You’ve probably heard about the four Cs of a diamond — cut, color, clarity, and carat. What you may have never heard of are the four Cs of being in-house counsel: competency, curiosity, communication, and connections.

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1. Competency

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This C is probably the easiest to understand and try to improve — your technical legal skill and knowledge base. Lots of firms and bar associations offer free continuing legal education, and there are so many conferences and summits from which to choose. Other easy ways to try to level up include subscribing to your favorite substantive blogs, reading law firm alerts, and taking copious notes when you work with your outside counsel.

2. Curiosity

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This C is often overlooked, if considered at all. And I get it. It is challenging to stay curious and ask questions when your to-do list is never-ending, and you just want to get through that inbox, your tasks list, or the projects you have on your desk. At the same time, part of our value as in-house counsel is to have credible opinions, which can only be had by being observant, curious, and asking questions, even if you may have preliminary opinions. For this C, check out “Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know” by Adam Grant. I love the perspective that having an open and curious mind is an understated superpower.

3. Communication

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Polishing communication skills may look differently for different people — but a necessary skill all around. Some may want to work on their writing; others may want to work on how they communicate with pertinent stakeholders and ensuring timely follow up. For those who want to work on public speaking or presentation skills, you may want to consider joining Toastmasters. For this C, check out “The Credibility Code” by Cara Hale Alter.

4. Connections

This is another C that is often overlooked, but it can really set you apart as in-house counsel. One of the roles of in-house counsel is to act as conveners of business stakeholders, especially at large organizations when work can often get siloed. If legal is trusted to get “seats” at the various tables throughout the business, they often can connect business units together who may be working on similar endeavors. To polish this C, get into the regular habit of having coffee or lunch outside of legal, with people from various parts of the business. Take the time to develop and cultivate relationships and be helpful, even if not from the legal perspective.

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There is no need to try to polish all four Cs at once. Choose one to focus on for 2023 or address one each quarter. With a little intention and effort, taking the time to polish these Cs can help your career shine.

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Meyling “Mey” Ly Ortiz is in-house at Toyota Motor North America. Her passions include mentoring, championing belonging, and a personal blog: TheMeybe.com. At home, you can find her doing her best to be a “fun” mom to a toddler and preschooler and chasing her best self on her Peloton. You can follow her on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/meybe/). And you knew this was coming: her opinions are hers alone.

Topics

In-House Counsel, Meyling "Mey" Ly Ortiz, Professional Development