#230: What To Do When Told “Wait Your Turn” for Partnership

Well, hey there, everybody. This is Heather Moulder, host of Life & Law. And today we are getting into something that a lot of lawyers unfortunately hear. A lot of you who are senior counsel, counsel, and senior associates who believe you should be put up for partnership have been told you’re doing all of the right things, or at least believe you’ve been doing all of the right things. You’ve likely been billing a lot. You’ve likely got great reviews pretty much your entire career. And yet, instead of being put up for partnership the last go-round, maybe the last two go rounds, you were not. And you were told to “wait your turn.”

[00:01:32] This is not an uncommon thing to hear. And here’s the thing, it can mean different things depending on the firm, the culture, and what’s going on within the firm, and you as well. So, regardless of what it means, you have work to do when you hear this. And today we’re going to get into:

• What wait your turn could mean.
• Why not to do what they say, to just wait it out, and
• How to go about putting yourself in the best position possible for partnership (so you do not have to hear, “wait your turn” again.

So let’s get into:

What does “wait your turn” actually mean?

[00:02:12] So the short answer, unfortunately: It’s ambiguous, and ambiguity is the problem.

So there are some possible meanings, and there are reasons why you cannot just assume it actually means wait your turn.

Timing Issue

[00:02:25] So it could mean exactly what they say. There is a formal process and a timing issue. You’re genuinely in line. The firm has a set cadence, and you just aren’t there yet for whatever reason.

However, it might not mean that, and oftentimes it actually doesn’t. And let me just note, sometimes it means that the first time you hear it, and then it’s changed by the next time you hear it – If you hear it more than once. So if you are out there and you’re like, well, that’s the case for me, and you’ve heard it more than once, make the assumption that it means more. At this point, if you’ve heard it one time, don’t assume that that’s all it means. Do some digging.

So here’s what else it could mean.

There Are Concerns

It could mean that you’re not actually on track, but there are concerns, whether they’re spoken or unspoken. It could mean that your metrics may be strong, but something else is missing, something that they need to see to prove up your partnership material. Because newsflash, partnership is about more than just doing the work. And there are things that most law firms want to see, need to see, before they’re willing to promote you to partnership that have nothing to do with your skill set, your actual legal lawyering skills.

That’s the bare minimum. Everybody’s got to have that. There’s more to it. So you’ve got to figure out what those other things are that you need to be doing that you need to be showing.

Someone Else Leapfrogged You

[00:03:48] It might have been that others have now been prioritized over you. And there is usually a reason for that. So your name isn’t rising the way you think it is. Maybe there aren’t serious concerns like when I said before (you’re not on track) – you were on track.

But you’re not seen the way someone else has been, is now seen, and has been moved up. The problem with that is it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be considered – that there will be a turn for you. Because what if somebody else jumps?

[00:04:18] What that really means is they haven’t thought really carefully about it, but something is going on that is giving them pause. So you need to figure out what that is.

The Rules Have Changed (And You Need To Meet New Ones)

[00:04:28] It could also mean that something has changed internally. So I see this a lot. Maybe some of the more recent partner promotions in the last two, three, or four years haven’t gone as well. Those people aren’t bringing in business. And there are more concerns. And it may not have been a requirement that you had your own book or any, you know, or that you had to really show that you were capable of growing a book.

[00:04:50] Until now. That has changed.

It could mean that the firm is tightening criteria because of slowing growth or they’ve shifted some strategy. It could be because there’s new leadership or committee dynamics that have changed what quote, unquote, partner material means. So again, this is something you need to find out if this is the case, because there are new metrics that you don’t really know that you probably haven’t been meeting. And you need to figure out what they are.

You’re Being Tested

[00:05:21] And it could also mean they’re buying some time. They don’t want to say no yet, but for whatever reason, they’re not quite ready to say yes, and they’re testing you.

So some of those other things we’ve already talked about, where something is missing, there is something they want to see that exists. But they are proactively trying to see how you are going to react, whether you’ll push back, whether you’ll quietly accept. They don’t want to see quiet acceptance because it doesn’t really mean wait your turn in this situation. They want to see proactive action-taking.

[00:05:56] They also don’t want to see you demanding that you make partner or making threats. They want to see you, though, take control, take ownership, and move forward in a more positive way for yourself, your career, and the firm.

So that is what wait your turn could mean. And it’s exactly why you shouldn’t just wait your turn. Waiting often feels safe because it’s what we’ve been doing. We just kind of play by the current rules. We keep going, we bill hard, we make good money, we do well for the firm. But it’s super risky for obvious reasons, given what I just told you.

How Waiting (Passively) Is Likely To Be Interpreted

[00:06:31] So the thing to know is silence, doing nothing. It can be interpreted as a lack of ambition. It can be interpreted as, as a lack of leadership readiness. It can be interpreted as a willingness to accept whatever is offered. And time passes quickly. Goalposts can move without warning. So you need a mindset shift.

You need to understand that partnership is not a reward for endurance. It’s not a reward for being a good lawyer and billing a lot of hours. It’s actually a business decision.

What To Do When You Hear “Wait Your Turn”

And business decisions respond to clarity, visibility, and sponsorship. So what does that mean?

Clarity, Visibility & Sponsors

You need to be crystal clear about what you stand for, what your practice is going to be, and where you want to stand within this firm moving forward.

[00:07:20] And once you’re clear on that, you need to have some visibility. You need to get out there, you need to talk to people. You need to ensure that people know what you bring to the table.

And by the way, that’s internal and external. So some of that is client development, BD related, and some of that is internal networking.

[00:07:38] And that leads us to what I call sponsorship. You need sponsors. You need people who are in your corner who will sing your praises and have power.

Taking Control to Get Clarity, Create Visibility & Get Sponsors: A Mindset Shift

So what you need is to actually take control. And taking control is really just you owning your own trajectory by turning ambiguity into specifics and treating this as an inflection point. It is an opportunity to take control and make your case for partnership. This is a mindset shift. Y’ all see this as an opportunity.

[00:08:10] No, you’re not ready for whatever reason. And even if this is one of those firms that really is, just wait your turn. Well, showcase to them why your turn really is next. This is your opportunity.

Ask The Right Questions

So what do you need to do to take control? Well, you need to ask some questions.

[00:08:29] Your goal is to get clarity, not to get reassurance. I think one of the biggest mistakes I see in attorneys who are trying to ask questions is they phrase them in a way where they get reassurance that they’re on the right track, and it’ll come. No, you need to get in there and ask the hard questions about what does wait your turn really mean?

• What is it you’re looking for?
• What weaknesses do you see that I could be working on in the meantime?
• How could I make the best case for partnership next go round?
• What would you like to see within the next six to 12 months to make the case?

Identify Decision-Makers, Potential Sponsors, & People Not In Your Corner

And you need to understand who is actually making this decision.

[00:09:08] Who might be holding you back? Are there people who are singing your praises, but others who are not, who are in the room and making those decisions? Your job is to figure that out, and to figure out who the real decision-makers are to ensure you are either getting in front of them and making your case.

And by the way, it’s not arguing your case, it’s doing the things, finding out what the criteria is, and actually doing the things and making sure those things are known. That is making your case. But you need to be doing it in front of the right people.

[00:09:43] And let me just say that if you start asking these questions, who’s making the decisions? Is there Anybody who isn’t 100% on board? What weaknesses do you see? How can I make the best case within the next six to 12 months if they are not willing to answer those questions? That is information that you need to take seriously. Because often that means they do not want to tell you the truth, that you may not be in line for whatever reason. So you need to push a little further.

Build Your Plan

[00:10:10] All right, so your next step on what to do after you’ve asked the questions is you need to take that information and build a plan.

This is about your long-term career, right? Not somebody else’s, so this plan should be built by you, based on the information that you’ve gathered and what you actually want to achieve.

[00:10:34] So the core components you need to understand the metrics, what are the billables, what are the originations you might need or managing credit, what collections do they need to see? What, what leadership and firm citizenship items might they want you to be doing in addition to what you’ve already done? What relationships do you need to strengthen or develop?

And then the intangibles: judgment, presence, trust, and influence. Those are all things that the powers that be, I like to call them, will look at when they’re trying to determine whether you’re ready for partnership, where do you stack up?

[00:11:14] So let’s go back above on those questions that you’re asking. When you ask those basic questions, what do you want to see from me? What weaknesses do you see? Where can I shore things up? As people start to talk, dig deeper, and find out what they really mean. Ask about the intangibles, you know, the judgment on deals or cases. Ask about being able to step up more and have higher levels of responsibility and ownership on deals and cases.

Find out about presence, find out about what clients say about you. Find out about trust. Who trusts you?

Why do they trust you? How can you lean into that more? How can you use that to your advantage? Find out about influence. And influence isn’t just about, you know, having power. It’s about, do people listen to you when you have something to say.

[00:12:04] These are the things that you want to understand. So that’s a core component and that’s what those questions are organized towards. Then you need to have a plan, put a plan together to actually address the metrics and the intangibles.

[00:12:21] And within that plan have a defined timeline, right? So specific review points. Know what success looks like at each checkpoint. It really depends on what, whether it’s metrics or intangibles or a little bit of both, what metrics, what intangibles that you are working towards developing further.

[00:12:40] And then you need to have accountability. So who is it that would be the best person or persons to go to for feedback, to ask questions, to have mentorship around these things? And then who would it be to get not just feedback on mentorship, but feedback on are you doing enough?

Recruit Sponsors

And let me just note, this brings us into another level. You need more than mentors; you need sponsors.

[00:13:11] I’ve talked about this before on making partner and all the different criteria that people look at, and I am going to link to that because today is a little bit more about how to deal with, wait your turn, and how to think about it, and the mindset shift around it. And then digging a little bit deeper. But you really need to go back and listen to that episode as well, because it’s going to give you a lot more specifics around the things that they’re looking at, which will give you a better idea of the kinds of questions you want to ask and how to put your plan together.

And one of the things I go into there is you need sponsors. So sponsors aren’t just mentors. Mentors can be sponsors, but not all mentors are sponsors. So mentors are the people who give advice, who understand the firm well enough to be able to give good advice and feedback and listen to you and are willing to listen to you. Sponsors have political capital.

[00:14:07] They are the people who are advocating for you when you’re not around, who have power within that firm. So others listen. You need to have at least one, maybe more, depending on how big your firm is and how it works within your firm.

Sponsors, you’ve got to have sponsors. And again, mentors are not necessarily sponsors. Some are. Many sponsors don’t want to be mentors. They’re too busy. But they’re willing to meet with you occasionally and give you feedback. And they want you to be reporting to them regularly on what it is you’re doing so that they’re aware and they can sponsor you.

So you need to identify who those people are and you need to make sure they’re lined up.

[00:14:50] This means being super intentional about your relationships. You gotta deepen your relationships with decision makers in your firm. And if you don’t have any real relationships with decision makers, you need to figure out what who make sense for you to start building those relationships and quickly deepen them. You need to align with partners who benefit from your success, who can be cheerleaders for you. Because even if they’re not sponsors, they may have direct, you know, the direct ear of a sponsor. And it’s great when sponsors hear about you. Positive things, of course, from others.

[You need to make it easy for others to start championing you.

Know This: Your Legal Skills Aren’t Enough

[00:15:31] Now, a couple more things that I do cover more in depth in that partnership episode that I mentioned earlier, being excellent at your job is necessary, but it’s not sufficient. Keep in mind that in order to be promoted to partnership for most law firms, you want to show that you have real business acumen.

You want to show that you’re good at client strategy and growth thinking, like thinking forward, thinking about how to grow the clients within that firm or within your section.

You want to make sure that you also showcase that you are good at strategic thinking, forward thinking, and long-term thinking for your clients in the role that you play. So it’s not just about legal strategy, it’s about the business and the risks and the risk-reward of the options, that type of thing. You want to show that you have the ability to collaborate with others, especially across practices, if you have a bigger firm, if you’re inside of a bigger firm.

[00:16:34] And you want to show that you can lead beyond your specific matters. So leadership is important in your role as an attorney, like management and leading your team, but so is leadership within the firm itself. And you want to be somewhat active and showcase that you care enough about the firm and that you have some desires to give back.

So one thing I like to ask, or have my clients ask, really is: Am I seen as indispensable? How would they feel if I left tomorrow?

[00:17:07] And if you don’t know how to answer that or you’re not answering it in a way that’s like, “I am pretty indispensable, and they’d be very upset if I left tomorrow,” you need to make yourself so that you can be that way.

This Is Also About Having Options

The other thing that I would note, last little note here, is you want to protect your options.

[00:17:23] So remember that this is a sustainable whole practice, whole life strategy, regardless of where you are practicing. If, for whatever reason, this firm doesn’t end up being the firm that you make partner or even want to make partner, you want to ensure that what you’re doing is building your skills. It’s not just for the here and now, it’s for you. It’s for your long-term practice. So keep that in mind.

It will help open up more doors and open up more opportunities if you have that mindset.

[00:17:57] And I do think that when you’re hearing wait your turn, it isn’t a bad idea to kind of assess quietly behind the scenes market interest, your portable value, and you know, really sit back and think, does this firm align with my goals and values? Because that could have changed over time as well.

Okay, don’t just wait your turn. Take ownership of your own career. Create your path forward by figuring out what do they want to see? How can I improve my chances? Get those sponsors behind you. Do all you can to ensure you don’t hear wait your turn again.

That is it for today. We’ll be back next week. Bye for now.