Small Law Firms, Solo Practitioners

Back In The Race: Why Do We Glorify Busyness In Business?

Ultimately, what's it all for?

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resume girlIt seems like whenever I ask people how they are doing, they say they are busy. Busy with work, busy with errands, busy with family matters, or busy looking for a job. Despite all of the time-saving technology and advice out there, we are still as busy as ever. Or at least we claim to be.

Lawyers are a special case because we are known to be busy with work. And we are expected to be busy. Why is this?

First, being busy implies that you are important and successful. We want to give the impression that we work hard. If you are not busy, people will think that you are lazy and have no book of business.

Second, we want to give others the impression that we are enjoying life. People prefer to hang out with (and refer clients to) those who are always doing something because they are perceived to be in demand and they know how to enjoy themselves. The guy who sits at home all day doesn’t sound like fun and probably has some communicable disease.

Finally, we keep ourselves busy in order to give meaning to our lives. If we are not busy, then we get bored. That boredom can later turn into loneliness and depression. We want to do things. We want to achieve goals and objectives on our to-do list.

The problem is that sometimes, in an effort to keep busy, we overload ourselves — not just with work, but with business development and other extracurricular activities. At some point, the excess work can lead to anxiety and lack of sleep. The constant multitasking can also affect the quality of the work product.

Also, being overly busy can have a negative effect on our personal lives. We become more distant from family. Your friends are less likely to invite you to parties because they think you’re too busy making the big bucks. In the dating scene, your relationships won’t last long because your constant late nights doing busy work might indicate a lack of interest.

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Ultimately, what’s it all for? When do we stop choosing (and it is a choice) to be busy? Is it when you get the big house? When the student loans are paid off? Or when you meet the one? Obviously, the answer is different for everyone.

Maybe we need to stop glorifying busyness in business culture.

For firms, it’s simple enough – if an attorney gets the work done, they get to go home. In other words, minimize the “face time” rule or get rid of it altogether. If you established a certain level of trust and seniority in your firm, you should get to work at least some of the time at home. Place a premium on efficiency and positive outcomes. For the firms that rely primarily on the billable hour for revenue, this will be a hard sell.

For lawyers, don’t overload yourself, especially for superficial purposes. Take on duties that you can handle. Don’t sit on too many committees. Don’t force yourself to go to boring networking events, especially if you have to pay for it. Don’t burn yourself out and take it out on the people who care about you.

On a final note, I have been having second thoughts about referring potential clients to “busy” colleagues. First, if they are so busy, they probably don’t need the work anyway. Second, assuming skill levels are equal, someone who isn’t as busy (and likely hungry for work) will give the matter the attention it needs and not treat it like a cookie-cutter case.

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It’s good to be busy. But be busy with a purpose.

Shannon Achimalbe was a former solo practitioner for five years before deciding to sell out and get back on the corporate ladder. Shannon can be reached by email at sachimalbe@excite.com and via Twitter: @ShanonAchimalbe.

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