LEA Working with Friends – Pilot
In a new international initiative that focused on collaboration and knowledge exchange amongst Young Professionals from different European LEA member firms, we recently participated in a pilot programme, named Working with Friends (“WWF”). The goal was to create a space where young professionals could learn from each other and grow in their careers, whilst improving their skills and the quality of their firms’ services by sharing experiences and best practices.
Our WWF experience took place in the heart of London at the office of the host firm, HW Fisher. Across two weeks we had the opportunity to gain first-hand insights into the working practices of HW Fisher and were provided with the opportunity to take part in a roundtable discussion alongside partners and senior staff. Together we explored a range of topics, including the recent challenges that businesses are facing, such as the war for talent, the influence of AI, and the new work habits that have emerged since the COVID-19 pandemic. Through further challenges, personal and firm presentations and learning sessions, we learned about the service lines offered by each other’s firms and potential opportunities for cross-collaboration.
Our experience on the programme not only contributed to our professional development but also enabled us to foster stronger personal connections. Through meals out, exploring London and sharing office space, we established friendships and expanded on our networks, setting the stage for future collaborations. We feel that this has been a huge benefit for us and our careers, but also for our firms.
Our hopes are that the project will be an ongoing initiative, continually growing to provide other young professionals with the opportunity to join in. As we presented at the LEA Global world conference, this WWF programme could be expanded to also include other LEA Global regions.
Our aim is to maintain the relationships that we have built during the WWF project, by joining LEA collaboration groups, participating in European conferences and being ambassadors for Young Professionals at our member firms.
We have learnt that genuine collaboration is the evolution of cooperation, based on trust and that is exactly what we have experienced during our time in London.
We would like to thank the LEA, especially Elaine Foley, for supporting us throughout the project and for their investment in us and the WWF initiative. We would also like to send our thanks to HW Fisher for hosting and welcoming us, and to our member firms for giving us the opportunity to participate in this valuable experience. We are excited to continue our journey within the LEA going forward.
