Direction: The question no one asks before going for partner

Only 44% of professionals pursuing partnership have truly considered whether the partner role is right for them and made an informed decision about it. More than half are moving towards one of the biggest career commitments of their lives without ever properly asking: is this what I actually want?

This episode covers the second of the 12 key indicators of partnership readiness: Direction. Using the real story of a lawyer who only discovered the partnership wasn't right for her when a hard choice forced the question, this episode explores what it means to have genuine clarity about your direction, and why getting this wrong is, as one expert puts it, a fate worse than not making partner at all.

In this episode you will learn:

- Why the culture of professional services firms makes it easy to pursue partnership by default rather than by choice, and the cost of that

- What the three components of Direction are (vision, values and purpose) and why you need all three before you can make an informed decision about partner

- The realities of the partner role that often come as a surprise, and the question you should be asking yourself about each of them

- What due diligence on your firm actually means, and why most people skip it on the day the offer comes through

Take the Partnership Readiness Assessment

Free to complete, 15–20 minutes, and gives you a personalised report across all 12 key indicators: https://www.howtomakepartner.com/partnership-readiness-assessment/

Buy Poised for Partnership - https://amzn.to/3ETEYk3

What help is out there for you to progress your career in the professions?

The Progress to Partner Academy is curated by key indicator. If Direction is where you need to focus, you'll find everything in one place:

Inside the Direction indicator, you’ll find practical support to help you get clear on where you are heading, what matters most now, and how to turn career development into something that actually happens.

You’ll find video webinars on:

How to get unstuck if you are at a career crossroadsHow to make sure your career development actually happensWhat to do if you’re getting overwhelmed with how to develop your careerWhy goals often don’t work when it comes to progressing your career

You’ll also find the course:

How to Truly Commit to Moving Your Career Forward

This is a foundation course for your career progression. It helps you create the time, space and habits to work on your career consistently, rather than leaving it to chance.

Inside the course, you’ll work through how to:

Create time each week to focus on your career planBuild a career plan you feel motivated and energised to implementCreate habits that support your progressionSet your first One Big Focus, so you know exactly what to prioritise over the next 90 days

This course will also help you get more from the rest of the courses, workbooks, short videos.

Use code PODCAST10 for 10% off annual membership: https://www.howtomakepartner.com/get-progress-to-partner/

Books mentioned

Poised for Partnership by Heather Townsend - https://amzn.to/3ETEYk3

How to Make Partner and Still Have a Life by Heather Townsend and Jo Larbie - https://amzn.to/4iLxugM

The Trusted Advisor by David Maister, Charles H. Green and Robert Galford - https://amzn.eu/d/057k24Iq