Once You’ve Defined Your Success, It’s Time to Own Your Value

This is the second in a series of seven blog posts featuring advice on our Seven Strategies for Flex Success™. Check back as we walk you through the seven steps that will guarantee your success while working flexibly: Define Your Success; Own Your Value; Activate Your Mindset; Create A Strong Personal Brand; Build Your Networks; Expand Your Ideas on Business Development; and Enhance Your Work-Life Control.

You’ve now clearly mapped out your plan for working flexibly and reaching your one, three, and five-year professional and personal goals. The second step in our Seven Strategies for Flex Success™ involves truly understanding what you bring to the table and then capitalizing on it. It’s all about self-reflection and self-esteem.

Over the years we’ve asked attorneys about their roads to flex success. “Even if you don’t feel confident, you have to exude confidence,” said one attorney. The best way to feel confident is by knowing your strengths and identifying what makes you unique. It’s important to find ways to incorporate these assets and skills into everything you do. This is the value-add that will make you a go-to resource for your internal and external clients, and it’s the lever to exercise greater choice, including flexibility in your schedule.

As one attorney working flex advised, “Differentiating yourself is critical if you’re hoping to take advantage of a flexible schedule. Once you earn the reputation as a hard worker who produces high quality work, people will want you on their team no matter what your schedule is.”

Owning your value also means being selective when agreeing to assignments and maintaining a client and project base that best showcases your skills and strengths. “I worked with my Practice Group Leaders to make sure I was staffed on projects that would expand my skills set and not just do ‘leftover’ work,” one Partner recalled.

Additionally, it’s important to build on these strengths and ensure that you are continuously adding to your skills to earn the trust and support of your supervisors and co-workers. By developing an area of expertise that’s in demand you are able to make yourself uniquely valuable to the firm and clients. As one Partner put it, “If you prove to be invaluable, then your schedule won’t matter to anyone – partners and clients will want you on their team, and they will accommodate your need for flexibility.”

Contact us for more information about our Seven Strategies for Flex Success™.