Choosing a Specialist or Management Career

Startsituation

A young lawyer from a large international law firm and head of a small team was asked to decide whether he wanted to pursue a specialist career or a management position in the future. He had the prospect of succeeding his boss in one to two years. An external job assessment confirmed that he had potential for both career paths. In our coaching he said: “I am at a loss as to what I really want”.

Personal-Strategy-Profile

Review

My coachee was particularly influenced by his grandfather, who as a lawyer radiated profound knowledge, clarity and incorruptibility. In his school years and later in law school, he was positively supported by his parents with their statement: “The most important thing is, that you job makes you happy!”

Internal Analysis

His personal strengths were definitely in working on challenging problems. With his analytical mind he frequently found extraordinary solutions that he implemented with his team. But often, when working with other departments, he became impatient, didn´t listen enough and insisted on his opinion.

External Analysis

In recent years, the number of international cases had grown steadily. This meant that different legal expertise and expectations had to be brought to a common denominator in the negotiations. My coachee commented: “All this coordination and the constant struggle with my colleagues is totally wrecking my nerves”.

Core Competencies

What motivated him the most was to achieve high quality goals with his team. In dealing with other departments he tended to rather undiplo­matic statements. To improve his communication, we worked in our coaching on “what makes others tick” and practiced conversation skills in stressful situations: “Now it’s easier for me to hold myself back and let others have their say”.

Vision

With his newfound attitude and confidence in dealing with others, a management career became more and more attractive to my coachee. He was able to think more “outside the box” and communicate more diplomatically. As a result, he attended leadership seminars and our accompanying coaching supported the implementation of his insights. Two years later, my client succeeded his boss in the leadership position.

Result

The choice between a specialist or management career is an important milestone in a professional career. With supportive coaching, one gains certainty about one’s own desires, personality and future opportunities. Thereby the expectations of the person and the organization are made to match optimally.