The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities.
2023 Signature Seminar
Addressing Diversity Challenges with Business Growth
Featuring Rudhir Krishtel, CEO, Krishtel
March 2, 2023 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm EST
It’s time to examine how business development culture has impacted those from historically underrepresented backgrounds. These patterns directly impact compensation, wealth distribution, and equity. Participants will discuss specific roadblocks existing at the nexus of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and business development (BD) that impede the progress of women, people of color, and other historically underrepresented groups and understand avenues to consider moving towards a more equitable culture. A few things participants can look forward to in this program:
- Specific examples around the unique challenges women, people of color, and other historically underrepresented groups face in the cycle of business development
- Insights on how to increase the firm’s ability to support these individuals with achieving business development goals
- Tools on how to examine inside and outside the firm to help establish a more equitable business development practice and culture
2023 Signature Seminar
Shared Sisterhood: How to Take Collective Action for Racial and Gender Equity at Work
Featuring Dr. Tina Opie & Dr. Beth Livingston
February 1, 2023 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm EST
Making progress toward a more equitable workplace is an important goal for many workplaces. In this Signature Seminar, Manar Morales will interview Drs. Tina Opie and Beth Livingston about their book, Shared Sisterhood: How to Take Collective Action for Racial and Gender Equity at Work, which presents a new approach to achieving gender and racial equity at work. Shared Sisterhood focuses on how to promote authentic connections between people who are different, using social science research and stories from the past and the present to inspire organizations to action.
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2022
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Being Present: Commanding Attention at Work and at Home by Managing Your Social Presence
2022 Signature Seminar
Featuring Dr. Jeanine Turner, Professor, Communication, Culture, and Technology Program; Affiliate Professor, The McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University
December 14, 2022 | 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST
As our ability to pay attention in a world of distractions vanishes, it's no wonder that our ability to be heard and understood—to convey our messages—is also threatened. Whether working with our teams and customers or communicating with our families and friends, it is increasingly difficult to break through the digital devices that get in the way of communication. We're often participating in multiple conversations at once. As a result, our ability to be socially present with an audience requires an intentional approach. Join Dr. Turner in this session to learn to:
- Identify challenges created by digital devices and create strategies for success;
- Isolate strategies for engaging the attention of others based on the needs of the context, the message and the relationship; and
- Create an intentional approach to constructing our social presence in our conversations.
Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People)
2022 Signature Seminar
Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People)
Featuring Amy E. Gallo
September 29, 2022 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm EST When we’re dealing with difficult people, our creativity, productivity, and engagement suffer. Conflict and stress compromise our ability to think clearly and make sound decisions. In this webinar based on her upcoming book, Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People), workplace expert Amy Gallo provides a research-based, practical guide for how to handle difficult people at work and building interpersonal resilience in the process.Leading Inclusively in a Hybrid Environment
2022 Signature Seminar
Leading Inclusively in a Hybrid Environment
Featuring Manar Morales
July 21, 2022 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm EST One of the biggest fears that people have with a hybrid working environment is that those working virtually will be disadvantaged. To avoid this issue, it’s critical for organizations to integrate their hybrid and DEI strategies. Join Alliance President & CEO, Manar Morales in exploring the impact that flexibility has on DEI and key practical strategies on the organizational and individual levels to create a more successful and inclusive hybrid environment. Manar will share strategies that organizations – as well as individual leaders – can implement to foster connection and collaboration and minimize bias in a hybrid workforce.Smarter Collaboration: A New Approach to Breaking Down Barriers and Transforming Work
2022 Signature Seminar
Smarter Collaboration: A New Approach to Breaking Down Barriers and Transforming Work
Featuring Heidi K. Gardner, Ph.D., Distinguished Fellow at Harvard Law School’s Center on the Legal Profession
June 28, 2022 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm EST Solving tough problems in a complex world means we need to collaborate smarter. Join Dr. Heidi K. Gardner to examine how organizations earn higher margins, inspire greater customer loyalty, produce more innovative work, and attract and retain the best talent when specialists engage in Smart Collaboration across boundaries. Drawing from her upcoming book, Heidi will help you understand how this Smarter Collaboration impacts DEI, how to execute effective strategies, and how to avoid the potential pitfalls. Heidi is the author of Washington Post bestseller, Smart Collaboration: How Professionals and Their Firms Succeed by Breaking Down Silos and Smarter Collaboration: A New Approach to Breaking Down Barriers and Transforming Work.You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion, and Why It Matters
2022 Signature Seminar
Featuring Vanessa Bohns, Associate Professor of Organizational Development, Cornell University
April 26, 2022 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm EST If you’ve ever felt ineffective, invisible, or inarticulate, chances are you weren’t actually any of those things. Those feelings may instead have been the result of a lack of awareness we all seem to have for how our words, actions, and even our mere presence affect other people. Join us for a fascinating fireside chat with Dr. Vanessa Bohns about why we should stop searching to gain influence we don’t have and start recognizing and acting on the influence we don’t realize we already have.Preparing for a Hybrid Work Environment: Setting Up Your Employees for Success
2022 Signature Seminar
Tuesday, February 1, 1:00pm ESTFeaturing Manar Morales, President & CEO, The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance.
As many organizations plan for their Return to Office, successfully navigating a hybrid workplace is critical. Join Alliance President & CEO, Manar Morales, as she walks you through the strategies and support systems that are essential to the success of your hybrid workforce.
Don’t miss this important seminar which will provide you with guidance on how to build a framework that ensures organizational accountability and support, resulting in thriving leaders and flourishing individual employees.
2021
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Diversity of Thought: The Secret to Growing Your Relationships and Book of Business
2021 Signature Seminar
Thursday, September 23, 1:00pm EDT
Featuring Mo Bunnell, author of The Snowball System, host of the video podcast Real Relationships Real Revenue and founder of Bunnell Idea Group (BIG).
Have you ever just connected with a new client, prospect or colleague?
It was easy. Time passed by quickly. It even felt…fun.
Here’s the thing: it wasn’t random.
Connecting quickly is a skill that can be understood and learned.
Join us for this power packed session where our business development expert Mo Bunnell will guide us into the science and steps of connectivity.
This session will decode how relationships are deepened. You’ll leave this session with a plan to work together better on client teams, deepen both internal and external relationships, and…bring in the meaty work you want.Return to Office Strategies: Integrating Flexibility Into Your Organization’s Culture
2021 Signature Seminar
Friday, September 17, 1:00pm EST
Featuring Manar Morales, President & CEO, The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance.
As many organizations implement their Return to Office plans, it's critical that flexibility is woven into the fabric of your organizational culture. Join Alliance President & CEO, Manar Morales, as she walks you through the strategies and support systems that are essential to the success of your hybrid workforce. Don't miss this important seminar which will provide you with detailed guidance on how to maintain your organization's unique culture while navigating this new phase in the evolution of the future of the workplace.
Forging Ahead: Building Business Development Momentum Now and Into the Future
2021 Signature Seminar
Thursday, July 22, 2021 Thursday, 1:00pm EST
Featuring Tasneem Khokha, Managing Director, GrowthPlay
The year 2020 drastically changed business development for most lawyers. And as things continue to evolve, so do the opportunities and challenges of business development. Now more than ever, investing in authentic relationship building and looking for ways to be a valuable resource to clients is crucial. Putting this into action is especially critical for diverse lawyers, whose ability to stay close to clients and potential clients now will position them well for ongoing success.
This program will equip participants with practical tactics and a renewed approach to creating business development momentum now and into the future. In particular, this program will address:
- Why staying connected and investing in relationships matters now more than ever
- How to stay connected when the rules of engagement—especially in person—are constantly evolving
- Business development activities that are relevant and timely in the current environment and how to prioritize them
- The more things change, the more they stay the same—a reinforcement of business development best practices that apply in any condition
Staying Productive in the Modern Workplace
2021 Signature Seminar
Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at 2:00 pm ET
Featuring Paul H. Burton, founder of QuietSpacing.
Others work while we sleep. That has never been truer than it is today. Technology speeds communications up while response time expectations shrink. Organizations grow larger and more distributed, casting people and projects far and near. The only certainty is that this trend will continue for the foreseeable future.
Keeping up with globalism is a daunting prospect. How can we stay abreast without losing sight of the purpose for participating - enjoying rewarding personal and professional lives? What choices do we have and what actions can we take to best serve our clients, our loved ones and ourselves?
This program explores those questions, offering up eighteen suggestions on how to make the most of the time we have in this rapidly expanding playing field. We'll address the following topics
- Leveraging Distributed Work Environments. Working with people distributed across differing geographic locations is challenging. Consider these six suggestions on how to leverage this environment.
- Running the Day Productively. Getting the work done is always Priority One. Here are six ways to accomplish that goal.
- Demonstrating Leadership. Leadership is a state of mind, regardless of title or position. Choose from these six ways to demonstrate leadership on a global basis.
The workplace grows more global every day. We can react to that fact or we can lean in and participate. Choose to participate by attending this program.
Take Command of Unresolved Conflict
2021 Signature Seminar
Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 1:00 pm ET
Featuring Julie Holunga, Principal & Executive Coach of Chinook Executive Solutions
Problems typically begin with an unaddressed conflict. Unresolved breakdowns in communication are costly, and if left unaddressed, can derail a team, division, or company. Miscommunication is a precursor to conflict, and is draining your resources: productivity, people, and money. Creating mutual understanding and awareness is essential to your success, whether you’re developing a high-performing team, resolving a potentially explosive employee issue, or negotiating with a client.
In this powerful session, participants will gain insights into their natural responses to conflict, learn the strengths and preferences of their own communication styles, and build constructive behaviors to handle conflict. Participants will learn to:
- Build personal and professional trust between employees
- Develop and innovate solutions to everyday issues
- Reduce time spent in (or avoiding!) conflict
Where Do We Go From Here? Optimizing Lessons Learned by Recommitting to & Reimagining Flexibility in 2021
2021 Signature Seminar
Wednesday, February 17, 2021 at 1:00 pm ET
Featuring Manar Morales, President & CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance.
A global pandemic, unprecedented shifts in how we work, and a national reckoning on race have made 2020 a year of accelerating and amplifying conversations around the future of work. As you look to 2021 and the new challenges and opportunities it will bring, join Manar Morales as she shares insights gleaned from the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance's recent conversations with the heads of law firms, corporations, and associations around the country. Now is the time to spearhead discussions about what worked and didn't work during COVID-19, how the pandemic has impacted your teams - particularly women and diverse employees - and how flexible work arrangements can lead to an even more successful and collaborative culture.Strengthening Community in Virtual Teams
2021 Signature Seminar
Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at 1:00 pm ET
Featuring Cara Alter, author of The Credibility Code and Founder of Speechskills. Work From Home is the new reality. And while we may relish the benefits, many of us are missing some aspects of the work experience that brought us the most satisfaction—a sense of community, authentic human connections, and the opportunity to collaborate toward a shared purpose. So how do we promote community and team cohesion even in a virtual workspace? Designed specifically for people who lead virtual meetings or manage remote teams, this seminar provides practical strategies for bringing more humanity to the virtual experience. TOPICS INCLUDE:- Creating engagement while discouraging multitasking
- Integrating moments of human connection—even when time is short
- Understanding virtual meeting fatigue and how to minimize it
- Leveraging platform features to increase interaction
- Encouraging more equity in participation among team members
- Onboarding new team members into previously established team
Presentation on New Research from Gallup: The Link Between Wellness and Resilience
2021 Signature Seminar
Tuesday, December 7, 2021 - 1:00pm ET
Featuring Vipula Gandhi, Head of US Enterprise & Managing Partner, Gallup
Vipula will share Gallup’s latest research on employee wellbeing and highlights from their latest book, Wellbeing at Work: How to Build Resilient & Thriving Teams. 2020
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Civility: It’s More Than Just Being “Nice”
Tuesday, September 22, 2020 - 1:00 - 2:15 pm EST
Featuring - Rachael Bosch, Founder of Fringe Professional Development
There has been a lot of talk about civility in the news over the past few years but there are still so many misconceptions about what civility means and why you should engage in it. In this webinar, we will discuss the research behind civility both inside and out of the legal industry. We will share the documented impacts of civility and psychological safety in teams and organizations. You will also hear the latest insights into how organizations are using civility in their cultural and leadership development plans.
After spending more than a decade in legal talent management, Rachael Bosch founded Fringe Professional Development with the goal of helping people communicate better at work. Fringe is a training and coaching company that combines neuroscience-based learning techniques with customized and progressive programming. Our mission is to help ambitious, high-achieving professionals excel in their careers through improved communication skills. Rachael holds a brain-based coaching certification through the NeuroLeadership Institute as well as certificates of Women in Leadership and Mediating Disputes from Cornell University and Harvard Law School. She is an active member of the invitation-only Forbes Coaches Council and is certified to train and deliver both the DISC behavioral assessment and the EQi 2.0© emotional intelligence index.
Featuring - Rachael Bosch, Founder of Fringe Professional Development
There has been a lot of talk about civility in the news over the past few years but there are still so many misconceptions about what civility means and why you should engage in it. In this webinar, we will discuss the research behind civility both inside and out of the legal industry. We will share the documented impacts of civility and psychological safety in teams and organizations. You will also hear the latest insights into how organizations are using civility in their cultural and leadership development plans.
After spending more than a decade in legal talent management, Rachael Bosch founded Fringe Professional Development with the goal of helping people communicate better at work. Fringe is a training and coaching company that combines neuroscience-based learning techniques with customized and progressive programming. Our mission is to help ambitious, high-achieving professionals excel in their careers through improved communication skills. Rachael holds a brain-based coaching certification through the NeuroLeadership Institute as well as certificates of Women in Leadership and Mediating Disputes from Cornell University and Harvard Law School. She is an active member of the invitation-only Forbes Coaches Council and is certified to train and deliver both the DISC behavioral assessment and the EQi 2.0© emotional intelligence index.Personality Matters: Collaborating Successfully with Others!
Thursday, July 16, 2020 - 1:00 - 2:15 pm EST
Featuring - Mary Abbajay, President of Careerstone Group.
Personality preferences and communication styles play a significant role in our interactions with coworkers, team members, supervisors, and staff members. Working successfully with others requires developing self-awareness and an understanding of how we, as individuals, impact others—both positively and negatively. In this high-spirited webinar, participants will gain heightened awareness of their own distinctive personality type, communication style and preferred ways of working with others. This interactive and eye-opening webinar helps participants understand their own personalities, personal strengths and potential areas for improvement. Participants learn to:
Featuring - Mary Abbajay, President of Careerstone Group.
Personality preferences and communication styles play a significant role in our interactions with coworkers, team members, supervisors, and staff members. Working successfully with others requires developing self-awareness and an understanding of how we, as individuals, impact others—both positively and negatively. In this high-spirited webinar, participants will gain heightened awareness of their own distinctive personality type, communication style and preferred ways of working with others. This interactive and eye-opening webinar helps participants understand their own personalities, personal strengths and potential areas for improvement. Participants learn to:
- Raise awareness around preferred work style and behaviors—of self and others.
- Increase understanding about how they communicate, receive information and make decisions.
- Develop insight into their own style and the style of others.
- Develop flexibility during workplace interaction in order to interact effectively with people who have different personalities and communication styles.
- Understand how personality type impacts leadership and teamwork.
Become a Virtual Meeting Virtuoso (Bonus Seminar)
Thursday, June 4, 2020 - 1:00 - 2:15 pm EST
Featuring - Christine Clapp, President of Spoken With Authority
Featuring - Christine Clapp, President of Spoken With Authority
Just a few weeks ago, proficiency in technology-mediated
- Identify ways to adapt meeting agendas and presentations for technology-mediated communication
- Explore strategies for optimizing video conference platforms
- Review etiquette of speaking online
- Learn the fundamentals of executive presence and the nuances of conveying confidence in online speaking situations
Mindfulness for Professionals: How to Reduce Stress and Improve Performance
Tuesday, May 19, 2020 - 1:00 - 2:15 pm EST
Featuring - Jon Krop, Founder of Mindfulness for Lawyers.
Do you want to develop greater focus and efficiency? Reduce stress and avoid burnout? Improve your performance under pressure?
Join lawyer and mindfulness expert Jon Krop for a hands-on introduction to mindfulness, a simple mental practice you can use to reduce stress and improve productivity. Jon will guide participants through short exercises that sharpen focus, calm the mind, and cultivate resilience in the face of anxiety and stress.
Featuring - Jon Krop, Founder of Mindfulness for Lawyers.
Do you want to develop greater focus and efficiency? Reduce stress and avoid burnout? Improve your performance under pressure?
Join lawyer and mindfulness expert Jon Krop for a hands-on introduction to mindfulness, a simple mental practice you can use to reduce stress and improve productivity. Jon will guide participants through short exercises that sharpen focus, calm the mind, and cultivate resilience in the face of anxiety and stress.Back to the Office: Re-Entry Strategies Under COVID-19 (Bonus Signature Seminar)
Thursday, May 14, 2020 - 1:00 pm EST
Featuring – Manar Morales, President & CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance
Manar Morales, the Alliance's President & CEO, will lead this webinar on best practices and suggestions for re-entry success as organizations and employees prepare to return back to the office.
- Does your organization have a game plan for when physical offices re-open?
- How will you continue to support your teams when they come back but schools are still closed?
- What will your organization's definition of a "new normal" and return to the office look like?
- What new support systems will be in place?
Business Continuity, Success (and Sanity) During COVID-19 Telecommuting (Bonus Signature Seminar)
Tuesday, March 24, 2020 - 1:00 - 2:15 pm EST
Featuring - Manar Morales, President & CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance
Featuring - Manar Morales, President & CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance
Whether or not you have a telework policy already in place, there are best practices to follow, both as a supervisor and as a teleworker, when unforeseen circumstances force organization-wide, unscheduled remote work. It’s not always a simple matter of logging in, especially when you may not have been prepared to telework for an unspecified length of time.
The Alliance has always been a proponent of teleworking, and we’re here to share best practices for business continuity, success, and maintaining your well-being during this time. What can managers do to make sure employees have the resources they need to keep workflow seamless? What can employees do to stay engaged and productive? What can we all do to support each other? What are additional telework policy considerations to think about moving forward?
Join us for our special webinar for members where Manar Morales, the Alliance’s President & CEO, will share guidelines on these issues and answer your questions. Although we will be taking questions during the webinar, please feel free to forward any before the webinar (email manar@dfalliance.com) so we make sure we get to everyone.
Transgender Inclusion in the Workplace
Thursday, March 5, 2020 - 1:00 - 2:15 pm EST
Featuring Lily Zheng, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Consultant and author of Gender Ambiguity in the Workplace: Transgender and Gender-Diverse Discrimination (2018) and The Ethical Sellout: Maintaining Your Integrity in the Age of Compromise (2019).
In this Signature Seminar, Lily Zheng will share stories and research findings from Gender Ambiguity in the Workplace, and contextualize them within larger industry and cultural trends. They will offer their suggestions for actionable organizational and individual solutions to end discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression and create inclusive workplaces for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive employees.
Featuring Lily Zheng, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Consultant and author of Gender Ambiguity in the Workplace: Transgender and Gender-Diverse Discrimination (2018) and The Ethical Sellout: Maintaining Your Integrity in the Age of Compromise (2019).
In this Signature Seminar, Lily Zheng will share stories and research findings from Gender Ambiguity in the Workplace, and contextualize them within larger industry and cultural trends. They will offer their suggestions for actionable organizational and individual solutions to end discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression and create inclusive workplaces for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive employees.Research Briefing: Trends from the 2019 Law Firm Flexibility Benchmarking Study
Wednesday, February 26, 2020 – 1:00 – 2:15 pm EST
Featuring Manar Morales, President & CEO, The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance
Manar will provide individuals from all member organizations with insights and in-depth analysis on the results of the 2019 Law Firm Flexibility Benchmarking Study. The presentation will include trends and best practices in flexible working and leave initiatives.
Featuring Manar Morales, President & CEO, The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance
Manar will provide individuals from all member organizations with insights and in-depth analysis on the results of the 2019 Law Firm Flexibility Benchmarking Study. The presentation will include trends and best practices in flexible working and leave initiatives.Develop Your Professional Presence
Thursday, January 9 , 2020 1:00 – 2:00 pm EST
Featuring – Christine Clapp
Whether you’re in a meeting, on the phone, around the proverbial “water cooler,” at a conference, or anywhere else: your ability to speak with confidence will drive your career forward — just as a lack of confidence will frustratingly hold you back. In Develop Your Professional Presence, Spoken with Authority will offer an interactive and consciousness-raising webinar experience. If you participate fully, you will gain a set of powerful insights and practical strategies that will rapidly enhance your professional presence.
Objectives:
Christine Clapp is the author of Presenting at Work: A Guide to Public Speaking in Professional Contexts and the president of Spoken with Authority, a Washington, D.C.-based presentation skills consultancy that explores the intersection of presentation skills and inclusion. Through training programs and coaching engagements, Christine and her team help professionals at law firms, corporations, associations, and non-profit organizations elevate their presence and expand their influence.
Whether you’re in a meeting, on the phone, around the proverbial “water cooler,” at a conference, or anywhere else: your ability to speak with confidence will drive your career forward — just as a lack of confidence will frustratingly hold you back. In Develop Your Professional Presence, Spoken with Authority will offer an interactive and consciousness-raising webinar experience. If you participate fully, you will gain a set of powerful insights and practical strategies that will rapidly enhance your professional presence.- Explore the five elements of professional presence
- Assess your personal strengths and weaknesses
- Identify strategies for leveraging strengths and mitigating weaknesses
Christine will provide complimentary copies of her book to the first ten attendees to complete the webinar evaluation (and provide a mailing address).
Christine Clapp is the author of Presenting at Work: A Guide to Public Speaking in Professional Contexts and the president of Spoken with Authority, a Washington, D.C.-based presentation skills consultancy that explores the intersection of presentation skills and inclusion. Through training programs and coaching engagements, Christine and her team help professionals at law firms, corporations, associations, and non-profit organizations elevate their presence and expand their influence.*Pre-work: Before the webinar, record on your phone or tablet a 60-90 second clip of your response to one of these questions:
- What does flexible work mean to you?
- If you could have all the flexibility in the world, what would it look like and how would it impact your ability to do your job?
You can do this quick exercise with a colleague before the webinar, or you can record yourself. Please speak standing up, record from the waist up, and make sure it's a video (not a still photo or just an audio recording). You do NOT need to watch your recording before the webinar, and you will NEVER be asked to share it with others.
You'll review your recording individually several times during the course of the webinar to raise awareness of your communication behaviors and to start improving them. Bring a pair of earbuds if you'll be watching in a group setting. By doing this exercise ahead of time, you'll ensure a robust learning experience.
Members should register in the Member Resource Center.
2019
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Ending the Silence: Strategies for Ending Workplace Misconduct & Building a Culture of Respect & Inclusion
Tuesday, November 19, 2019, 1:00 – 2:00 pm EST
Featuring – Lauren Stiller Rikleen
When workplace colleagues engage in harassment, bullying, or demeaning behaviors, it can have a profoundly negative impact on the careers of others, affecting employee engagement, productivity, and even mental health. Too often, victims of workplace misconduct fear to report and bystanders also feel helpless and worried about retaliation.
Lauren Stiller Rikleen, author of The Shield of Silence: How Power Perpetuates a Culture of Harassment and Bullying in the Workplace, offers a timely and nuanced analysis of these challenges and describes specific strategies for creating a culture of respect and inclusion. Lauren will discuss how existing workplace structures and dynamics inherently thwart the very result that many policies claim to promote by serving as a protective shield around perpetrators and as a barrier that prevents victims from accessing the system that should offer them protection.
Examples of what you will learn in this program include:
When workplace colleagues engage in harassment, bullying, or demeaning behaviors, it can have a profoundly negative impact on the careers of others, affecting employee engagement, productivity, and even mental health. Too often, victims of workplace misconduct fear to report and bystanders also feel helpless and worried about retaliation.Lauren Stiller Rikleen, author of The Shield of Silence: How Power Perpetuates a Culture of Harassment and Bullying in the Workplace, offers a timely and nuanced analysis of these challenges and describes specific strategies for creating a culture of respect and inclusion. Lauren will discuss how existing workplace structures and dynamics inherently thwart the very result that many policies claim to promote by serving as a protective shield around perpetrators and as a barrier that prevents victims from accessing the system that should offer them protection.- Why sexual harassment is not about sex
- How to protect and empower bystanders
- Why the #MeToo backlash is a decoy
- Strategies to create a respectful and inclusive workplace culture
Lauren’s presentation will also include findings from the survey she conducted in partnership with the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts: Survey of Workplace Conduct and Behaviors in Law Firms.
The recording is available to members in the Member Resource Center.
Creating Your Best Life In & Out of the Office: How Women Can Create Meaningful Goals & Live Without Regrets
Tuesday, September 17, 2019 1:00 – 2:00 pm EST
Featuring – Caroline Miller
Hidden talents. Unused strengths. Unrealized goals. Women are often so busy meeting everyone else’s expectations that their own professional and personal goals get left behind.
Goal setting expert Caroline Adams Miller, author of Getting Grit, inspires women to put their innate strengths to use. She encourages women to become their authentic, ideal selves—not just who they feel they “ought” to be—and provides proven techniques to help them reach their full potential. In this fast-paced, energizing and research-based session, female leaders learn practical steps to create their best self in and out of the office, including how to:
– Identify strengths to increase success.
– Use the new science-based approach to set goals to achieve the best outcomes.
– Develop a supportive “web of influence”—women helping women.
– Build a culture of positive energizers.
– Cultivate a mindset of self-efficacy, resilience, optimism, and grit.
The Role of the Team Leader and Its Effects on the World of Work
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Workplaces are changing at a dizzying pace and with historically low unemployment rates, your talent is looking and leaving! It’s time to look at the role played by the team leaders in a professional services organization on leveraging and driving human motivation. In this discussion, you will learn the insights on the effective practice of management. Whether you are a Partner or a Project Leader this session will also provide you some tools and tactics to deliver an effective employee experience to your team members.
In particular, this workshop will provide you insights on
– Why focus on employee experience;
– What is the impact of team leaders on the organizational outcomes;
– How to effectively bring organizations processes, policies and benefits to life
– What do Team leaders need
– How to deliver on ongoing performance conversations
Vipula Gandhi is Managing Partner at Gallup Inc. She leads business strategy, performance and teams for Financial Services, Professional Services and Healthcare industries for the organization. Vipula is passionate about the human side of an organization. This passion, backed by Gallup’s research on employee engagement, organizational culture, performance management, talent based hiring and strengths-based development, gives her insight into her clients’ business needs and helps them successfully initiate change.
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Tuesday, July 16, 2019 1:00 – 2:00 pm EST
Featuring – Vipula Gandhi, Managing Partner, Gallup “The Role of the Team Leader and Its Effects on the World of Work”
Workplaces are changing at a dizzying pace and with historically low unemployment rates, your talent is looking and leaving! It’s time to look at the role played by the team leaders in a professional services organization on leveraging and driving human motivation. In this discussion, you will learn the insights on the effective practice of management. Whether you are a Partner or a Project Leader this session will also provide you some tools and tactics to deliver an effective employee experience to your team members.
In particular, this workshop will provide you insights on
– Why focus on employee experience;
– What is the impact of team leaders on the organizational outcomes;
– How to effectively bring organizations processes, policies and benefits to life
– What do Team leaders need
– How to deliver on ongoing performance conversations
Vipula Gandhi is Managing Partner at Gallup Inc. She leads business strategy, performance and teams for Financial Services, Professional Services and Healthcare industries for the organization. Vipula is passionate about the human side of an organization. This passion, backed by Gallup’s research on employee engagement, organizational culture, performance management, talent based hiring and strengths-based development, gives her insight into her clients’ business needs and helps them successfully initiate change.
[/av_textblock]Making the Most of Your Business Development Time
Thursday, May 2, 2019, 1:00 – 2:00 pm EST
Featuring – Tasneem Khokha, Managing Director, Growthplay
The Remix: How to Lead and Succeed in the Multigenerational Workplace
Tuesday, February 5, 2019, 1:30 – 2:45 pm EST
Featuring – Lindsey Pollak
Lindsey Pollak is one of the country’s leading experts on the millennial generation and today’s multigenerational workplace. Based on Lindsey Pollak’s new book of the same title, this presentation offers her latest insights into how to lead yourself and your organization in today’s unprecedentedly diverse and ever-changing times. This program is full of cutting-edge research, engaging anecdotes and actionable takeaways. Participants will:
– Receive a thorough understanding of each of the five generations in today’s workplace today – Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, Generation Z – with a special focus on Millennials, the largest generation in today’s organization
– Build a personal toolkit of habits to communicate, build relationships and get more done with colleagues across all generations
– Learn the best practices of organizations and professionals across all industries who are succeeding with colleagues and clients/customers across all generations
How Women Rise
Tuesday, January 22, 2019 1:00-2:15 EST
Featuring — Sally Helgesen, speaker, leadership coach and best-selling author of How Women Rise
*As a reminder, our Signature Seminar Series webinars are free and open to all Alliance organizations and their members as part of your paid member benefits. Any professional currently in a managerial role or looking to advance to a managerial role should attend. For more information, and to subscribe to Signature Seminar Series announcements, contact Eliza Musallam.
2018
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#MeToo: Changing the Discussion and What it Means for Your Organization
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Featuring — Grace Speights, Morgan Lewis
Reports of workplace sexual harassment and sexual assault by high-profile individuals and high-level executives have captured the public’s attention. The #MeToo movement has led to more and more women sharing their experiences and has encouraged employees to speak out. As sexual harassment claims continue to come to light—with sometimes very public consequences—many employers are seeking a more proactive approach to reviewing harassment policies, response plans and practices, and workplace culture, and are taking new approaches to training employees, executives, and boards of directors on their obligations to ensure safe, respectful, and inclusive workplaces. In the current climate, it is prudent for all organizations to assess risk factors and implement measures and policies to minimize risks related to workplace harassment and misconduct. In this session, Grace Speights will share best practices and insight gained from her experience handling some of the most significant workplace harassment issues companies are facing today.
Trends In Parental Leave
November 28, 2018
Featuring — Manar Morales, President & CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance
Is your organization a leader or a follower when it comes to your parental leave and on-ramping policies? In this month’s Signature Seminar, Manar Morales (the Alliance’s President & CEO) will highlight current trends/best practices with parental leave and on-ramping policies with insights from our Law Firm Flexibility Benchmarking Survey. She will discuss innovative ways organizations have been addressing these areas by focusing on:
– Enhancing the business case for expanded and best-in-class parental leave and on-ramping policies;
– Using firm metrics to link these policies to retention, recruitment, satisfaction, and diversity and inclusion;
– Developing, revamping, and implementing these policies by engaging firm leadership and effective communication to your workforce.
How To Future-Proof Your Career
October 30, 2018 Featuring Kelly Hoey, Author of “Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships In A Hyper-Connected World”
The key to finding that new client, coveted promotion, unexpected opportunity or next job (in a role or industry that may not even exist today) rests squarely in the networks you engage with and relationships you choose to build. In this webinar J. Kelly Hoey, Author of Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships In A Hyper-Connected World, contributor to Forbes.com and GOBankingRates.com and (according to Fast Company) is 1 of the 25 Smartest Women On Twitter, shifts our perspective on the act (and art) of networking, dismantles networking misconceptions and provides a network-driven framework for navigating career goals.
Global: Staying Productive in Modern Work Environments
June 21, 2018
Featuring — Paul H. Burton, Founder & Principal, QuietSpacing LLC
Others work while we sleep. That has never been more true than it is today. Technology speeds communications up while response time expectations shrink. Organizations constantly grow, physically and geographically, casting people and projects far and near. The only certainty is that this trend will continue for the foreseeable future.Keeping up with globalism is a daunting prospect. How can we stay abreast without losing sight of the purpose for participating – enjoying rewarding personal and professional lives? What choices do we have and what actions can we take to best serve our clients, our loved ones and ourselves?
This program explores those questions, offering up eighteen suggestions on how to make the most of the time we have in this rapidly expanding playing field. We’ll address the following topics:
– Leveraging Distributed Work Environments. Working with people distributed across differing geographic locations is challenging. Consider these six suggestions on how to leverage this environment.
– Running the Day Productively. Getting the work done is always Priority One. Here are six ways to facilitate that goal.
– Demonstrating Global Leadership. Leadership is a state of mind, regardless of title or position. Here are six ways we can regularly demonstrate leadership on a global basis.
Attending this program you will:
– Gain a clear understanding of how our actions impact the global workplace
– Learn eighteen ways to work better together, get our work done and lead others.
– Use traditional and cloud-based exercise tools to enhance engagement and your understanding of the materials.
The workplace grows more global every day. We can react to that fact or we can lean in and participate. Choose to participate by attending this program.
How to Navigate Conflict and Build Stronger Relationships at Work
April 17, 2018
Featuring – Amy Gallo, Contributing Editor, Harvard Business Review, and author of the HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict
Every day at work we navigate competing interests, clashing personalities, and fragile egos. We want strong relationships with clients, coworkers, and employees but that’s not always easy, especially when time is tight and resources are limited. So how can you deal with disagreements in a professional and productive way, that improves both your work and your relationships? In this webinar, Amy Gallo, contributing editor at Harvard Business Review and author of HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict, combines management research and practical insights to provide a straightforward process for navigating uncomfortable situations. You’ll learn how to identify the most common sources of conflict, assess your relationships, prepare for and engage in difficult conversations, advocate for yourself and your team, manage your emotions, and develop a collaborative resolution.
Every day at work we navigate competing interests, clashing personalities, and fragile egos. We want strong relationships with clients, coworkers, and employees but that’s not always easy, especially when time is tight and resources are limited. So how can you deal with disagreements in a professional and productive way, that improves both your work and your relationships? In this webinar, Amy Gallo, contributing editor at Harvard Business Review and author of HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict, combines management research and practical insights to provide a straightforward process for navigating uncomfortable situations. You’ll learn how to identify the most common sources of conflict, assess your relationships, prepare for and engage in difficult conversations, advocate for yourself and your team, manage your emotions, and develop a collaborative resolution.
Leadership Lessons from Top Executive Women
Thursday, February 15, 2018 – 1:00 pm Eastern
Featuring – Joann Lublin, Author of Earning It: Hard-Won Lessons From Trailblazing Women at the Top of the Business World and Management News Editor, The Wall Street Journal
Joann Lublin kicked off our 2018 Signature Seminar Series with highlights and lessons learned from interviews from her acclaimed book.
2017
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C4Ward to Move Forward
November 8, 2017
Featuring – Verna Myers, Founder and Chief Cultural Innovator, The Verna Myers Group
Our society is at a crossroads. Political views, race, class, gender, and geography are dividing us more than ever. We are pulling back from one another, drawing the idea of family and community too small, clinging to people who are “like” us, and being afraid of, or angry with, the “other.” But separation and retrenchment are not the way forward. We cannot get discouraged, paralyzed or distraught in a time of dissension. To overcome the epidemic of hatred, bigotry, and oppression, we need to expand and reimagine a more inclusive community and society. We each need to stand up and act – we need to commit to reaching across our differences instead of giving in to isolation, fear, and hostility.
In this compelling talk, Verna shares her vision of how we can all move forward, using her four Cs of progress – Cultural Curiosity, Compassion, Consciousness, and Courage. Participants will leave energized and with practical tools for connecting in small and large ways to people who are different.
When Cultural Fit Is Ruining Your Diversity & Recruitment Efforts
October 17, 2017
Featuring – Dr. Lauren Rivera (Kellogg School of Management), author of Pedigree: How Elite Students Get Elite Jobs
Dr. Lauren Rivera, Associate Professor of Management & Organizations at Kellogg School of Management, started this session by presenting research from her book, Pedigree: How Elite Students Get Elite Jobs, which examines class bias in hiring in top-tier law firms, investment banks and management consulting firms. Attendees explored how the use of on-campus recruiting and cultural fit in hiring can simultaneously prevent professional service firms from diversifying and result in sub-optimal hiring decisions.
Does Your Talk Match Your Walk? How to Communicate Like a Leader
September 2017
Featuring – Rachael Bosch, Managing Director of Fringe PD
For those of us in leadership roles, communicating to those who work for and around us is critical to achieving our individual and organizational goals. We know that communication has a significant impact on our brain behavior and therefore our productivity. And yet, many leaders have not been able to take the time needed to craft their communication style and delivery to increase this productivity for their teams. This webinar began with that process. We discussed the very fundamentals of how our brains react to language and communications styles as well as provided resources and tools for you to take back and use in real-time with your colleagues.
Rachael Bosch, Managing Director of Fringe Professional Development, is an advocate for innovative and organizational professional development and founded Fringe PD to bring coaching and training to professionals across disciplines and experience levels. She has spent more than a decade in legal talent management and has a background in theatrical performance and vocalization. She uses this experience, as well as a brain-based coaching certification through the NeuroLeadership Institute, to develop and deliver training programs on the topics of executive presence, management and leadership, communication skills, and goal pursuit.
Ladder Down: Success Strategies For Lawyers From Women Who Will Be Hiring, Reviewing, and Promoting You
June 2017
Featuring — Lauren Stiller Rikleen, President, Rikleen Institute for Strategic Leadership
Today, the path to success is harder than ever. Excellence at one’s craft is simply a baseline. Lawyers also face the challenges of maintaining and bringing in new clients, undertaking organizational leadership roles, participating in professional associations, and engaging in one’s community. Each of these challenges can represent either tremendous opportunity or overwhelming stress. The goal is to meet these challenges with a sense of excitement at what the future holds.
Lauren Stiller Rikleen (author of, You Raised Us, Now Work with Us) discusses strategies and highlights from her newest book and research, Ladder Down: Success Strategies for Lawyers from Women Who Will be Hiring, Reviewing, and Promoting You. Through the advice collected from successful women practitioners around the world and shared in her book, Lauren will discuss strategies to help you re-energize and reclaim your career path. (You can purchase Lauren’s newest book HERE.)
Wait! Why You Procrastinate & What You Can Do About It
April 2017
Featuring — Paul H. Burton, Founder & Principal, QuietSpacing LLC
Do you procrastinate? Ninety-five percent of us do. That’s right – 95%. Procrastination is one of the most common self-destructive behaviors we exhibit. Procrastination is the result of favoring short-term relief over long-term gain. It reduces our productivity, causes us stress, and contributes to interpersonal and professional conflict. The good news is that procrastination is relatively easy to overcome.
Paul Burton will engage and entertain attendees, teach us why we procrastinate, and what we can do to reduce those behaviors. This Signature Seminar will use a quiz-based format focused on three categories – Fun Facts, Education, and Techniques – to help participants understand the roots of procrastination and how to overcome it through:
– Fun facts of procrastination – entertaining and interesting things that keep our perspective regarding how hard it is to be productive all the time.
– Educational aspects of why we procrastinate – the neurological, biological, and psychological reasons we procrastinate.
– Techniques to overcome procrastination – a host of ways to procrastinate less, get more done, and enjoy greater personal and professional satisfaction.
Creating A Road Map For A Holistic Flex Policy
February 2017
A successful flexible work program requires strong buy-in, thoughtful implementation, and regular monitoring. It also needs to be adaptable – evolving with the organization as the employees’ needs and clients change. While many professional service organizations have flexibility policies on the books, providing flexible work options without stigma remains a challenge. There has to be a clear understanding of why flexibility is a business imperative and how to make it work for all parties. Whether your organization needs to create a flexibility program from scratch, expand its existing program, or pinpoint issues within the current program, Manar Morales, the Alliance’s President & CEO, will discuss and guide members through a road map for developing and supporting a successful flexible work program to achieve your organization’s flex objectives.
2016
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Creating A Game Plan For Business Development
December 2016
Featuring — Tasneem Goodman, Managing Director, Akina (A GrowthPlay Company)
Most professionals know that preparation, planning, and strategy are critical to achieving success in developing business. Yet many end up winging it because they are pressed for time, uncomfortable, or lack simple and practical tools for planning.
This seminar will cover what skills and tools professionals need to be more effective in their business development efforts and how they can approach business development with the intentionality and discipline that produce results.
In particular, this seminar will equip participants to:
– Understand the framework and underlying principles of business development
– Identify their potential clients and most important internal and external stakeholders
– Create a business development roadmap that supports creating opportunity over time
Making It Work: Attorneys Putting Flex Success™ in Action!
November 2016
Featuring — Beth Dickstein, Partner, Sidley Austin LLP; Kelly Hughes, Shareholder & Co-Chair of the Flexibility/Awareness Subcommittee, Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. ; Erik Lemmon, Associate, Holland & Hart LLP; and Charise Naifeh, Associate, White & Case LLP
Join us for our November Signature Seminar Series teleconference and hear from previous Spotlight on Flex interviewees and Flex Success™ Award Honorees on how they are exemplifying Flex Success™ to achieve both personal and professional success. Our speakers will share their stories on how they have fully utilized their firm’s flex policies and showcase how men and women make Flex Success™ possible at all career stages!
Orchestrate: Four Productivity Skills Every Manager Needs
September 2016
Featuring — Paul H. Burton, Founder & Principal, QuietSpacing LLC
Managing cases, deals, and other people are vital skills mid-level people must develop. Yet, there are scant legal-focused resources available to help them build that skill set. Productive managers focus the right people on the right efforts to deliver top-quality work to clients in a timely manner. Mid-level managers can repeatedly achieve that result if a strong foundation is established first. Join us for September’s Signature Seminar with Paul Burton as he provides immediate, actionable suggestions around these four quadrants – consideration, collaboration, communication, and coordination – so anyone can orchestrate and control their time management skills. Participants will learn to: see the connection between larger goals and how things get done; effectively connect and engage those with whom you work; diplomatically manage up and manage down; and navigate the important landscape of middle management.
Using Flexibility to Recruit Your Next Generation of Superstars
June 2016
Featuring — Kori Carew, Director of Strategic Diversity Initiatives, Shook, Hardy & Bacon & Kia Scipio, Associate Director, Georgetown University Law Center
We all know students are vying for jobs, but employers are just as competitive with each other to recruit top talent. The needs and wants of this generation are vastly different than the typical recruit 5-10 years ago. Research shows flexibility is a key consideration when students and lawyers are choosing their firms (and when they are deciding to leave). If you don’t have a flex policy, you are missing an easy, effective, and inexpensive way to recruit great lawyers. If you do have a flex policy, how is it being messaged and translated during the recruitment process (if at all)? For CSO’s, how do you counsel students on navigating flexibility without stigma from a potential employer? Hear from both perspectives of the recruitment process and learn how to use flexibility to recruit and retain your next generation of superstars!
Investing In Your Success: Preparing Yourself For Sponsorship
April 2016
Featuring — Ritu Bhasin, LL.B., MBA, Principal & Founder, bhasin consulting inc.
Are you ready to be sponsored and be a sponsor? Sponsorship is a highly effective approach to advancing career development. It’s more than just mentoring or a passive relationship – it’s an investment relationship that requires winning the confidence of others and building and sustaining relationship capital. In this session, global inclusion specialist Ritu Bhasin will discuss key strategies and tools for becoming “sponsor-ready” from the individual and organizational perspectives.
More Women Need Seats at the Table
February 2016
Featuring — Roberta D. Liebenberg, Senior Partner, Fine, Kaplan and Black, R.P.C., Justice Fernande Duffly, Associate Justice, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and Beth Kaufman, Partner, Schoeman, Updike & Kaufman LLP
Roberta D. Liebenberg, co-author of the new ABA Report, First Chairs at Trial: More Women Need Seats at the Table, along with Justice Fernande Duffly and Beth Kaufman, will highlight the report’s findings, lead the discussion on why more women litigators need a seat at the trial table, and how women can get there. Each of the presenters will highlight their own experiences (both in front of and behind the bench) and provide recommendations on how to start closing the gender gap in the courtroom.
2015
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Saying No to Others and Saying Yes to Yourself
December 2015
Featuring – Sara Holtz, Founder & CEO, ClientFocus
There’s no doubt that business development is a key to success. But how do we avoid the pitfalls of over-extending, over-exhausting, and over-committing ourselves to things all in the name of business development? Learning to say no is just as important to your personal and professional success. Listen as Sara Holtz, Founder & CEO of ClientFocus and author of Bringin’ in the Rain, guides us through the art of saying no to take back control of what really matters and enhances our careers.
Pitching Success: Six Ways to Guarantee Your Pitch Cuts Through the Clutter
November 2015
Featuring – Suzanne Franchetti, President, Franchetti Communications
You have only a few moments to capture someone’s attention…How do you reduce the risk of being just another distraction? Effective pitching is directly related to your bottom line. Suzanne Franchetti will lead participants through the Six Ways to Guarantee Your Pitch Cuts Through the Clutter. This process, specifically designed for legal and professional services audiences, will provide the missing links to your presentation and media communication efforts. Whether you’re speaking to one person in an informal meeting, a large crowd at an industry event, or preparing to speak with the news media – partners, associates, and corporate legal teams will benefit from these messaging strategies.
Creating Women’s Initiatives with IMPACT
September 2015
Featuring – Kit Chaskin, Partner and Global Director of the Women’s Initiative Network, Reed Smith and Sally Olson, Chief Diversity Officer, Sidley Austin
Are your women’s initiatives waning? Are the majority of your regrettable losses female attorneys? Good intentions don’t always equal positive results, but action is needed. Kit and Sally will discuss their firms’ successes with creating women’s initiatives with IMPACT! Manar Morales of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance will also discuss best practices with leading change through your initiatives. Learn how to overcome the organizational challenges when creating and sustaining a successful women’s initiative and retain your top talent!
Done! Time Management Strategies For Regaining Command Of Your Day
June 2015
Featuring – Paul H. Burton, Founder & Principal, QuietSpacing LLC
In this age of hyper-connectedness, the world seems to spin faster and faster. No matter how hard or long we work, we often finish the day right where we started. Paul will delve into best practices for staying focused, getting more done, and enjoying greater personal and professional satisfaction and will give straightforward guidance to put you back in charge of your work and success. Using any or all of the principles discussed, participants can gain six plus minutes of productivity a day which adds up to twenty-four hours of additional productivity a year. That’s three days of work off your desk!
Covering Continued: Updates on Data from Within US Law Firms
April 2015
Featuring — Kenji Yoshino, Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law, NYU School of Law
Drawing on Professor Yoshino’s award-winning book, “Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights,” this seminar will address the phenomenon of covering — the strategy of downplaying outsider attributes to blend into the mainstream. While his previous presentation (at the Alliance’s 2014 Annual Conference) focused on covering in the Fortune 500, this update will examine data gathered specifically from law firms. Professor Yoshino will discuss the incidence and costs of covering for individuals and law firms and explore possible solutions.
Onwards & Upwards: Building a Successful On-Ramping Program
February 2015
Featuring — Laura Acosta, firm-wide Manager of Diversity and Professional Development, Goodwin Procter LLP and Kristen Page, Partner and Flex Policy Advisor, Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP
On-ramping is one of the best ways to retain talented lawyers. It’s also inexpensive, measurably effective, and helps attorneys transition smoothly back from 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 the support they need to successfully ramp back up to their full practice levels. Laura and Kristen will share how their firms have successfully implemented on-ramping policies and how to start them in your organizations.
2014
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How to Write a Business Plan for Partners: Four Questions to Address
December 2014
Featuring — Sara Holtz, Founder & CEO, ClientFocus
Business development skills don’t stop once an attorney makes partner – if anything, these skills are even more essential at this level. Sara will lead participants through the essential questions partners need to ask as they map out their business development plan for the new year.
Top 10 Rainmaker Best Practices for Associates
November 2014
Featuring — Tasneem Goodman, Partner, Akina Corporation
Market conditions have brought the legal profession to the realization that success in a law firm depends, at least in part, on all attorneys’ — including associates — ability to develop business. Business development skills cannot magically be switched on once an attorney reaches partnership. Just as associates’ and their firms’ expectations have changed around business development, both parties have a role to play in advancing the skills they need to become successful rainmakers.
Tasneem will share the fundamentals of business development, as well as the individual strategies associates can use and organizational solutions firms can implement to sow the seeds for rainmaking.
Self-Advocacy & Your Negotiation Plan: Praising Yourself to Inspire Others
September 2014
Featuring — Victoria Pynchon, Co-Founder, She Negotiates, LLC
It’s review time…are you ready? Do you know how to be a self advocate or are you relying on someone else to advocate on your behalf? Think again – be ready to learn, advance, and market yourself to supervisors, management, and partners by starting to think “it’s about me!” as you write your glory statement or negotiation plan.
Victoria will teach participants how to prepare for their career advancement through strategic self advocacy and negotiations.
Mindset, Grit & Resilience: Positive Change for Positive Results
July 2014
Featuring — Milana Hogan, Director of Recruiting & Professional Development, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
Highlighting her extensive research and work showcased through the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession’s Grit Project, Milana will teach the science behind mindset, grit and resilience – and more importantly, how these common traits are integral in the careers of successful women lawyers. Participants will be provided with the tools to access and implement these traits and learn how to enhance the active retention and promotion of women in the profession.
Working Well: Connecting Wellness to Work-Life Control
May 2014
Featuring — Mark Goldberg, Global Wellness Manager, Latham & Watkins LLP and Carol Vitelli, Manager of Wellness Programs, White & Case LLP
There is growing attention to wellness programs and the importance they play in building resilience, decreasing absenteeism, and increasing morale. But wellness is also an essential tool to achieving work-life control just as work-life control is essential to your overall well-being. Making this connection successful is critical in the legal environment where stress, poor eating habits, and a stationary lifestyle are pervasive.
Mark and Carol will discuss the fundamental connections between wellness and work-life control by highlighting the business case and the strategy, implementation, and marketing processes of wellness programs as part of our collective efforts to realizing a happy, healthy, positive, and flexible workforce.
Leveraging Social Capital
February 2014
Featuring — Robert Nelson, Director, American Bar Foundation and Ellen Ostrow, Founding Principal, Lawyers Life Coach LLP
Social capital is not just your network; it’s the by-product of your efforts to contribute to the success of others. In general, majority groups tend to have more social capital due to the ease of developing networks, while women and diverse attorneys are often excluded from these powerful circles.
Robert and Ellen will highlight ways women and diverse attorneys can strategically forge relationships with powerful allies via reciprocity and social capital and provide the latest research on how attorneys in the minority are (or are not) leveraging their social capital and the statistical effects of this on the legal profession.
2013
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Looking Ahead: Your Business Development Plan for 2014
December 2013
Featuring — Sara Holtz, Founder & CEO, ClientFocus
Sara is a noted business development coach for women lawyers and the author of “Bringin’ in the Rain: A Women Lawyer’s Guide to Business Development.” She will discuss the eight steps you need to take to develop a concrete action plan to grow your practice and career in 2014.
What If I Say the Wrong Thing? An Open Conversation with Verna Myers
November 2013
Featuring — Verna Myers, Founder & President, Verna Myers Consulting Group (VMCG)
Verna will educate, engage, and entertain participants with an open and honest conversation about the difficult talks we all have had (or need to have) with co-workers, management, and people we meet in life.
How Women Can Be Sponsor Ready
November 2013
Featuring — Ritu Bhasin, Principal & Founder, bhasin consulting inc.
Ritu will discuss key strategies and tools for becoming “sponsor-ready” from the individual and organizational perspectives.
Demystifying Generational Differences
July 2013
Featuring — Lauren Stiller Rikleen, President, Rikleen Institute for Strategic Leadership
The Millennial generation is entering the workplace in increasing numbers, and many senior leaders are experiencing the challenges of managing a multi-generational workforce. Lauren will present findings from her research (and upcoming book) on Millennials, dispelling many of the myths surrounding this generation and providing practical advice for strengthening intergenerational relationships.
Effective Management for Flex Success™: Supervising Flexible Work Lawyers
February 2013
Featuring — Cynthia Thomas Calvert, Principal, Workforce 21C & Senior Advisor, Diversity & Flexibility Alliance
The success of flexible work programs depends on the partners supervising the lawyers who are working flexibly. Manage well and the firm prospers; make too many mistakes and costs rise, productivity tanks, and clients complain. Cynthia will discuss of best practices for supervising lawyers who work nontraditional schedules. Learn the three keys to effective management of flex workers, and the worst mistake that supervisors can make. Throughout the presentation, Cynthia will provide tips to make your work life easier as you manage flex lawyers.
2012
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The Next Level of Intelligence and Strategies for the Advancement of Women in Law
December 2012
Featuring — Dr. Arin Reeves, President,Nextions
Although the commitment to advancing women in the legal professional has increased considerably over the last decade, the progress we have actually achieved has not kept up with the commitment. Research shows that the efforts undertaken to advance as far as we have are not the same efforts that will allow us to advance to the next level. This seminar will explore how we can use the new intelligence available to us to get to the next level of women’s advancement.
Organizational Solutions for Successful On-Ramping
September 2012
Law firms and legal departments have been putting together targeted “on-ramping” or “phase back” programs to help their attorneys transition smoothly on and off of leave. The programs have been well-received by lawyers and are proving to stem unwanted attrition, especially of new parents. During this seminar, three Alliance member firms who have launched, managed, and measured on-ramping programs will share best practices for starting or building upon your organization’s own program.
Asking for What You Need to Succeed in Business Development
June 2012
Featuring — Sara Holtz, Founder & CEO, ClientFocus
Sara will lead participants through an in-depth discussion of the eight step process necessary for creating a successful business development plan.