The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/230349
benefits via email, intranets, social media, firm memos and training flyers — yet no one is listening. Attorney email inboxes are already overflowing, and it is difficult to cut through the noise from all the other media channels. Most attorneys tend to gain awareness of new technology from their peers, not from IT professionals. They are in court or at a deposition and someone pulls out a new gadget or discusses how they do XYZ with the latest software tool. That awareness turns into an action; they cannot be one-upped by the competition, so they must get that gadget or tool. Sometimes the IT department already has that tool, but the attorney was not aware. Think Different, Train Different Our firm decided to do something drastic with IT training: • Take time off the table • Make awareness a goal • Offer training in a way that works with, not against, our attorneys' Prime Directive The end result was the von Briesen inGenious Bar. The inGenious Bar is open for only 90 minutes once a week. It offers five-minute, skills-based one-on-one sessions with a member of the IT team. The skill is something attendees can repeat at their desks (with the aid of a takeaway/handout), and it immediately helps them perform their jobs better. Our theory was every attorney — from the first-year associate to the managing partner/shareholder — has five minutes once a week to learn a technology skill. Our hunch was right. The firm had less than 10 percent attorney participation in traditional training, and now has over 60 percent attorney participation in the weekly inGenious Bar. Content and format were two important factors in the inGenious Bar concept. We also looked at the learning environment as a third critical success factor. In order to make the inGenious Bar work, the room needed to be a high-energy, fun and engaging space. We hoped people would want to hang out and experience technology in our space. So we asked ourselves where most Peer to Peer 111