Written by My Collaborative Team member, Kristen Goss, Esq.
Last week we read about “A Journey into Getting Started in The Collaborative Process” by Kristen Goss and heard about why she decided to start practicing Collaboratively. This week we hear from Kristen about what to do after you are trained and want to grow your Collaborative community and practice.
After getting trained, I joined the local collaborative practice groups in my surrounding communities. In South Florida, we have many practice groups to choose from and with the addition of virtual meetings, it has made it easier for me to be involved with all the groups in my area, not just one. These groups have been a terrific resource in helping me meet and network with likeminded professionals in my area. In addition to joining the practice groups, I automatically became a member of the Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals (FACP), which is the statewide organization in Florida. In Florida, our statewide organization provides us with educational and networking opportunities that are invaluable to helping me elevate my Collaborative practice. In addition to joining local practice groups and my statewide organization, I also decided to join My Collaborative Team and often attend meetings and happy hours to grow my confidence and competence as a Collaborative professional.
One of the best was to get elevate your practice is to not just join your local and statewide groups but get involved! Within the FACP and the various collaborative practice groups there are a plethora of committees that are seeking volunteers. In deciding what committees to volunteer on, the choice was rather easy. I chose the ones I was most passionate about, i.e., the Outreach Committee of the FACP, the IDEA Committee of the FACP, the Diversity Committee of CFLI, the Collaborative Olympics (a sub-committee of the Outreach Committee), and the Membership Committee of Choose Collaborative. All these committees allow me to showcase the talents and skills that I can bring to my Collaborative colleagues.
In addition to the committees, there are several opportunities to gain practical experience as a collaborative professional. Several of the practice groups have Pro Bono/low bono Projects that offer the opportunity for new members to obtain experience by working on a collaborative case as a professional team member. I do my best to volunteer my time whenever asked, especially when that opportunity was to be a scribe for a Collaborative matter. Again, these are opportunities to show those who may not know you that you are a confident and competent Collaborative Professional.
Finally, any time there is an opportunity to take on a leadership position, I run at the opportunity. Being a leader will always help elevate your professional profile. Currently, I am proud to serve as Chair of the Diversity Committee for CFLI and I am on the Board of the Collaborative Family Law Professionals of South Florida, serving as Secretary.
Everyone’s Collaborative journey and experience is different and shifting your practice can be a challenge. With the right mindset and attitude the journey doesn’t have to be so tough. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and don’t feel like you must reinvent the wheel. Utilize the practices and strategies that have worked for others in the past to help elevate your own Collaborative practice.
