Unique challenges come with being the first legal counsel for an organisation. Ms Kovac delved into the challenges and how to face them. 

“The biggest challenge is knowing that the company has been running for X number of years. There will be things that aren’t done to the standard you would like them to be,” she explained. 

“Things can only move at a particular pace based on time, resources, budget and pace of the organisation,” she said, “and it’s about focusing on what really matters”.

The first stage is getting to know the various business units and what drives the organisation, she illuminated, looking at their strategy and where they want to go — it’s important to prioritise tackling the things that align with the company’s goals.

“The most important piece is getting in front of them in person and listening to them,” Ms Kovac advised, “asking them for their feedback, asking them, ‘How can I help? What challenges are you facing?”

“Taking on their feedback and really making a collaborative process for whenever you’re implementing something, so that it doesn’t feel like you’re pushing a particular solution on them. 

“It’s very much a partnership,” she added. 

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Ms Kovac shared how she is going through the process at Tonkin: “I’ve been travelling around the country, visiting the various offices, speaking to people, getting their feedback, and trying to collate all of that information down into some strategic tasks or steps or processes that we can put in place.”

When going into these collaboration workshops, it is still important to have a framework in mind of the direction you think the organisation needs to go in, taking on feedback, but ultimately steering the conversation so as not to look at anything and everything, she advised.

“Simple is effective,” is another piece of advice Ms Kovac shared. 

“Sometimes, we think we need big flashy processes, or we need to make a huge impact by changing everything, but some small, simple steps will make a huge difference in their day-to-day operations. 

“Start there, get the quick wins first to build trust, then go after the meatier pieces of work.”

The other key thing to note when approaching particular legal issues is to think about it holistically — think about what happens before and after — think about how the changes you make will impact the entire process, Ms Kovac suggested. 

Ms Kovac shared sound advice for general counsel coming through the ranks: “Put your hand up.

“If you’re proving you can do solid work — go for it and grab it with two hands.

“The second is [to] get involved with as much of the business as possible; at the GC role, it’s not just great legal work anymore. You need to understand pipelines and financials; you need to have commercial acumen.”

“Start leaning on your peers if you’re already in-house to learn those skills on the side,” she said. “You’ll find most people in another department are more than happy to talk about what they do for half an hour.”