Washington Lawyer - January/February 2022 - 26

FEATURE
development and
change from Johns
Hopkins University and
built a new career
focused on designing
and implementing
growth and development
strategies for
organizations and individuals.
After 10 years
as a law firm senior
talent development
professional, she
founded ATSG in 2014
to provide coaching
for attorneys and other
professionals on strategies
to take charge of
and steer their careers
in more satisfying
directions.
JELAHN STEWART
Vice President of Global Ethics, Walmart
Bryce, now chief legal
talent officer and chief
diversity officer at D.C.based
Steptoe &
Johnson LLP, was a rising star with more than seven years' experience in
law firm and in-house practice when she took stock of her options and
ultimately decided to deploy her talents where they brought her the
greatest satisfaction. She chose entrepreneurship, founding Bryce Legal
in 2004 to focus on career coaching, résumé writing, and executive
branding. She still heads her company, but on a limited schedule since
joining Steptoe.
Bryce and Horowitz emphasize that finding a good fit and being motivated
to put in the time to achieve one's goals are essential. For those
seeking an advisor, Bryce suggests considering a coach's longevity in
the field, reputation, coaching approach, experience with particular
career development objectives, and recommendations from friends and
colleagues. Coaching may not solve all career satisfaction problems,
however; occasionally a client struggles to make progress, but coaches
say other life issues are often behind the difficulties. They advise these
clients to come back when they can re-focus on their professional lives.
Horowitz says those who often report the best results are willing to " selfreflect,
be curious, and think outside the box " about career alternatives.
UNLOCKING POSSIBILITIES
A good coach will tailor services to each client's individual needs and
objectives, working collaboratively to bring out the best in the client's
talents and skills. Many coaches start with a painstaking and detailed
résumé and work history review that helps clients discover the real value
of their accomplishments. This process organically brings client strengths
and preferences to the surface while building self-knowledge and confidence.
Other common coaching services include interview and presentation
preparation, career path planning and positioning, and guidance
with troublesome work-related personnel interactions and performance
issues.
26 WASHINGTON LAWYER * JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
Working with a coach isn't a quick career fix, but lawyers who've worked
well with a coach say it was unquestionably worth the time and money.
After 12 years with a communications company, technology lawyer
Beth Anderson was in search of career growth. She hired Horowitz after
meeting her at a conference and embarked on a " methodical " approach
to finding her next role. Coaching prompted Anderson to deeply examine
her skills and interests, explore different practice environments through
informational interviews, optimize her résumé, and hone key job interview
talking points. Anderson says Horowitz's coaching was both challenging
and invaluable. " She really listens to you; her follow-up questions
show she hears what you're saying. It's not one-size-fits-all, " she says.
The senior energy law partner who worked with Bryce for six months
on practice and business development techniques says Bryce helped
him " draw out the full significance " of his work as they collaborated on
rewriting his résumé, firm webpage bio, and LinkedIn profile. He still
checks in with her periodically and says he has permanently retooled
and reoriented his networking, presentation, and client engagement
capabilities - both virtually and traditionally - as a result of his experience
working with Bryce.
Stewart and Coley also credit Bryce for helping them elevate their
careers. After years as a government lawyer, Stewart was unsure how her
experience would translate to the private sector. Following several
sessions with Bryce, Stewart realized she had " very marketable skills "
derived from her previous government leadership and management
responsibilities. Stewart says that the exercise of reviewing her work
history in-depth and presenting the details effectively made her realize
the value and significance of her accomplishments.
Coley worked with Bryce after repeatedly hearing her name at professional
conferences. She says Bryce helped her feel well-prepared for a
daunting and lengthy
simulated workday
interview.
SHANTIA COLEY
Financial Institution Attorney
Van Rijn, the former IP
lawyer, knew after 17
years in practice that
she needed a career
change. After hearing
Horowitz speak at a
conference, Van Rijn
hired her to work long
distance over three
months on transitioning
into a new
career in law practice
management. Van Rijn
discovered through
coaching that her " side
job " handling day-today
practice operations
for her prior employer
translated into a career
in which she could
thrive. She says
Horowitz helped her
gain focus on a new
Nids Creations
Courtesy of Shantia Coley
Washington Lawyer - January/February 2022

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