WIG #1
FURTHER UP, FURTHER IN
I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here.
This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never
knew it till now . . . . Come further up, come further in!
C.S. Lewis, Chronicles of Narnia
Several IADC members returned a couple months ago from an epic, high-altitude hiking adventure in the Peruvian Andes. When they unfurled the IADC flag atop a 16,000-foot summit, they must have marveled that their friendship, tested and strengthened as they climbed up and into the rugged, snow-capped mountains, would not have developed but for their engagement in the IADC.
Their story is not unique. IADC members have traveled the world together, but the connections strike deeper than travel. We have co-counseled cases, collaborated on projects, joined each other’s law firms and companies, and attended the weddings of members’ children—in at least one instance, children who married each other after meeting at an IADC event. For more than 100 years, we have encouraged and learned from one another, we have faced perilous, uncertain times together, and we have laughed and cried together. Mostly, we have laughed. And in the process, relationships—real relationships—have been forged.
Of course, IADC membership is not inexpensive, and members must justify their involvement to their law firms, companies, and colleagues. Unfortunately, relationships can’t be measured on a graph or calculated on a spreadsheet. To address that concern, a cross-section of IADC members were asked this question: What one thing could the organization do to increase the value of your membership? The responses were virtually unanimous: increase business referrals.
Armed with that input, the Board of Directors announced two “wildly important goals” (WIGs) for this leadership year: (1) increase member engagement and (2) increase member satisfaction with business referrals. The two goals are closely related: engagement leads to relationships, and relationships lead to referrals.
It pays to develop relationships with your fellow IADC members; they are the trusted advisors to leading companies around the world. And it pays for your fellow IADC members to develop relationships with you as you begin to Think IADC First as a trusted advisor to your own clients. I will touch on relationships and referrals more in depth later, but...
It all starts with engagement. Like anything in life, you get out of the IADC exactly what you put into it. So here’s the message--engage! Don’t wait to be asked—raise your hand and volunteer. This is your invitation—the table is open to everyone.
Engage how? Join Substantive Law Committees that fit your practice areas and take part in their monthly meetings. Volunteer to speak and write. Participate in virtual offerings, and when safe and authorized to do so, attend in-person meetings. IADC relationships can be maintained from afar, but they blossom in person. Take a few minutes and introduce yourself to the entire membership by filling out the Member Spotlight Form. View this additional list of ways you can get the most out of your membership.
If you have questions about how to engage, ask your IADC Ambassador. Don’t have an Ambassador? No problem. Just reach out to T.C. Bastin, Membership Manager, and one will be appointed for you.
Already engaged in the organization? Great! Now go further up and further in. Ask for opportunities to increase your involvement. Seek leadership positions. Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer. The more engaged you become in the organization, the more your relationships will multiply and deepen. And business referrals—both to you and from you—will flow naturally from those relationships.
I’ll conclude with a word of caution. Many members report a strange phenomenon as they develop deep and lasting relationships with their IADC colleagues: their friendships become more important than the referrals. The IADC members pictured with the association’s flag at the top of a mountain might say it this way: new members join the IADC for the referrals, but they stay for the relationships. Either way, the first step is engagement.
I’ll see you further up and further in.
Spencer H. Silverglate
IADC President
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WIG #2
The two WIGs the Board of Directors are focusing on this leadership year are to increase member engagement, which I touched on in my last email, and increase member satisfaction with business referrals. These two goals go hand-in-hand: engagement leads to relationships, and relationships lead to referrals. Going all in and getting engaged in the Association will give you those opportunities to create real relationships -- both professional and personal.
So, how do referrals flow from relationships?
Let me tell you in my video message below.
IADC members are the best of the best of the worldwide civil defense bar—advocates who represent business and insurance interests across the globe.
The next time you need assistance in a jurisdiction or practice area outside of your own, I hope you'll Think IADC First. With the talent and expertise of our members, you can be confident your client will be well represented.
If you are looking for a specific lawyer, someone who specializes in a particular area, or practices in a certain jurisdiction, use the IADC online membership directory. The directory makes it simple to quickly search and locate fellow members by name, area of practice, geographic location, and firm or company name.
You can also post on the IADC Communities platform -- either in a Community you are a member of or in the all member general forum. This platform connects you to our 2,500 members instantly.
Many of our members are already using our global network as a business resource. Hear about successful referrals on the Think IADC First page on the IADC website.
So look for these ways to utilize and add to your IADC business network. The more you get involved, the more we all gain.
Spencer H. Silverglate
IADC President