‘Mission driven’ learning & development: beyond technical skills
Mary wears many hats at the fictitious law firm of Smith & Same, a mid-sized law firm located in the mid-sized city of Anywhere, New Zealand. She’s been at the firm for 15 years doing administration, HR and organising learning and development programmes for the lawyers.
Bill Same, the firm’s managing partner, and Mary were reviewing Smith & Same’s learning and development (L&D) curriculum for the coming year following the
partners’ discussion about how to enhance the firm’s culture. In my last LawTalk article “Law Office Culture; What It Is and Why It Matters” (in the 11 September 2015 issue), the Smith & Same partners decided the firm needed to increase its pro!tability consistent with maintaining its uniquely collegial and collaborative culture.
&is is the firm’s new “mission”. Bill and Mary were interested in how to develop an L&D programme that would assist the firm in achieving this outcome.
Over the years, Mary has planned programmes to address the firm’s professional training needs, including improving legal research/writing skills and arranging for
lawyers to attend external seminars on topics relevant to their practice areas.