The Tilt Institute, Inc.

Is the era of continuously rising rates about to hit a snag? Our most recent Tilt Factor dropped today. This month’s newsletter includes… ✅ What we are hearing in the industry – Toby Brown and yours truly debate law firm rate hikes, AI’s impact and adaptability ✅ The problem with partner autonomy – our recent The Tilt Institute, Inc. think article sharing tips on why your firm’s leaders will need to foster a culture of alignment to drive success ✅ A curated selection of articles and insights to keep you on top of your game Access this month's newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/gE_s8vmH

“A leader is anyone who influences others. Not every leader is an effective one.” – The Tilt Institute.      Partner autonomy has long been heralded as a distinct strength of many firm cultures. Autonomy, though, brings with it not only strength but also liability.     Law firm leadership often extends beyond formal titles. As business owners, partners are almost nearly always, regardless of formal title, leaders in their firm. Partners’ opinions and decisions directly impact…     ❗ Firm culture   ❗ Profitability   ❗ Long-term trajectory     In the past decade we’ve seen a significant rise in partner conflict and dissatisfaction. Partners speaking out against firm decisions is leaving many firms at a disadvantage, often creating dissonance.     How can law firms enhance alignment with partners?  ✅ Foster open dialogue and transparency. Transparency and consistent communication channels are essential in aligning partners with firm-wide objectives. These can be accomplished through regular town-hall meetings, strategic planning sessions, internal newsletters and feedback mechanisms (surveys, suggestion boxes). ✅ Encourage constructive dissent. We often note in our programs that a culture without conflict does not necessarily indicate a healthy culture. Fostering a culture that embraces constructive dissent allows partners to voice concerns and provide alternative viewpoints. ✅ Invest in leadership development. Empower your partners with comprehensive programming that is focused on communication, conflict management and change leadership. These essential skills will help leaders refine their skillset and adapt to evolving needs. ✅ Promote a culture of learning and growing. Embrace a growth mindset and foster a culture where mistakes and setbacks are viewed as opportunities rather than failures.     Excerpted from our most recent article with The Legal Intelligencer, “The Problem with Partner Autonomy: When Strength Becomes Weakness”. Full article here: bit.ly/4cQnBfL   #lawfirmleadership #culturematters  

What energizes a team? My 12-year old son recently had the once-in-a-lifetime experience of playing a baseball tournament in Cooperstown, NY (home of the Baseball Hall of Fame!). While this rigorous week of games didn’t result in a championship win, it did yield a host of valuable lessons. Not unlike many teams, this one was newly formed and encountered unexpected circumstances. The boys knew each other but hadn’t played together before. The conditions were new, with chilly New York downpours stepping in for cloying Texas heat. Setbacks and injuries started prior to our arrival and continued onsite plaguing the team and hampering performance. Yet the team persisted and persevered. How did they boost #morale and stay #engaged? The power of team spirit.   ✅ Picked each other up. Dropped balls, strikeouts, botched plays. No matter the error, teammates rallied around when others were discouraged, accepting imperfections, and finding ways to motivate each other. ✅ Celebrated others’ successes –  loudly and publicly. ✅ Took on new and different positions and roles. When certain team members couldn’t play at full capacity, others stepped up and rose to the occasion. ✅ Stayed positive (even when others went negative). In the face of an especially classless team heckling from the dugout, our players took the high road, dishing out high-fives for out-of-the-park home runs even when the other team hit them. ✅ Never stopped battling. Even after experiencing a series of losses, the team kept bringing their all. ✅ Had fun! All teams encounter stressful times when it feels like a never-ending uphill battle. In these moments, staying connected is paramount. Effective leaders emphasize strengths. How do you motivate your team to battle no matter what the odds? Share your thoughts below. #lawfirmleadership #culturematters

Why does talent leave?   The Great Attrition has now become the Great Resignation. According to new research conducted by LinkedIn and Microsoft, 46% of professionals say that they are considering quitting in the upcoming year.   Why are they leaving? It’s not what employers think. Whereas leaders flag development opportunities, remote work and compensation as the driving factors, the real reasons are more personal – and harder to fix with firmwide policies and procedures.   People leave for two reasons according to the 2020 McKinsey & Company study, The Great Attrition report.   1.        A manager who values them 2.        A sense of belonging   You’ve probably heard the saying, “people don’t leave firms, they leave managers”. Today’s talent wants to feel valued by the people they work with. In fact, a study conducted by the American Psychological Association revealed that the impact of a bad boss can affect employee performance for up to ten years (even when the employee is no longer working with said boss!).   In addition to feeling valued, employees want to feel a sense of belonging. Employees who don’t feel as if they belong have reported poor mental health, a lower immune system and poor intellectual achievement. All of which, of course, contribute to lower engagement.    How can you make your employees feel valued and create a sense of belonging at your firm?   ✅ Use belonging cues – eye contact, greetings, invitations – to elevate other’s experience and create a feeling of safety.   ✅ Find common ground. This may be as simple as discovering you both enjoy a certain TV show. Listen and build connections. Many of life’s experiences can bring us closer to others. ✅ Promote autonomy, mastery and purpose – all of which trump compensation as a personal motivator for complex roles and tasks.   Excerpted from Leading Others, session 3 of our Leadership Foundations program. For more information on our leadership programming PM or email me at mborgalshunk@thetiltinstitute.com.

Did your firm invest in 2023? Our most recent Tilt Factor recently dropped. This month’s newsletter includes… ✅ What we are hearing in the industry – Patrick Smith dives into this year’s analysis (full article below) ✅ A complimentary leader v. management assessment ✅ How good lawyers become great leaders – our most recent Tilt think article with tangible leadership tips you can implement today For this month’s newsletter and more leadership tips sign up for The Tilt Factor here: bit.ly/3wG04hO #lawfirmleadership

Gen Z is taking over the workplace. According to TheEconomist Newspaper Limited the number of Gen-Zers working full-time will soon surpass full-time Baby Boomers. These newest hires, Gen Z, bring an entirely new set of preferences and constraints to the table. As the power dynamics shift to talent a firm’s ability to tap into generational differences can … ✅ Invigorate, attract and retain top talent ✅ Alleviate tension over behavior-expectation gaps across generations ✅ Increase engagement and incite enthusiasm Yet when it comes to understanding generations, stereotypes persist. Generational influences can create tension, surface conflict and be the source of an offhand comment or joke. The solution? Unlock generational loyalties. For Gen Z.... ✅ Cultivate experiences — learning, travel, social ✅ Accept multi-tasking as a work style ✅ Link work to the greater good – clients, people, world Tapping into the strengths, tendencies and preferences at the generational level has the power to energize and galvanize. Strategically combining diverse talent is proven to yield better results. The chart below offers a glimpse into the differences across generations. By tapping into factors such as primary motivators, learning mindset and reaction to change law firm leaders can enhance engagement and enthusiasm across the generations. Interested in how your firm can transform generational loyalties from deterrents to accelerants? Email me at mborgalshunk@thetiltinstitute.com for more information on our workshop, “Unlocking Generational Loyalties to Overcome Conflict and Enhance Engagement”. #lawfirmleadership #culturematters