In New-Year-resolution style, the challenges of stress, overwhelm and burnout are addressed by having ‘the conversation’ in January. Unfortunately, like so many resolutions, they rarely get past a few months before business-as-usual takes over, again.
I speak of attorneys in this blog not only because they are a ‘great’ example of a problem we see many people struggle with across many professions … but also because it’s part of my own professional training. Furthermore, attorneys are among the top examples of professionals living under what the January/February 2024 Washington Lawyer called “significant wellness challenges” – struggling for quality of life and an overall sense of well- being.
Unfortunately, in the way ‘we’ currently define success, we can agree that a certain level of pressure seems to go with the territory … The stress, the perceived requirements that dictate what it takes to attain success, and the overwhelm and burnout are an accepted eventuality.
And, I dare say, it will be a while before the pressure associated with the practice of law (and many others) will make enough substantial changes in the very near future to save yet another generation of young lawyers from being beaten and broken by an unrelenting system.
The “Great Resignation” that we’ve seen playing out over these past few years could be viewed as a war cry from some, and a cry for help from others. Either way, we should take heed.
The data and stories compel us to make a bigger dent in the problem and now is the best time to push harder.
There is interest in making changes – but the ‘how’ has so far eluded most of the industry. Several studies and a major 2017 report, the American Bar Association’s “Path to Lawyer Well-Being,” document a critical and serious plight that is common to other high-stress fields of work as well.
As with any major concern, conflict, or challenge, the easiest thing we can do is talk about it … but it’s also the easiest stage to get stuck. We often call this lip service.
It’s not that we don’t care. Most often, we say we want to solve the issues; however, we don’t pause long enough to really figure out what the underlying causes are … or how to avoid the impending collisions and disasters. We don’t address what’s (actually) before us by making the very hard decisions in favor of change and transformation.
Frankly, anything that is not a billable hour is not perceived as a profitable hour and typically not seen as a worthwhile hour – at least not in the short term. But the consequences of failing to take this raging bull by the horns – across the board – has serious repercussions for the individuals as well as the firms that employ them.
I believe we have reached a pivotal stage. The path must move beyond conversation and lead to real implementable solutions and concrete actions.
To begin the process of achieving long-term results, we need to begin with (at least) these three approaches:
- Sound the alarm more regularly and perhaps make better known the consequences of insufficient actions.
- Strongly encourage the influencers to create change from the inside out…
- Teach those currently suffering from severe stress and overwhelm how to self- regulate, empower themselves, and develop the capacity to respond (and yes, even cope) in healthier ways – at least until the way we work, and what we require and expect of each other, is transformed.
Make a choice and let’s get it done – together.
