Lisa Sansom, MAPP '10, is the owner of LVS Consulting, an independent consulting firm that helps to build positive organizations. Lisa provide services such as individual and leadership coaching, team facilitation, effective communications training, Appreciative Inquiry and change management consulting. Full Bio.
Articles by Lisa are here.
California Supreme Court
So… TV might not be the best place to learn about what life is really like inside a law firm, although many lawyers do work punishingly long hours, and the intense pressure is very real: depending on your field of practice, lives and huge amounts of money can be on the line. The intensity starts on the first day of law school, when you start competing for attention, awards, and positions to take you to partnership track. No wonder so many lawyers turn to alcohol and drugs, become depressed, or burn out.
Anne Brafford
Enter Anne Brafford. Anne left her equity partner position in order to focus on what it takes to thrive in the legal profession. She has put her findings into Positive Professionals, a book published by the ABA Law Practice Division. Although her primary focus is law, there are tidbits of wisdom in this research-based book for just about anyone who works in an organization where the stress mounts as people feel pressure to perform at ever-higher levels.
Brafford neatly takes her readers through definitions of workplace engagement, tying it to the creation of meaningful work. I really liked her section on “Change the Channel from Money to Meaning” where she acknowledges that law firms do need to turn a profit, but then explores how focusing employees on money as a final goal can increase selfishness and decrease engagement, compassion, and collaboration.
Engagement Narratives
Positive psychology practitioners will enjoy the many references to research on topics such as self-determination theory, positive emotions, and resilience. What Brafford does so well is make this research applicable to the busy world of legal firms in meaningful ways, through what she calls engagement narratives. She illustrates, for example, how meaningful it can be to prioritize client care. She also shows how to create a purpose-driven firm that includes profit.
Members of the VA State Bar
My Favorite Engagement Narrative
Of the six different engagement narratives, my favorite was “I’m growing and capable.” In this narrative, Brafford draws on the research behind what it takes to develop mastery, and how to build skills and confidence. Importantly, she addresses the need for psychological safety, which is not always easy to come by in professional environments, where people may feel criticized endlessly and unwilling to make a mistake for fear of reprisals.
Law library
Summary
As an organizational development consultant and a leadership coach, I learned a lot from Brafford’s book, not just about the culture in law firms, but also about how professional organizations can directly apply the research of positive psychology to create better places to work for all employees. These businesses can do well financially by doing well at increasing well-being for their people. These two goals are not mutually exclusive. All it takes is a little knowledge, attention, and willingness to try something new.
References
Brafford, A. (2017). Positive Professionals: Creating High-Performing Profitable Firms Through the Science of Engagement. American Bar Association.
Dweck, C. (2007). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: Ballantine Books.
Image Credits from Flickr via Compfight with Creative Commons licenses
California Supreme Court courtesy of Shawn Calhoun
Skeptic? courtesy of fakesalt
Members of the VA State Bar courtesy of vsbphotos
Law library, Iowa state capital courtesy of akahawkeyefan
