Professional One-on-One Coaching
How to Ensure the Success of New Associates

Crain’s Chicago Business recently had a special report on law firms regarding training and guidance to its young associates.

The report listed the average law school graduate’s pay as $125,000 per year—a sizeable investment on the part of the hiring firm. And yet, these young attorneys are unprepared by school for real-world lawyering. They are required to work long hours and can easily become frustrated and burned out. And, as the article states, some simply bail out completely.

The article went on to say “the departure of associates can cost firms an average of $200,000 to $300,000 in invested time and training.” Some law firms are turning to full-time professional development directors (with pay ranging from $100,000 to $175,000 per year--plus benefits!) in an attempt to identify and provide the skills and knowledge that new associates need.

Wolf Management works with law firms of all sizes to offer coaching services in such areas as time management, interpersonal skills, dealing with deadlines, client relationships and development, performing under pressure, communication skills, writing skills, work-life balance--all the skills necessary to ensure that young associates succeed faster and better!

Our professional coaches help your new associates enhance their respective capabilities and development as a lawyer.

One-on-one coaching has a Return on Investment (ROI) of almost six times in a very short period of time.

We work with your young associates to develop the skills to be a contributing factor to the firm. You compete for the best and brightest – we help make sure they stay and prosper with your firm for a lot less then $175,000 per year!

A quality coaching relationship will encourage appropriate behavior change. Such change occurs when the following are present:

1. Awareness and ownership of the need for change
2. Action taken to effect change
3. Repeated action and practice in real-world situations
4. Feedback that is trusted and accurate
5. Time for new habits to develop
6. Skilled coaching in recognizing competing values and commitments as well as underlying assumptions and governing variables to mental models

WMC’s coaches help young associates to develop skills of self-observation, self-awareness, self-responsibility and self-mastery. These skills allow the associates to continue to grow long after the coaching relationship ends.

Good coaches provide thought-provoking questions, personal exercises and assignments to help the associates maximize their unique gifts and talents. Coaching develops extraordinary attorneys. Extraordinary attorneys produce extraordinary business results.