April has been busy with industry conferences. ALA, NALP, and LMA all held their annual conferences this month. My LinkedIn feed has been filled with smiling faces of colleagues reconnecting.
Seeing these photos reminded me of a fundamental question: Why is it so vital to nurture these professional relationships?
Because when change happens, and it is happening at a staggering pace, our industry colleagues help us make sense of the chaos.
It helps when we hear industry experts confirm that what we are feeling is not just us. It helps when we speak to a former coworker, and they share insights on how to survive a merger. It helps when we speak to a recruiter who knows our world and guides us on how to make a successful job change.
We feel safer when we know we aren’t navigating these challenges alone.
Last week, I presented at the Mid-level Associates’ Academy for Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. Walking toward their offices, I had a striking realization: every institution I worked for before launching my own firm 30 years ago has transformed or disappeared. From European American Bank and Lehman Brothers to Schulte Roth & Zabel, which merged into McDermott last year, the landscape has shifted. Even Cadwalader, the oldest law firm in New York, will merge with Hogan Lovells on July 1st.
Change is the only constant. Firms may evolve or disappear, but the relationships we build within them remain.
I urge you to nurture your network whether that’s former supervisors, attorneys you worked closely with, or peers long before you “need” them.
Could this be the right time to:
• Reach out to a former supervisor just to check in
• Collaborate with a mentor on a speaking proposal for next year’s conferences
• Write a thoughtful LinkedIn recommendation for a former boss
• Refer a colleague to a new opportunity
• Nominate someone you admire for an industry award
• Celebrate a peer’s personal or professional milestone with a quick note
There is so much in the current work world we cannot control but maintaining strong and trusted professional relationships is something we can!