There’s the work you do. Then there’s the number attached to it.
Alot of senior Black lawyers can tell you, in detail, how good their work is. Ask them their utilisation rate, their WIP, their BD conversion rate — and the fluency disappears.
It shows up in small ways first. You’re behind on your time recording. You assume the hours you’re putting in are “enough.” You’re constantly being chased for your numbers instead of leading with them. You believe the promotion is owed to you because of how hard you’ve worked.
It’s not that the hard work doesn’t matter. It’s that hard work was never the whole conversation.
Here’s the truth nobody tells you early enough: every decision your firm makes about you is a numbers decision. Yes, as a junior, you were judged on the quality of your work. But the more senior you get, the more that shifts — until the quality of your numbers, as far as the partnership is concerned, is the quality of your work
If “I’m not a numbers person” just came to mind, that’s expected. It’s also not true. It’s just a thought. So choose a new one and adopt it as your identity: I am good with numbers.
In this episode, I walk through exactly which numbers to know — billable hours, utilisation rate, invoicing, billing, WIP and receivables, business generated and referrals, your BD conversion rate — and the tracking system that makes staying fluent in them automatic, not another thing to remember.
Know your numbers, and you become more valuable. More valuable makes you more promotable.
Listen to the full episode now
P.S. Inside Be The First Coaching Programme, you learn to know your numbers and articulate your value in language your firm already understands. It’s built for the mid-to-senior level Black lawyer who want to progress. Enrolment for the September class opens soon — book a free strategy call with me to talk through your next steps. Click here to book.
