When I first left my law practice and started coaching lawyers, one firm that hired me selected the lawyers for the coaching program by asking the practice group leaders and office managing partners which of their lawyers NEEDED coaching. It is hard to imagine a worse way to select lawyers for client development coaching. If your firm is contemplating a program, do not select lawyers who:
Prefer to work on matters for other lawyers’ clients- Are content with where they are in their career and life
- Believe they have nothing left to learn
- Do not want to create a plan with goals
- Wonder why they let their dad talk them into going to law school
- Hate writing, speaking and getting out and meeting new people
- Do not want to spend more than their billable time on their career
- Spend more time planning their vacation than planning their career
- Do not care to learn about their clients’ industry or company
- Are not really interested in building personal relationships with their clients
The lawyers who have been superstars in client development coaching need coaching the least. Those lawyers put the most into it and get the most out of it.