Dry, brittle and boring. That is the perception law for you. Even the media says so. In fact, the image of law and legal studies is pretty harsh, and there may be some truth to it. But the law is also personal, sometimes disturbingly so. At times heavy on the admin – the boring bit – there is also a certain grit and courage that comes with being an attorney. Itis about people, the personal, and the deeply human. Often complex, practising law requires sensitivity and delicacy. And who are the people who provide these services? They are the same people. As clichéd as it sounds, the law is about people, for people, by people. Lawyers are the least happy at work, apparently. To some extent, perhaps, the actual work is to blame. Lawyers struggle to find meaning in their work (2.6 out of 5) and their job satisfaction is marked at ‘very low’. But there is another angle. People who go into the law may already have a natural inclination towards pessimism. If they are not already high on the scale of feeling the glass is half empty, it is drummed into them in law school. They are trained in ‘defensive pessimism’, which incidentally makes them better lawyers. Author of Authentic Happiness, Martin Seligman, says: “Pessimists do better at law.” Research conducted by Seligman at the Virginia Law School found that “the pessimistic law students on average fared better than their optimistic peers.” So if lawyers are prone towards pessimism and cynicism, either innately or moulded, it is even more important to ensure a good work environment. Growing a culture that can support employees and nurturing an environment of collaboration will affect how happy staff are and how they treat clients – and vice versa. How Do You Grow a Culture? Not exactly in a petri dish, but not completely differently either. Analogies of bacteria growth aside, you do not want to leave your company culture development to chance. Chance and luck are a gamble, and the stakes are too high. The future and success of your law firm SPECIAL FEATURE 53 Special Feature To truly transform a law firm’s culture, a perspective shift is needed from the top levels of management. What are the key considerations to be kept in mind when orienting a culture towards the wellbeing of clients and staff? Lisa McKenna, founder of McKenna & Co Solicitors, shares her insights in this article. How to Build a Law Firm With PeopleFirst Values
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