Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/2582
the quarterly magazine of ILTA 39 Peer to Peer establish administrative procedures. Consider developing a standard process or template for each of the following: a questionnaire to gauge the interest and readiness of the • target audience Program communications (memoranda to attorneys and • target audience) facility reservation and setup • Registration and sign-in tracking • Post-training evaluations and skill assessments • Participation enforcement and rewards (perhaps something • special for perfect attendance) storage of presentation materials (in the document • management system, for example) audio and/or video recording • accreditation documentation (cle or other) • Make-up classes (for new hires, missed classes) • logging requests and ideas for future classes or topics • All of these materials can be packaged for distribution to program coordinators at other offices so that the rollout process is consistent across the firm. Avoid the "Gotchas" As challenging as it might seem, it is possible, even critical, to deliver a polished professional development program that is also engaging and interactive. To achieve this balance, the project team should look for hidden "gotchas" or potential pitfalls during planning and implementation: bypass conflicts. • Allow for some scheduling flexibility to accommodate other activities that might compete with your program, such as existing professional development programs, holiday seasons, office events and client demands. nominate a moderator. • Coach speakers and audience members on the importance of brevity, clarity and volume, especially for recording purposes. A moderator might need to repeat questions from the audience or provide a microphone to audience members so their questions can be heard and recorded. Make it interactive, but not too interactive. • The moderator should facilitate the interactive sessions and group activities to ensure they do not turn into unstructured feedback or complaint sessions that derail the class agenda. solicit volunteers. • Invite members of the firm and the target audience to volunteer to present topics to their peers. Real-world case studies can be very informative and these presentations could help develop the public speaking skills of individuals who don't often get the chance to present. Packaged materials provided by third parties might not be relevant to your firm culture or jurisdiction. Keep it fresh. • Topics pertaining to new technology or emerging areas of law can have a relatively short shelf life, so a disclaimer regarding the content's "expiration date" might be warranted. consider privacy issues. • If any of your class topics are of a sensitive nature, allocate some unrecorded time to allow participants to speak freely. Some students prefer online course evaluation forms, and some prefer hard copy. Provide both to ensure that you get feedback on the effectiveness of each course. Are there other constraints that have had a negative impact on your firm's professional development programs in the past? Apply those lessons learned this time around! It might seem unusual to approach the development and implementation of a new professional development program as a formal project. However, the common project life cycle components of planning (objectives and audience), communicating (with sponsors and other stakeholders), governance (standards and procedures), scheduling and execution (program logistics and managing issues) can certainly be scalable and adaptable enough to benefit many areas of the law firm, including professional development. ILTA Kristin linoski, PMP, is the Manager of the Project Management office at fulbright & Jaworski l.l.P. and has more than 10 years of project management experience in the financial and legal industries. she has successfully managed system implementations, system upgrades, rebranding initiatives, software development projects, a professional development program implementation, and strategic committees, as well as developed project management training and orientation materials. she can be reached at klinoski@fulbright.com. everyone's Invted