Hi all,
As promised in my last post, I wanted to share a bit about my experience at Associate Partner Orientation the other month.
APO was a whirlwind 2.5 days at our learning center in Norwalk, CT. There were over 100 attendees from all over the world, mostly North America and Europe. It was great to connect with a large network of peers who are going through the same transition.
The program was targeted towards thinking about our individual paths, and also tactically about what goals to set and actions to take to get there. We spent a lot of time in immersion sessions – role plays with a variety of different scenarios that might be typical for an AP to encounter. I always found this section the hardest, but also the one where I probably get the most out of it from practicing in a safe place. They were super helpful to think through how to structure conversations—not just externally with clients, but also internally with fellow leaders and teams.
The other thing that blew me away was the ratio of faculty to participants. There were at least 35 partners, senior partners, and professional coaches who served as faculty. It was impressive and reassuring to experience the sheer dedication and investment in our professional development.
The final day of the program culminated in setting our overall pathway goals, and practical steps to ensure we set out on the journey effectively. We also identified specific actions for the next two weeks and the next six months. Our mini groups from APO will continue to touch base periodically over the next six months to keep ourselves accountable to the goals we set.
Happy spring (to those in the northern hemisphere)! Looking forward to getting in some final spring skiing turns!
Denise