The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/21494
LESSONSLEARNED In addition to grouping the tasks by job function, we also grouped them by level. Skills that were considered essential were assigned to the bronze level, advanced skills were assigned to the silver level and specialized skills to the gold level. We developed a student handbook to answer the most common questions and rebranded all of our training materials. A nice side benefit was that we were able to update all of our new hire curricula and make them job specific. We also spent a considerable amount of time reworking the assessments. Questions were now phrased in such a way that those taking the test could find the answers in the manner they knew best. For example, one question asked students to pick out the correct phone number for a contact. That contact was in InterAction, so it didn’t matter how they conducted the search. Another question asked them to identify the one sentence that had been added to version two of a 15-page document. If students were comfortable with DeltaView, it took them one minute to find the answer; if not, they would be there for a while. We also dropped the required pre-assessment. Those confident in their skills could come by and “A large part of our success was due to two factors: First, we gave the students more control over the material they learned, how and when they learned it and when they were assessed; second, we designed the program so that students could succeed.” take the assessment without attending training. However, we did require that they dedicate 10 hours toward KCU. Those who passed the assessment and did not need to attend training were tapped as coaches and had to either teach a few classes, coach others who needed one-on-one coaching before taking the assessment, or review handouts and exercises for us. We got buy-in from management to allow attorneys and paralegals to charge their KCU hours to their professional development numbers so that they did not feel like they were losing billable hours. As incentives, we awarded each graduate with a certificate, a bronze medallion to hang by their name plate, a golf shirt with the KCU logo and a gift of their choice. A large part of our success was due to two factors: First, we gave the students more control over the material they learned, how and when they learned it and when they were assessed; second, we designed the program so that 126 www.iltanet.org Peer to Peer students could succeed. They could take as many practice assessments as they wanted, and if they passed a practice assessment, it counted. If they did not pass, they could focus on the areas they found challenging and try again. By not tying the program to HR, no one felt that his or her job was being threatened. The natural competitive tendency of attorneys also helped the program succeed. Once the bronze medallions started appearing outside of attorneys’ offices, the peer pressure was on. We even had two departments decide on their own to compete for the first to reach 100 percent certification within their departments. The losing department sprang for pizza. IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR KCU ran successfully for four years and only closed its doors after we merged with a much larger firm where the format was not scalable. Designing a similar program today, there are a few things we would do differently. Believe it or not, we would have more committees. To further tailor training, we would also separate the paralegals and associates into their own groups. Given the selection of assessment tools available today, we would probably choose an external assessment tool rather than devote time and resources to designing our own. We also would build in X number of hours for training per year to support ongoing education. There are always lessons to learn by stepping back, assessing and retooling. ILTA Apryle Kohut has been bringing people and technology together for over 20 years, first as owner/consultant of Comtech Enterprises, Ltd for over six years. She then worked her way from Applications Support Analyst to Systems Support Manager at Kennedy Covington, LLP. Kennedy Covington then merged with K&L Gates, LLP, and Apryle landed as the Firmwide Manager of Training. Most recently she has started a new role as the Applications Training and Support Manager at Moore & Van Allen, LLP. She can be reached at aprylekohut@mvalaw.com.