Informal learning of management skills among lawyers in a large law firm practice

The recent transformation of the legal industry generates pressure for lawyers to develop strategies for managing, but few firms offer training to help lawyers assume managerial roles. An assumption of this study is that lawyers who demonstrate good management learn the skills informally on the job. This study explores (1) how lawyers learn to manage, (2) what they learn, and (3) the factors that influence their learning.; Qualitative methods were used to collect the data, including critical incidents, in-depth interviews and document analysis of the case study site. To analyze the data, Robert Katz's (1995) framework of management competence was modified to distinguish between technical and interpersonal skills utilized for the short-term achievement of tasks and for the long-term development of the individuals being supervised.; A multiplicity of relationships are important for lawyers learning about their managerial roles, but they initiate much of their learning alone through observation, trial and error, role modeling and analogous experiences. The participants describe a four phase process of learning from experience: (1) acquiring and (2) interpreting their experience, (3) taking action through trial and error or role modeling and finally (4) confirming or reevaluating their experience. Some learning occurs by osmosis at an unconscious level of awareness while some learning occurs at a more conscious, and sometimes reflective, level.; The circumstances of the work situation influence the practices that participants will adopt. The weakness of scientific management and human relations theory is not to recognize how circumstances can influence the relative importance of technical and interpersonal management. There may be professions where technical versus interpersonal skills take precedence, but both skills generally are necessary for effective management performance.; Also, participants tend to develop a managerial style consistent with their perceptions about personal style. The majority of the participants believe learning either technical or interpersonal management skills came more easily. Their orientation towards a technical versus an interpersonal managerial style corresponds with their preference for creating hierarchical versus collaborative structures in their supervisory relationships. This is a significant factor for practitioners to consider in their endeavors to support professionals in learning management skills in a range of organizational contexts.