Transitioning In House
By Christine Mazzone, Gabe Wright, Laura Chipman, and Clara Cottrell
The Knowledge Resource Committee led by Sheila Spence and Nickeyea Wilkinson-Pickett collected four stories from in-house counsel and career coaches regarding how they handled transitions into new lines of work, including transitions from roles in law firms to in-house roles, new in-house jobs, and promotions within their companies.
How has it been transitioning in-house, to a new job, or new position during the pandemic?
Christine (New In-House Role): I joined Lenovo when most employees (myself included) were working remotely. Lenovo has about 71,000 employees worldwide, and I joined with about 150 other North America employees in early December 2021. During the pandemic, Lenovo has really figured out how to onboard employees remotely and provide a warm and informative welcome for new employees. I feel very fortunate to have had such an easy transition to Lenovo during the pandemic.
Gabe (Law Firm to In-House): More challenging than I anticipated, but it’s been interesting. I work for a hospital system, so the pandemic has added an extra layer of complexity to an already stressful situation. Prior to COVID, I would have likely been focused primarily on learning the role of an in-house attorney. Instead, I transitioned to in-house practice from a large, regional law firm . . . in the middle of a pandemic . . . in the legal department of a hospital system . . . while working almost exclusively from home. Yeah, it’s been a challenge. But it’s also been fun working on so many novel issues.
Clara (Promoted within Company): I began my career in Intellectual Property – patents, trademarks, copyrights, and the ancillary agreements. That is what took me to BASF Corporation and what I focused on during my first six years with the company. However, there was a need for my practice to go a different direction, and I moved over to the compliance legal group to support data privacy across the United States. Now, instead of supporting a group of the business located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, I was supporting business groups across the country! I was fortunate that there was a very brief window (February 2020) when I was able to visit colleagues in the headquarters in New Jersey, but the rest of the time has been an almost completely virtual environment to get to know my colleagues and the business groups I support. From that respect, the pandemic was actually helpful! Being physically located away from the other attorneys and the business people was now normal – we were all in the virtual environment! Now people turned their cameras on and there was an awareness of how we needed more social interactions. This meant I did not have as high of a barrier to get to know the people I was working with. I was meeting them the same way everyone else was, and there were opportunities to have a little personal exchange before the meetings.
Laura (New In House Role & Career Coach): Transitioning to a new role in a new company has felt engaging and challenging. Like it has been for many lawyers, the pandemic has been a time of reassessing and checking in on my goals in life and law practice. I felt I was ready to grow, and so I left a job I loved for a new opportunity that would allow me to learn new things. My new role was also a promotion and has allowed me to work at a higher level, with more independence and responsibility, which I welcomed. I’m so excited to be making a difference and practicing in a way that feels authentic to me.
What are some best practices for the first 90 days?
Christine: Score some early wins – try to establish yourself early on as someone who is hardworking, productive and meets or exceeds deadlines. If you have a choice of what to focus on during your first 90 days, be strategic about what you choose and if at all possible, focus on projects that will help you get some quick wins (that are visible and important to your boss and/or your business clients) under your belt to prove yourself right away.
Laura: In the first 90 days, it’s important to balance learning and action. We all want to make a good impression and start getting results right away. But we also have to be humble and gracious as we learn a new business, a new team, and even a new industry. I focused on a few key project deliverables that I knew would add value and where I had the knowledge and expertise to act quickly. For everything else, I prioritized learning from colleagues and stakeholders so that I can be a strong partner to them going forward.
Have you faced any challenges during your transition? If so, how did you overcome them?
Laura: Practicing law in a pandemic is hard work! There’s no doubt we are all juggling uncertainty, intensity, and high demands at home and in our work. I am reminded to practice self-compassion, to trust myself and my judgment, and to invite resilience as I adapt. One of the challenges for me was entering an industry where I had less history and experience – but on the flip side, I know there is value in my fresh perspective and ability to learn and adapt quickly.
There are moments of imposter syndrome for many lawyers, including me, but I am reminded that my team chose me, that I have great experience and natural strengths, and that I add a ton of value by showing up as myself. Many lawyers strive for the perfect performance and perfect circumstances, which are nearly impossible to achieve and rarely repeatable. Instead, I encourage lawyers in transition to look for learning opportunities that align with their values. Go forward with the intent to learn and grow. Trust yourself to create something amazing.
Gabe: Yes, working for a hospital system during COVID has presented a challenge or two. Here are a couple I’ve encountered and what I did to overcome them:
Getting up to speed and advising internal clients on frequently changing guidance/laws related to COVID – This one has been especially tough, and I don’t know that I’ve overcome it yet (or that there’s anything I could do to overcome this challenge). Instead, I have tried to embrace the uncertainty and control what I can (i.e., the effort I put into learning and staying informed). I try not to spin my wheels too much (especially on issues that don’t have answers yet) and seek guidance from more experienced lawyers (both internally and through the expertise of outside counsel).
Getting to know colleagues and business leaders while working remotely – This has also been tough, and virtual meeting fatigue is real. But I’ve tried to schedule regular meetings with individuals whose jobs touch on the types of matters I typically handle. And I made time for meetings to introduce myself or learn more about other people’s jobs to look for opportunities to collaborate (or just make a new friend).
What advice would you give to someone looking to either go in-house, take a new job opportunity in an outside organization, or change roles within an organization?
Clara: I start with the saying, “Look before you leap.” In this case, the “looking” part is internal. Why are you interested in the new position or role? What is missing from your current environment you are trying to fix? How will the stress of the change impact your family, and will it be good for them long term? And what does “good” mean to you? Once you have a clear picture of what you are looking for, you can be more discerning when opportunities present themselves, and you make the leap!
Laura: To really shine in a corporate legal setting, we must be practical, innovative, and excellent communicators. Too many lawyers can offer a laundry list of issues and risks without meaningful support to help a client problem-solve. I am committed to preparing and empowering my clients with creative solutions. They have a job to do and I want to help them succeed! My advice is to learn about your clients’ work, their goals, their obstacles. Speak their language and find ways to help them meet their goals while minimizing risk. It’s a lot more fun, and they will love you for it.
Gabe: Give yourself grace. You may be a superstar from the beginning, but it’s more probable it will take some time for you to figure out how to do your new job well. And that’s fine. Give yourself time to learn the new role and embrace what I refer to as your “professional adolescence” where you’re trying to figure everything out (including who you are in this new role). Embrace the unknown and get comfortable being uncomfortable during the period of uncertainty that comes with growth and learning something new.
What are some onboarding best practices?
Christine: Meet with as many people as you can and learn as much as you can – about the company, the legal department and the clients you will be supporting and be respectful to everyone you meet.
Clara: Knowledge sharing is a must when someone is being onboarded. That includes making sure they have access to shared folders/drives/internal sites/etc. and have been added to distribution lists. But just giving someone access to information is not enough, they should have a guide. Onboarding mentors could be an official guide to the company and the group to help someone understand what information is where and what of that you need to know and what is not really pertinent to your role. As we move to more remote and hybrid positions, I personally think that more virtual social events and some in-person events are necessary. For me, that would be a best practice!
Did you use any resources to aid in your transition?
Gabe: I relied heavily on my network before accepting an interview. I asked over a dozen friends and colleagues who worked in house about the nature of their work, compensation, hours, things they wish they could change, what keeps them up at night, etc. so I could be as informed as possible. Then after accepting my employment offer, I identified peer mentors (with the help of some pretty awesome co-workers) who I could go to with my “stupid” questions. I also used Google — a lot.
Clara: I joined the North Carolina Bar Association’s Corporate Counsel Section when I joined BASF Corporation, and then the Privacy and Data Security Section as my practice changed to data privacy. Job or life coaches can also be a great resource depending on the level at which you are entering/transitioning and as you think about why you want a different position or role. Many of them offer free consultations and resources. There are many different types of coaches, so there is probably a good fit for you out there! Just a couple examples from The Triangle area are Sarah Levitt (www.sarah-levitt.com (executive growth)) and Laura Chipman (www.essentiallychip.com (life coaching for women attorneys)).
Christine: I have sought out and availed myself of educational materials both internally at Lenovo and externally. I have read Lenovo’s past earnings statements and annual reports. I have found that when moving into a new industry, industry analyst reports are a great resource.