New York Lawyer
June 3, 2004

Q:
Another partner and I think alike about firm management and direction issues but often hold a minority opinion. I�ve begun to think that we are identified too much with each other and hurt our "causes." I was expressing an opinion the other day to another partner, and he said dismissively, "Oh, you sound just like Ron when you say that."

Am I right to be concerned about this? What can I do?

Submit Your Question

Find More Answers

A:

Being an effective advocate within your workplace -- as opposed to advocating for your clients -- is often tricky and requires negotiating difficult political twists and turns.

If you are a minority voice you will always have difficulty carrying the day. Therefore establishing an independent persona is critically important. You first need to evaluate whether the issues in question are truly so important that you want to change the perception others have of you. If these are minor issues it might not be worth the trouble, but if they are major points, it could be.

You can start to establish a more independent role by doing some simple things: don�t sit next to each other a meetings, don�t be seen together too often, don�t lunch together every day without others. Most important, show that you can disagree now and then. Publicly speak up and say, "I don�t agree with what Ron said, I think we should do things in another way." While this may seem antithetical to friendship, remember that you are in a law firm, not socializing, which often requires more calculation than in everyday life. At the same time, make sure to coordinate this plan with Ron. You don�t want to jeopardize a friendship in what sounds like a somewhat treacherous workplace, so make sure you are on the same page. You can plot this together so that Ron doesn�t misunderstand or have his feelings hurt when you act differently than you have in the past.

At this point the majority of partners may see the two of you as part of an "us and them" dynamic. That allows others to dismiss you and Ron by declaring, "They always say that," meaning that they think your views aren�t thoughtful and careful but instead are preordained due to some predictable ideological agenda. If you ally yourself with the majority now and then, they won�t think of you as "against" them quite so much, and will be more open to your minority opinions.

This is about building trust so that you are seen as a respected participant, not as an outlier. If others believe that you reflexively think in a particular way, and in knee-jerk fashion, they won�t value your input as much as if they think that you evaluate each issue on the merits and come to a decision thoughtfully.

Sincerely,
Holly English
Principal Consultant, Values at Work