These two sources are defining their take on an activity in which people engage on a daily basis: socializing.
According to Smith, attorneys socializing with employees can be beneficial for the law practice. “Employees want to know if they can trust the people they work for," he says. "Trust can be built or tarnished through interactions.”
When pleasant interactions between the lawyer and their support staff don’t occur, the assistant can develop a perception of distrust, Smith says. “They don’t know who you are and whether they can trust you.”
Lonnie Sciambi, owner of Small Business Force, a consulting firm for companies of various sizes, agreed that socializing between lawyers and their assistants is important. Sciambi, who refers to himself as The Entrepreneur’s Yoda, said that socializing by day generally consists of discussing “things going on or sharing coffee.” At night, however, socializing can take a different bent.
When Sciambi was a small business owner at different junctions in his career, he made it a point of interacting one-on-one with each employee at least twice a year. He did so to not only keep the lines of communication open but also to reassure employees he valued their suggestions and cared about them and their success.
“With that in mind, you don’t want to be your employee’s pal,” he cautioned.
Keeping Your Distance
“There are things to share and things not to share, like how long you rolled in the hay last night,” says Hillard Abroms, a solo practitioner in Columbus, Ohio. Sharing such personal information with an employee can be tantamount to sexual harassment, and that is certainly territory a lawyer does not want to delve into.
“Lawyers need to remember they operate by permission of a license that can be jerked," he says. "Beyond the ethical and legal directives lawyers must operate within, we must also behave with moral turpitude.”
Abroms is adamant that attorneys need to be wary about their behavior, regardless of with whom an interaction occurs. “If you’re going to do something questionable or illegal, keep it to yourself. Otherwise, that’s like having a gun to your head,” he cautioned.
Sciambi agreed that good judgment is of paramount importance when it comes to attorneys socializing with their staff. Again, referring to the days when he ran companies of 50 or so employees, Sciambi urged attorneys “not to let people into your personal business.”
Still, he admitted, there is a fine line. “Interaction is important but you don’t want to be everyone’s friend,” he says. Whether a lawyer heads a large firm or is a solo practitioner, they are still the boss. Sometimes, the role of a company owner or law firm director is to discipline or fire employees who don’t perform, so it’s best not to be your employee’s best friend, Sciambi says.
“Make sure you have the right intentions and be wary of your surroundings. Make sure there are enough witnesses to see what’s transpiring” so there is never a question that your interactions with your subordinates is consistently professional and appropriate, Smith says.
Surprisingly, he says, even lawyers who represent clients in wrongful discharge and employment discrimination cases can get caught up with being too cozy with co-workers. “Attorneys make the same mistakes as other people," Smith says. "They are part of the human race just like everyone else.”
One way to ensure a lawyer doesn’t cross the line with employees is for them to keep their wits about them when social interactions occur. “Don’t be the last person to close the bar down,” urged Smith.
Tami Kamin Meyer is an Ohio attorney and writer.