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It’s no secret that how we work has changed since the global pandemic disrupted our lives. In addition to the most obvious change of remote work being a greater part of our working lives, professional development has become an important component of how businesses attract and retain staff as employee scarcity in America has made the market extremely competitive.
Law firms in particular are responding to the demands of increasingly empowered employees for continued learning and motivational tools by bringing in experts with unique perspectives and knowledge to support the growth of their teams. Beyond the American market, we at Interfor are hearing more about the interest from German law firms in helping to grow the professional skills of their employees.
Interfor International has stepped into this gap in the market with its own unique perspective on professional development. We recently launched the Interfor Academy to help our clients benefit from the wisdom of the wide range of experts it regularly works with. These experts are all from the security world, most with elite government experience. Some of the experts include the following:
- Bob Grenier: Long-time CIA veteran and former head of the famed Counter-Terrorism Center.
- Mark Sullivan: Former Director of the U.S. Secret Service.
- Stephen Romano: Former Chief Hostage Negotiator for the FBI.
Each of these experts has unique perspectives on the world and a variety of professional skills based on their specialized background. Bob Grenier, for instance, has a passion for discussing the ethics of spies. While this idea might sound counter-intuitive for those used to seeing spies engaged in a variety of dark arts through sensationalized stories in popular culture, Bob points out that CIA case officers are actually governed by both a detailed code of a conduct as well as a strong sense of personal morality and mission that the Agency augments through guidance and counselling. Bob shares with clients how the Agency achieves this in its spies and helps organizations to clarify ethical guidelines and create a similar sense of mission.
Another program popular with law firms is Sell Like a Spy, a program created by Jeremy Hurewitz, Head of Interfor Academy. This program brings the tradecraft of intelligence officers to the world of business with a focus on how to connect and influence. Law firms are gravitating towards this program to help support the “emotional intelligence” (a growing buzzword in American workplaces) of their new associates. It has also proven to be a popular segment for partner off-sites to help experienced lawyers to grow their commercial acumen and develop their client base.
The Interfor Academy is also offering uniquely curated events that leverage multiple experts to provide highly differentiated experiences for conferences or team meetings.
Some examples of these popular events include the following:
Guard your most valuable asset – your reputation
Shannon Wilkinson and I speak to law firms about one of the most important risk management processes to invest in. Together, we are two of the world’s leading experts on reputation management, and lead enthralling discussions on how to best navigate personal and professional lives to avoid bad surprises, manage negative experiences, and develop your reputation into the asset it should be. With cutting-edge views on the role of technology and colorful anecdotes to learn from, this panel provides executives with tools to manage an essential asset — your reputation.
Survive & thrive
Steve Romano and Tzviel “BK” Blankchtein provide unforgettable lessons on how to manage and mitigate workplace violence scenarios and how to prepare for a variety of different crises. Between Steve’s decades of experience managing high profile hostage situations for the FBI as well as corporate kidnap-for-ransom cases, and BK’s years of experience in both the Israeli Defense Forces and training American law enforcement and corporate clients, these two have seen it all. They keep their audiences captivated with thrilling stories and practical insights on how to deal with threats and plan for different types of corporate crises.
Diversity & strength
Matt Horace and Chiko Scozzafava’s fascinating careers have many lessons for us. In the American workplace the idea of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) are trending buzzwords deeply impacting hiring and corporate culture. Chiko’s experience as a woman of color in the male-dominated security world has seen her thrive in the Secret Service and as a Chief Security Officer. Matt’s background as a black man in law enforcement and now in the corporate security world has provided him with highly sought-after lessons in this space. Both have helped organizations develop diverse teams based on diversity as a source of strength and part of an organization’s evolution and innovation strategy, and together make for a uniquely compelling conversation on these essential issues.
Social changes throughout the world have led businesses to realize that they serve a social component beyond just making money. One of the ways these changes have manifested is that business have a growing mandate to keep their employees on a learning curve, with professional growth a critical component of a satisfied workforce.
Law firms need to keep up with this trend to create loyalty and professional fulfillment amongst their employees, and to arm those employees with innovative ideas and motivational tools for them to succeed in their roles.
