​During the pandemic, I had a coaching session with a group of law firm partners who were feeling overwhelmed. As new work kept pouring in, they struggled to find enough support from their associates to meet client demands. Many associates felt underappreciated and overworked, leading to a significant shift toward in-house opportunities. This exodus created a cycle: longer hours for the partners, higher client bills, and a work pace that was pushing both partners and the remaining associates to the brink of burnout.

This issue was bittersweet for many firms I spoke with during that time. While the partners enjoyed the short-term profits, they were paying a long-term price.

Our conversation shifted from “How can we attract more clients?” to “How can we better support and grow our internal team?” What followed was an incredibly productive brainstorming session. We uncovered a number of practical, yet often overlooked, strategies, alongside creative ideas that could not only boost the team’s productivity but also retain valuable talent. At the heart of the discussion were two key concepts: acknowledgment and inclusion.