Feedback

Feedback.

Summer associates and new associates always want more. They crave it.

At this morning’s tennis lesson it hit me: the feedback is instant.

You make or miss the shot.

It feels good off the racquet or it doesn’t.

You win the point or you lose.

Instant feedback.

I love it. I live for it.

Law firm life is generally the opposite.

No news is good news.

You know you did a good job because the partner sends you more work.

Unless it is going poorly, you’re not likely to be told much outside the annual review.

And in time, that’ll work and you’ll figure out ways to find feedback:

Running comparisons,

Reviewing redlines,

Asking about changes made,

Asking how they would have done it differently.

Even so: the career, your profession, is not school.

There is no regular cadence of feedback, syllabi, rubrics, and scores.

That is hard to get used to but is not necessarily a bad thing.

You’ll find your stride in time.

Until then: it is normal to want more feedback. It is okay to ask for it.

For the partners out there and senior associates: what’s the most effective way you’ve given and/or received feedback?

#lawyerwellbeing #biglaw #legalissues #feedback #bestadvice