As the director of professional resources at Torys LLP, a business law firm in Toronto, Canada, Deborah Dalfen was immersed in the day-to-day demands of her job. Taking time out to attend the Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education program Leading Professional Service Firms, she found the opportunity to step back, consider challenges more strategically, and begin to implement changes that will build even greater strength in her firm and its people.
When you are at work, you don't have the luxury of time to think about the big picture. You are putting out fires, dealing with crises, and attending to people's needs. It's extremely useful to be able to step out of your day-to-day routine, so you can think through how to handle some of the issues you face on a daily basis in a more strategic way.
I found it extremely valuable to be surrounded by people in professional service firms who were grappling with the same issues as I was. I learned a great deal because I could hear from others in organizations similar to mine, acquire a structure for thinking about issues analytically, and be guided in that analysis by expert faculty who are immersed in these ways of thinking on a daily basis. With their help, I was able to address the issues in a meaningful way, so I could implement changes in my organization and really have an impact.
The cases we studied clearly demonstrated the benefits an organization can reap from developing its people. Our firm is a very kind and decent place where people are very supportive of one another. But sometimes, in their effort to be kind, our partners and other senior people do not provide enough feedback. In my view, however, true kindness includes providing constructive developmental feedback. At HBS, I learned that we all struggle with that—but that this kind of feedback is very important. It's crucial for people's development, as well as for the longevity of the firm. When people don't know what they need to do differently to improve and get to the next level, it's very hard for them to get there.
I know now that I need to do two things—become more comfortable providing constructive feedback and having difficult conversations, and also do a better job of encouraging and training others to do the same. With the support of my management team, I've started down that path.