DQ Advocates is a modern, dynamic firm that has a great focus on teamwork and recognising the value of all members of the team. So it was no surprise in 2015 when DQ’s Board invited the DQ Associates to meet regularly to discuss matters that are important to them, recognising that the younger generation of fee earners at DQ may have values and needs in the workplace that differ from those of the generation above. In turn, this means they are able to provide valuable and important contributions to DQ’s “way of business”, even if they do not necessarily conform to more traditional business views. From this, the DQ Associates - Tara Cubbon, Adam Killip, Libby Gordon, Kirsten Middleton, and Jessica McManus, with Trainee Advocate Ellen Jarvis – started holding fortnightly “millennials committee” meetings.
As their first event, the Associates recently hosted a pub quiz night - “DQ Quiz: The Next Generation”. Clients and contacts of DQ’s Associates were invited to come and “associate with the DQ Associates” for a night of fun networking with peers in the industry.
The quiz took place at the British Hotel, Embassy Room in Douglas on 22 September 2017 with a drinks reception, buffet (and of course DQ cupcakes), and DQ’s Adam Killip acted as quizmaster for the evening. On arrival, guests were required to select at random a business card of one of the DQ Associates which determined the team that each guest was on. This ensured that there was maximum opportunity for the guests and hosts to mix with different people and make new contacts. A raffle was also held on the night raising a fantastic £515.00 for DQ’s chosen charity for 2017, ‘CruzKids’.
The driver behind the decision to hold a quiz night was the desire of DQ’s Associates to concentrate on business development in particular. The Associates felt that too often in the industry the focus was placed on building relationships with senior business leaders. However they felt that this can present a challenge for less senior professionals who may be at the early stages of their career and may find it difficult to network with senior business leaders who will naturally be looking to speak to high level decision makers.
Recognising this difficulty, DQ’s Associates considered they could contribute to DQ’s business development in their own way. They decided instead to shift the focus to building their own network with peers at a similar level, looking to build relationships with those who in turn will become the business leaders and decision-makers. It was considered that building relationships from an early career point would provide a good foundation for those important working relationships in the future, whilst at the same time continuing to promote and raise the profile of Team DQ as a firm.
The idea for the quiz night was put to DQ’s Board and Management Team who were fully supportive of the Associates’ plan and the thinking behind it and provided full support for the event.
Tara Cubbon, recently promoted to Senior Associate, commented: “We want to extend a huge thank you to the guests who made the evening a huge success. Even before the event started, during the drinks reception, the feedback we got was great. Our guests thought it was a really great concept, the type of event that they do not necessarily always get to attend and we were asked whether we were planning future events. We are really grateful to DQ’s Board of Directors and Management Team for supporting us and trusting us to put on such an evening and we look forward to our next event which we are currently planning.”
Director, Leanne McKeown, also noted “The teamwork applied by DQ’s Associates in organising such a successful event has been fantastic. We are very proud of our Associates and the commitment to building the future of our firm and creating personal and professional relationships with our clients. DQ encourages autonomy with each and every one of our staff, and the Associates have grasped this opportunity and run with it.”
DQ’s Associates are now planning their next event, which is intended to take the same format of providing a fun evening to meet new contacts and build relationships and, by popular demand, will involve more DQ cupcakes!
