Panellists from the recent International Women’s Leadership Forum discussed how best to manage teams of lawyers when everyone is working remotely and when each team member faces different challenges balancing professional and family obligations.
After six months of working from home, many intellectual property lawyers have grown accustomed to hour-long Zoom calls and working more flexible hours. While many employees are adapting to new ways of working remotely, team leaders are finding creative ways to make sure everyone stays connected.
Caren Khoo, vice president and deputy general counsel at Verizon in New Jersey, said that many people in her company are feeling anxious about how the economy will affect the future of their roles.
She said active listening is a key part of her strategy and that she connects regularly with members of her team so that she can give credit for accomplishments and lead with a spirit of generosity.
“The thing is people aren’t getting much feedback. It’s so important to carve out that time to be available. Because it’s been such a busy time at Verizon, it’s so easy to just put your head down and do your work and deal with day-to-day fires and forget to reach out to your team,” she said.
“I think leadership is a skill that needs to be developed. We talk about having great legal judgement, but the fact of the matter is to be a good leader, you need to focus on human skills.”
Elizabeth Weiswasser, partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges in New York, said that one thing she’s learned from managing a team of 40 IP lawyers is that sometimes it’s important to tailor your management style to the individual needs of a particular employee.
She said having an individual approach is especially important when managing team members who have small children at home.
“Their obligations are profound. I often think about how you manage a specific person to be sure they have the same opportunities as everyone else on the team. It’s a question requiring some sensitivity.”
The water cooler
These conversations were not only crucial for the exchange of ideas, but they also helped to foster a sense of team cohesion. Now with everyone working from home, she says, it is important that leaders continue to reach out as much as they did when the pandemic started.
“My approach has been to carve out time to connect, and not just with my team, but also with people in other departments where I provide services. If I usually see them in the cafeteria I set up a virtual conversation via Google so we can have a chat,” said Dienes-Middlen.
Another tactic she uses is to send memes or jokes to employees just to let them know she is thinking about them. She said that not everyone wants to feel like they have to correspond with the team leader, so sending small messages is a simple way to let individuals feel connected and included even if they are at a distance.
Lauren Mandell, assistant general counsel at chemical company Henkel in New York, added that she also misses those water cooler moments with her colleagues, and that she hopes companies will find a balance of allowing their employees to work from home and in the office.
Before COVID, Mandell said, many working mums felt guilty working from home while their team members were back in the office. She said she hopes the pandemic will lift the stigma of working remotely so that parents who have to juggle multiple responsibilities can find a necessary balance between their professional and private lives.
“I always felt almost guilty working from home when everyone else was back in the office. We have all been so productive and there are many bright spots. I am hoping we can keep some of these positive aspects of home working and that there will be less of a stigma about working from home,” said Mandell.
Camera ready
She said that at the beginning of the pandemic, many people were quite eager to turn on their cameras, but as time has gone on fewer people are as willing to appear on screen.
“The voice alone doesn’t seem to be enough. I’ve had experiences when I’m the only one on the camera and the other person isn’t, and it changes the dynamic,” she said.
Khoo at Verizon said that she appreciates having the camera on because she can get more visual cues during the conversation. An advantage of the pandemic, she said, is that more people are realising that it’s not important to always be ‘camera ready’ and that it’s perfectly acceptable not to be dressed up and have your hair done during a catch-up call.
Dienes-Middlen added that turning the camera on makes it more difficult to be adversarial with someone than if she only hears their voice.
“Usually having the camera on lends itself to a more amicable discussion. I have become friends with some opposing counsel and we will go for drinks once the world allows it.
“I also think having video conferences is a great equaliser because we aren’t all going to an office in suits and ties. There is an exchange of ideas on equal levels on screen.”
After six months of working remotely, IP professionals have experienced some unexpected benefits. Whether it’s Zoom meetings in pyjamas or a reduced work commute, the lessons from COVID will hopefully long outlive the pandemic.
