Three Answers That Hurt Interviews for Junior Candidates

By: Shannan Buckley  We’ve had an influx of junior roles this year, which has meant I’ve gotten to speak with a lot of really impressive new grads and early-career professionals. During these calls, I’ve noticed a few weak answers that keep popping up with even the strongest of candidates. “I’m really good with people!” I … Continued

Who’s Taking Care of the Caretakers?

This month I’ve had conversations with heads of Well-being, Professional Development, DEI, Recruiting and HR that have all echoed the same theme. What I’m hearing is that the professionals in law firms that have been looking after the lawyers (and others) for the past 2+ years are burnt out. I am deeply concerned because these are … Continued

Are Your Team Members Prepared for In-Person Collaboration?

My commuter train to the city is the most crowded than I’ve seen it since COVID struck. Although I’ve commuted daily on this train for 20 years, it feels a bit unfamiliar.  I think we’ve all changed in response to our new work situations.  I’m concerned that our communication and collaboration skills have atrophied over … Continued

Back to School

It’s back to school time and we ALL need to keep learning so we have more to offer our firms, clients, and colleagues.  I’ve had an amazing summer conducting 18 training programs on Myers-Briggs & Team-building, Time Management, Well-being, and Interviewer Training. I love being a teacher and sharing my knowledge to help others lead … Continued

Are Your New Associates Prepared for Success?

There’s a theme to the conversations I’ve been having with heads of recruitment, PD and with law firm coaches. What they’ve been sharing with me is that many of the junior associates hired during the pandemic are really struggling with being proactive, asking for work, and feedback. Although these are issues that have come up … Continued

How to Master Uncertainty

As I reflect on our two-year pandemic, I realize that managing my fear-generating mind is critical to not just surviving, but thriving.  I manage my mind by asking it to help me be of service instead of defaulting to its problem-finding ways. I ask, “What do others need in these uncertain times and how can … Continued

Who You Are Spending Time With Matters!

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” I’ve been contemplating this quote a lot recently. This summer we’ve finally been in person with lots of friends, clients, and family. After spending time at some of these get-togethers, I feel energized and inspired. Others leave me drained, and even sad. As I reflect … Continued

Goal Setting for the Second Half of 2022

How can it be that half of 2022 is over? Are there any goals that you want to focus on for the second half of this year? When I was doing a training last week at Wiley (in their magnificent new offices) for their HR and Talent team, many of the participants mentioned well-being as something … Continued

How to Get That Dreaded Thing Done!

What work are you dreading doing this week? Overcoming procrastination is something that comes up in every time management training I present. I want to offer you some practical tips and tools for getting the important things you’ve been avoiding done, and a deeper understanding for why we procrastinate.  First, I want to dispel that myth … Continued

Why Vulnerability Is a Superpower

Today I’m giving a talk on Why Vulnerability Is a Superpower at this year’s #EmpoweredWomen event in Chicago. Although I’ve presented hundreds of times, this talk is hard. Sharing my personal story feels very vulnerable! My main messages include: Why we need to train ourselves to associate vulnerability with opportunity How often our biggest obstacles to success … Continued