Posted on July 25, 2008 by David Cowen

Managing Up, Up, and Away!

We’re instilled with the belief early on that we can accomplish anything as long as we work hard, work long, and work to deadline. However, in this more service-oriented work environment, understanding and incorporating the thought processes of those above you is just as important to the future of your career your own production.

If you are one of our clients or candidates you have heard this from us on an ongoing basis. Relationships are the fuel powering every day transactions. Developing alliances throughout your firm, not just your direct departmental contacts, will provide you the support you need to learn and master the political climate that you’ll navigate. But the most powerful and influential compatriot to have on your side is your boss. By understanding your boss’s point of view, as well as assimilating it into your style, you are signaling to them that you’re ready for advancement. What will come across is that you have the ability to think and strategize beyond your current position.

This is the process of Managing Up.   

Here are some helpful questions you can ask yourself to assist yourself into isolating what exactly is imperative to your boss:

  • What details does your boss pay attention to first and foremost?
  • What is expected from the people in positions you want to move into?
  • What questions do they ask of their direct reports and why?
  • What is their leadership style and how do they make decisions?
  • By which methods do they prefer to be informed of status updates (email, phone, in-person, etc.)?
  • How does your boss’ management style differ from yours? And what can you utilize in your own dealings?

The last query is the most critical. The real test to pass for the promotion you desire is if you are flexible and perceptive enough to adapt to your boss’ needs. What is important here is to remember that it is your job to develop a relationship with your boss, not the other way around, while demonstrating to them that you have the ability to function at a higher level...

…their level!  

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Posted on June 26, 2006 by David Cowen

What, How & Why: The Keys to Your Success

The number of people employed in Litigation Support has grown 400% in the past year, and the demand for talent continues to accelerate, both in number and in professional quality. So you can’t sit back and complain that no one is training you. You must be an active participant in the development of your department -- and your career.

Where once titles and salaries were handed to people simply because they could understand the evolving technologies, now seismic shifts in the needs of major firms have raised requirements. Premium new hires now must understand technology methodology too. The tectonic movement to fill higher level positions is producing demand for staffers that have a firm grasp of the process-- the "What, How & Why" behind E-discovery and Litigation Support.

This is where you can separate yourself from the throngs of new analysts, specialists, and project managers flooding the Litigation Support space. Understand the process, and you'll be sitting in the driver's seat of your career, with the keys to your success in hand.

Here, for example, is an article on how to limit the scope of discovery. This is the kind of outside information that you can pass on to the attorneys above you, even though initially they may resist you. If you are able to draw connections between that article and the attorneys' cases at hand -- ie, between what you can offer in Litigation Support, and its specific benefit to their cases -- you will prove yourself to be "mission-critical" to the success of those cases, to client billing and, ultimately, to the firm.

So be proactive about the process. Develop and nurture lines of communication among all departments that rely on Litigation Support.

When gray areas arise, ask questions. Keep up on industry developments outside of your office. Develop your own knowledge base and your professional credibility, and take a leadership role. Get in the driver's seat. Because the "What, How & Why" are the Keys to your Success!
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