Legal Current

Is age diversity causing a disconnect between you or your colleagues and your clients? In tough times firms scrutinize many significant aspects of practice they (unfortunately) overlook in better times. The impact of generational differences should be prominently on that list of items.

Firms have felt tensions among the different generations in the workplace for a while – and typically have done little to achieve better harmony beyond sending HR, professional development, and marketing professionals to seminars and conferences to learn about the differences. But when it affects client relationships, then it gets attention!

In this time of urgent need to hold on to all profitable clients, waiting for complaints in not an option. That’s too late and a competitor will win them away. The savvier and safer route is to anticipate potential problems and develop strategies and training to avoid problematic situations from arising.

What, generationally speaking, do firms and individual lawyers need to look at in order to develop and maintain the best client/counsel relationships? Here are a few things to consider:

• Are your client teams multi-generational, and is there an effort to make sure relationships are built at every level of seniority?

• Have tensions or difficulties arisen that could be traced to generational differences and world views? For example, are communication styles and media used causing friction between counsel and client? Are there different views on accessibility and flexibility? On the level of formality the client is comfortable with?

• How and how often is reporting done and feedback given?

• Do younger attorney understand the importance of interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence to client confidence, loyalty and trust?

• Are older attorneys making an effort to stretch their comfort level with younger clients’ use of technology as an extension of themselves? Are they using social networking tools with their clients?

Age diversity is a key component of the diversity puzzle. Understanding how to capitalize on it rather than be encumbered with negative energy from generational differences that can fairly easily be resolved will give a boost and competitive edge to your practice.

Phyllis Weiss Haserot

Editor’s note: Phyllis Weiss Haserot will lead a webcast titled Communicating and Working with Clients of a Different Generation on Thursday, July 30 at 12:30 p.m. EDT on West LegalEdCenter.

She is the president of Practice Development Counsel, consulting and coaching, an inter-generational relations expert and West Key Author of The Rainmaking Machine and The Marketer’s Handbook of Tips and Checklists. For more information, visit her website, pdcounsel.com, or her blog, Next Generation, Next Destination.