Michelle Edwards - Prompt 2

How do you build a practice that is focused on the people? How will you build a practice that __?

Over the past week, I spoke with Ben about our prompt and we decided to talk about the people in the office. We collectively agreed that people are the most important aspect of the entire firm, and building a practice that is focused on them is something that I feel very passionate about.

What I have come to realize in this internship and in others, is the fact that the bottom line sometimes competes with the well-being of the people in the firm. Size of the firm has an impact on this, yes, but coming from a medium-sized firm of around 65 to Cummings & McCrady which has 3, I have noticed that both have great but slightly different qualities. At C&M, Ben compared the firm and the dialog between everyone to be somewhat like a family. Everyone knows everyone else's loved ones and cares about their well being. He pointed out that although they could probably use a couple more employees right now, he doesn't believe in just hiring blindly when in need, and then when things slow down, letting them go. That's why, he says, he only hires people that he thinks will fit in and be with the firm for a very long time - Everyone here has been with C&M for over 20 years each. So when the recession hit in 2007, instead of laying anyone off or drastically reducing salaries, Ben and the others decided to save a lot of money in rent by moving off the peninsula and into West Ashley. We also talked about how the firm is very flexible because there is little risk in losing a good employee because they seem to always come back. For instance, one of the guys here took 6 months to go build a house, while another takes a month off every year to go travelling.

In my past internship with HKS in Washington DC, I took the opportunity to jump in and help plan some of the extracurricular events either in the office or held outside the office. Whether it was the firm camping trip, fundraising and coordinating for the Bike to the Beach Century Ride, or merely organizing the firm's summer Copa HKS foosball tournament - I realized further that it isn't the work that makes you love a place.

I was offered a position at HKS after I graduate and I plan on taking it. I thought about it for a while, and realized I couldn't think of a single thing that I didn't like about the place. Although it has about 60 more people that C&M, I still knew everyone's name, went to lunch with them, played foosball and volleyball with them etc, etc. The point is, it's still just a huge extended family. I plan to continue to help build a practice that makes people always want to come back, or be unable to find a reason not to, and it all starts with the thoughtful and strategic hiring process that finds people who jive with everyone else.

**I promise I wrote this 5 days before it was due - just kept forgetting to post!