Dear Rookie Advocate,
Have you ever been asked when you’re going to have a child and you think, but I’m still a child?
This time last year, I felt this way. I was two years at the bar, one year in Local Government and promoted to Director Legal Services, leading the first ever legal department at that Council. A rookie leading fellow rookies. Granted, I was a little less of a rookie than they were but a rookie all the same.
It may seem daunting to think of it as a whole but sooner than later you realise that ‘the job’ doesn’t necessarily require you to know a whole load of things all in one moment. It doesn’t require you to solve problems that will arise ten years from now, or even a week from now. It may require you to prevent those problems from arising, but until they do, you won’t be needed to solve them.
So how exactly is the job done? One task at a time. When the boundary or double plot-allocation dispute comes in, you sort it out. When served with a Writ of Summons, look at the claim, analyse it, determine the best way to go about it and act. When you are called into a meeting you know nothing about, at short notice and with no prior briefing, you sit in, answer what you can. Be comfortable enough to say when you don’t know something and request for more research time where you need it; and most importantly, listen. In those meetings, you will learn a whole lot about the institution and the subject at hand. There’s a lot to learn when you sit at the table. Instead of just eating away what’s been served, learn what you can from the conversations being had.
How do you do the job? One team member at a time. Know who’s on your team. Know who you can trust to draft documents you will hardly need to proofread. Know who can do errands in the shortest time possible. Know each person’s strengths and weaknesses, their connections and acquaintances. Because doing the job a task at a time will most times require that you delegate. Otherwise you will wear out. Pass some work onto others. Tell them you trust them with whatever decision they will come up with. And let them do their job one task at a time.
This may seem like a juxtaposition, but part of leading a department, or leading others means you are responsible for all the work that goes out from your department. Regardless of how much work you have, pace yourself when there’s need but proof read every letter, every legal document, all of it. Get briefings on all other work being done because you will be required to answer for it. You must have information at your fingertips on what is going on.
How exactly is the job done? By drawing from the giants ahead of you. Have a whole lot of people on the proverbial (or literal) speed dial list. Have people whose offices you can walk into just to vent. People you can call to say I have no idea how to go about this corporate world business. Help!!!! Have people you can be a total blonde to, people who’ll allow your dumb because they’ve seen you grow and they love to catalyze more growth. People you can walk up to for a hug because you’ve had the hardest day thus far.
Listen, make a list if you must, of all the human resource at your disposal. And by this I mean people with whom you need to have conversation, to grow you. I’ve gone through things and only talked to people about them after. Those conversations made me wish I’d had them earlier. You can talk things out even as they unfold. Don’t isolate yourself. Live in your moment. Recognise your grace carriers (people who have grace in them for you) and abuse the hell out of them. Camp at their door if you must. But there’s help available for you and trust me, they are always glad to help. Always.
And sometimes, a day at a time will be you receiving random “you are a good boss” texts. You savour them and run back to them when the days get hard. And when the day ends, you take off the bib and the robe, go home, rest. The next day, rinse and repeat and take every task as part of the process of making a leader.
Before you know it, you’d have been a Director, Partner or Senior Associate for a year going on five. And you’d have enjoyed the journey and looking forward to the rest of it.
So from one Rookie to another, on my first year anniversary as a freaking director, a whole year of learning, growth and what not 😊.
You are doing a darn good job.
Edwina
