Media & Communications Corner: A Profile of Terri Mottershead, Director of Professional Development, DLA Piper

Editor's Note: With this column we say goodbye to Jaffe Associates. Over the last 3 1/2 years, “Team Jaffe,” led by my good friend and colleague, Jay Jaffe, has provided our readership with outstanding reporting on all things media and communications. Thank you, Jay and thank you to your wonderful team of experts. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't say a special thanks to Liz Lindley for shepherding this column.

Beginning in January, Infinite PR will be at the helm. We welcome them. A profile of Infinite will appear in the January issue ' Elizabeth Anne “Betiayn“ Tursi

When DLA Piper had an opening for a Director of Professional Development just five months ago, Terri Mottershead jumped at the opportunity. “The firm's long-term commitment to and investment in the career development of its associates and partners made the decision to join the firm easy and exciting,” she explained. Since joining, Mottershead has worked to significantly expand the firm's professional development program to serve as a resource not only to the firm's attorneys, but also to its clients.

Passion for Changing People's Lives ' Not Just for the Lawyers, But for the Clients Too

Mottershead holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, both from the Queensland Institute of Technology in Australia, as well as a Master of Laws from the University of Queensland in Australia, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wales. Admitted to practice law in Australia, England, Wales and Hong Kong, she is a former practicing attorney and law academic with 24 years of experience in international law practice, legal associations, consulting, legal education and training. Having worked at the cutting edge of legal education and law firm professional development functions globally for more than 17 years, she has turned her passion for education and learning into a thriving career. “There is not much that is more rewarding than making a difference in people's lives. Seeing people develop and become successful is what it's all about,” she says.

Mottershead has embarked on a lengthy development process with DLA Piper's professional development program. Essentially, she is taking what was in place and expanding on it exponentially ' to include offerings the firm can extend to its clients. She expects the firm's new professional development program to be complete within the next one-two years.

Program Success: Customization

When asked what makes a professional development program successful, Mottershead says “customization, customization, customization.”

While random acts of training should never occur, she feels there are five basic steps every good program needs:

• Planning ' align the program goals and objectives with the firm's business goals.
• Preparation ' identify the audience and determine their needs and expectations of such training.
• Design ' carefully consider the content and delivery of the program so that it is designed to meet the audience's expectations.
• Delivery ' a good program needs to be rehearsed (ever been to a program that runs way over time and no one knows how to work the equipment?).
• Review ' evaluate the program for continual improvement measures. Not only does this include evaluating the effectiveness of the program content, but also the effectiveness of the presenters and their delivery of the program.

How Marketing Impacts Professional Development

Mottershead says that the relationship between marketing and professional development is an essential partnership for client programs. While professional development brings the program planning, preparation, design, and delivery to the table, and the attorneys are typically the content specialists, marketing completes the process by providing information about the audience, managing the invitations, and providing follow up and follow through to ensure the program was relevant, helpful and effectively supported the clients in the work they do. For the firm's own internal programs on marketing and business development, marketing additionally serves as the content specialist. The Professional Development department draws on the specialized advice of marketing for its internal profile raising. The department markets itself and its services internally, ensuring that its services are highly visible and easily accessible to all attorneys. It has an internal marketing plan and has launched an internal branding initiative, which was designed and developed in cooperation with the firm's in-house marketing team.

The firm feels especially fortunate to have this multi-disciplinary skill set in-house to provide a value-added service to its client relationships. In addition to serving the firm's attorneys, Professional Development also serves as a resource to the firm's clients, and works directly with them to customize training programs that meet their needs. The firm's clients learn about programs and initiatives through the Professional Development department's active contribution to RFPs, and through partnerships developed directly through the education contact or in-house legal departments of the clients themselves.

Professional Development in the 21st Century

Mottershead believes there are two key strategies for law firms in the 21st century ' talent management and knowledge management. She states that the pool of talent is decreasing while the demand for it is increasing, thus law students join the firm rich in knowledge of substantive law, but needing knowledge and experience in the practice and business of law. “If we want to attract the best talent, and we want our attorneys to succeed faster and better, then we have to provide opportunities for them to learn through tailored training programs and focused work assignments,” she says.

“Gone are the days when career development was something that happened more by good luck than good measure. Gone are the days where 'random acts of training,' and nothing more, was the only available career development support for associates. The bar has been raised.” Mottershead believes that law students and lateral associates today accept the need for lifelong learning and DLA Piper is responding accordingly.

Under Mottershead's leadership, and with the support of DLA Piper's leadership team, the firm has embarked on an ambitious program that will provide a comprehensive career curriculum and targeted work assignments coupled with ongoing feedback, career coaching and counseling. This initiative is led by the firm's Professional Development department. The firm views this as an investment in the collective knowledge and experience between its partners and associates, and its future. Additionally, the firm's Benchmarks Program, which also falls under Professional Development, is a competencies-based program that provides the catalyst for tailored learning and work experience, as well as a dedicated partner-coach who supports each associate in identifying the right opportunities for development at the right time. The firm's learning programs align with these competencies, and targeted work assignments are derived from client and pro bono work opportunities. Through this level of collaboration and integration, Mottershead believes the firm more successfully lives its values of clients, community and people, and firmly believes that through this level of investment in its people, the firm will continue to stand out in the legal industry and ensure it is providing the very best legal services to clients. “I have an exceptional team and work in an exceptional firm. We could not achieve what we have and, what we will, if I was not surrounded and supported by such amazing colleagues.”

What's on the Horizon?

To remain competitive in a knowledge-driven economy like our own, Mottershead notes four current trends she's seeing in Professional Development in law firms:

• Professional Development Internal Programs ' Law firms are working harder and smarter to ensure that programs are part of the firm's internal and planned career curriculum and not one- offs, and that they support achievement of the firm's business performance goals.
• Professional Development External Programs ' Professional Development, marketing and attorneys are working more in tandem with each other and the firm's clients to provide customized training to clients as part of a portfolio of valued-added client service.
• Professional Development Departments ' Law firm Professional Development departments are increasingly being staffed by Professional Development professionals who are skilled in areas of law, coaching, mentoring, organizational development, business, management, IT and adult education.
• Professional Development Programs and Technology ' Many new technology tools are becoming available to enhance attorney training. There is a significant movement away from “talking head” presentations to blended learning. This refers to a combination of Web-based learning (E-Learning), mobile learning like podcasts (M-Learning) and in-person learning.

Mottershead's goal is to ensure professional development at her firm remains cutting-edge and makes a difference in the careers of the firm's attorneys. Her mission is to make her passion for education and training contagious. “Our industry is thirsty for a new approach to learning and our challenging economy is demanding the adaptability and flexibility that it supports.”

Kim Proxmire is a Senior Business Strategist with Jaffe Associates. She is based in Columbus, OH, and can be reached at [email protected] or 614-873-3101.

Editor's Note: With this column we say goodbye to Jaffe Associates. Over the last 3 1/2 years, “Team Jaffe,” led by my good friend and colleague, Jay Jaffe, has provided our readership with outstanding reporting on all things media and communications. Thank you, Jay and thank you to your wonderful team of experts. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't say a special thanks to Liz Lindley for shepherding this column.

Beginning in January, Infinite PR will be at the helm. We welcome them. A profile of Infinite will appear in the January issue ' Elizabeth Anne “Betiayn“ Tursi

When DLA Piper had an opening for a Director of Professional Development just five months ago, Terri Mottershead jumped at the opportunity. “The firm's long-term commitment to and investment in the career development of its associates and partners made the decision to join the firm easy and exciting,” she explained. Since joining, Mottershead has worked to significantly expand the firm's professional development program to serve as a resource not only to the firm's attorneys, but also to its clients.

Passion for Changing People's Lives ' Not Just for the Lawyers, But for the Clients Too

Mottershead holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, both from the Queensland Institute of Technology in Australia, as well as a Master of Laws from the University of Queensland in Australia, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wales. Admitted to practice law in Australia, England, Wales and Hong Kong, she is a former practicing attorney and law academic with 24 years of experience in international law practice, legal associations, consulting, legal education and training. Having worked at the cutting edge of legal education and law firm professional development functions globally for more than 17 years, she has turned her passion for education and learning into a thriving career. “There is not much that is more rewarding than making a difference in people's lives. Seeing people develop and become successful is what it's all about,” she says.

Mottershead has embarked on a lengthy development process with DLA Piper's professional development program. Essentially, she is taking what was in place and expanding on it exponentially ' to include offerings the firm can extend to its clients. She expects the firm's new professional development program to be complete within the next one-two years.

Program Success: Customization

When asked what makes a professional development program successful, Mottershead says “customization, customization, customization.”

While random acts of training should never occur, she feels there are five basic steps every good program needs:

• Planning ' align the program goals and objectives with the firm's business goals.
• Preparation ' identify the audience and determine their needs and expectations of such training.
• Design ' carefully consider the content and delivery of the program so that it is designed to meet the audience's expectations.
• Delivery ' a good program needs to be rehearsed (ever been to a program that runs way over time and no one knows how to work the equipment?).
• Review ' evaluate the program for continual improvement measures. Not only does this include evaluating the effectiveness of the program content, but also the effectiveness of the presenters and their delivery of the program.

How Marketing Impacts Professional Development

Mottershead says that the relationship between marketing and professional development is an essential partnership for client programs. While professional development brings the program planning, preparation, design, and delivery to the table, and the attorneys are typically the content specialists, marketing completes the process by providing information about the audience, managing the invitations, and providing follow up and follow through to ensure the program was relevant, helpful and effectively supported the clients in the work they do. For the firm's own internal programs on marketing and business development, marketing additionally serves as the content specialist. The Professional Development department draws on the specialized advice of marketing for its internal profile raising. The department markets itself and its services internally, ensuring that its services are highly visible and easily accessible to all attorneys. It has an internal marketing plan and has launched an internal branding initiative, which was designed and developed in cooperation with the firm's in-house marketing team.

The firm feels especially fortunate to have this multi-disciplinary skill set in-house to provide a value-added service to its client relationships. In addition to serving the firm's attorneys, Professional Development also serves as a resource to the firm's clients, and works directly with them to customize training programs that meet their needs. The firm's clients learn about programs and initiatives through the Professional Development department's active contribution to RFPs, and through partnerships developed directly through the education contact or in-house legal departments of the clients themselves.

Professional Development in the 21st Century

Mottershead believes there are two key strategies for law firms in the 21st century ' talent management and knowledge management. She states that the pool of talent is decreasing while the demand for it is increasing, thus law students join the firm rich in knowledge of substantive law, but needing knowledge and experience in the practice and business of law. “If we want to attract the best talent, and we want our attorneys to succeed faster and better, then we have to provide opportunities for them to learn through tailored training programs and focused work assignments,” she says.

“Gone are the days when career development was something that happened more by good luck than good measure. Gone are the days where 'random acts of training,' and nothing more, was the only available career development support for associates. The bar has been raised.” Mottershead believes that law students and lateral associates today accept the need for lifelong learning and DLA Piper is responding accordingly.

Under Mottershead's leadership, and with the support of DLA Piper's leadership team, the firm has embarked on an ambitious program that will provide a comprehensive career curriculum and targeted work assignments coupled with ongoing feedback, career coaching and counseling. This initiative is led by the firm's Professional Development department. The firm views this as an investment in the collective knowledge and experience between its partners and associates, and its future. Additionally, the firm's Benchmarks Program, which also falls under Professional Development, is a competencies-based program that provides the catalyst for tailored learning and work experience, as well as a dedicated partner-coach who supports each associate in identifying the right opportunities for development at the right time. The firm's learning programs align with these competencies, and targeted work assignments are derived from client and pro bono work opportunities. Through this level of collaboration and integration, Mottershead believes the firm more successfully lives its values of clients, community and people, and firmly believes that through this level of investment in its people, the firm will continue to stand out in the legal industry and ensure it is providing the very best legal services to clients. “I have an exceptional team and work in an exceptional firm. We could not achieve what we have and, what we will, if I was not surrounded and supported by such amazing colleagues.”

What's on the Horizon?

To remain competitive in a knowledge-driven economy like our own, Mottershead notes four current trends she's seeing in Professional Development in law firms:

• Professional Development Internal Programs ' Law firms are working harder and smarter to ensure that programs are part of the firm's internal and planned career curriculum and not one- offs, and that they support achievement of the firm's business performance goals.
• Professional Development External Programs ' Professional Development, marketing and attorneys are working more in tandem with each other and the firm's clients to provide customized training to clients as part of a portfolio of valued-added client service.
• Professional Development Departments ' Law firm Professional Development departments are increasingly being staffed by Professional Development professionals who are skilled in areas of law, coaching, mentoring, organizational development, business, management, IT and adult education.
• Professional Development Programs and Technology ' Many new technology tools are becoming available to enhance attorney training. There is a significant movement away from “talking head” presentations to blended learning. This refers to a combination of Web-based learning (E-Learning), mobile learning like podcasts (M-Learning) and in-person learning.

Mottershead's goal is to ensure professional development at her firm remains cutting-edge and makes a difference in the careers of the firm's attorneys. Her mission is to make her passion for education and training contagious. “Our industry is thirsty for a new approach to learning and our challenging economy is demanding the adaptability and flexibility that it supports.”

Kim Proxmire is a Senior Business Strategist with Jaffe Associates. She is based in Columbus, OH, and can be reached at [email protected] or 614-873-3101.