A Talent Management Dilemma
In the context of a conversation about a program offered to the law firms to encourage the secondment of young lawyers to try out corporate in-house opportunities, I found myself caught in a moral and practical dilemma.
For those who are less familiar with the secondment concept in the legal industry, it has been quite a common practice for law firms (usually large law firms that could afford a temporary loss of headcount) to send junior lawyers to work exclusively for corporate clients in an in-house counsel capacity for an agreed period of time. It may be at the requests of the corporate clients who needed some extra temporary legal resources, and/or that the junior lawyers might benefit from such different exposures to understand the clients' needs better. For the law firms, it could be a gesture of good-will and contribution to longer-term and stronger relationships with its clients. It seems like a win-win-win.
When I was a young lawyer with a big law firm, I appreciated such opportunities. It opened my eyes to different possible legal careers ahead of me. Indeed, I moved in-house in my subsequent professional career move.
Now that I am no longer junior, and been asked to consider offering the same opportunities to my juniors, I found it a struggle to graciously say yes. The constraints on the resources of a smaller practice is a practical limiting factor, and justifiably so. The moral question is whether we should be presenting any alternative opportunities on a silver platter to the juniors at the risk of losing them?
"If they want to leave, they will."
True. But should we be the ones facilitating it to our own detriment?
I am no talent management expert. I barely have my own team. I prefer to be a lone-wolf and if I need to invest the time to train and build a team, I certainly don't want them to leave. So if I try best to retain them, does that means that I should not be sabotaging my own efforts by facilitating any competing options?
Yet, we are all part of generations of a professional community, and a larger world that continues to go through evolutionary cycles. Is there a responsibility to care for the younger generation more than you care for yourself and your business? It is not so much about "karma", consequences and ramifications of our actions that may affect us especially in a relatively small industry. There is no expectation that anyone will be grateful for anything. After all, everyone for themselves, and responsible for their own lives and choices. So if we altruistically do something purely out of a sense of moral responsibility, it is our choice, and it may be our loss.
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In our capitalistic world, kindness does not get reciprocated often. It may be seen as a weakness in character and a crippling flaw of any business owner. While collectively, kindness may make the world a better place, but in the meanwhile it will likely make certain individuals worse off.
To be, or not to be, in this case, more altruistic? That is the question.
Disclaimer: The content of this article is informational only. Nothing in this note shall constitute legal, investment or professional advice.
Read?my other publications on:
LinkedIn: A Case of Reusables; Is Poverty Real in Singapore?; Conservation & Choices; Female Entrepreneurship - Unique Opportunities & Challenges; ESG for SMEs in Singapore? S Integration & Implementation I - How to Think about Impact Integration in Social Enterprise; Let's Talk about Governance; The Social Aspects of ESG — Where Every Organization Finds a Soul; Carbon Credits — Quality Matters; On Greenwashing: Greenwashing Behaviours to Avoid as an Organization; Why I Still Believe in Blockchain; Chat GPT is Not Your Best Friend Yet — and Here is Why; Living a Colourful Life; Carbon Taxes & Credits — An Introduction; 3 Reasons Why Every Business Should Incorporate Sustainability; Master of None — Reflections on Tips to Becoming a Successful Generalist;The Fool-Proof Guide to Setting up an ESG Framework & Policy for Businesses, Investors and Investment Managers, Part 1 of 5; Gone with the Red — Ep.1; My footprints 2022;
Medium: A Case of Reusables; Is Poverty Real in Singapore?; Conservation & Choices; Female Entrepreneurship - Unique Opportunities & Challenges; ESG for SMEs in Singapore? S Integration & Implementation I - How to Think about Impact Integration in Social Enterprise; Let's Talk about Governance; The Social Aspects of ESG — Every Organization Needs a Soul; Carbon Credits — Quality Matters; On Greenwashing: Greenwashing Behaviours to Avoid as an Organization; Why I Still Believe in Blockchain;Chat GPT is Not Your Best Friend Yet — and Here is Why; Living a Colourful Life; Carbon Taxes & Credits — An Introduction; 3 Reasons Why Every Business Should Incorporate Sustainability; Master of None — 3 Key Tips to Success as a Generalist; The Fool-Proof Guide to Setting up an ESG Framework & Policy for Businesses, Investors and Investment Managers, Part 1 of 5; Gone with the Red — Ep.1; My Footprints 2022; More than Just Words — embracing a greener life
Absolutely, navigating the balance between competition and mentorship is complex. To paraphrase Richard Branson, "Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don't want to." It's a philosophy that encourages growth and loyalty. ???? Speaking of growth, we're currently supporting an exciting initiative for the Guinness World Record of Tree Planting. It could be a unique opportunity for professional and environmental development. Find out more: https://bit.ly/TreeGuinnessWorldRecord
Absolutely, fostering competition can be a nurturing process! As Henry Ford once said, "The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing." ?? Encouraging our juniors to explore every opportunity helps them grow, and in turn, enriches our entire ecosystem. #GrowthMindset #Empowerment #Leadership ???