Gaining a competitive advantage in the incredibly competitive legal profession may be simpler than you think. In fact, it may be all about how you think and how you influence the people who work with you. The idea that happiness and positivity can make you a better, more successful lawyer may sound silly to you. After all, lawyers spend most of their time looking for and solving problems. That doesn’t sound like a recipe for happiness and focusing on the positive.
And that is exactly why cultivating happiness and positivity is so important for lawyers. Lawyers deal with a tremendous amount of stress each day. According to the American Psychological Association, lawyers are 3.6 times more likely to suffer from depression than non-lawyers. Law is a serious profession and lawyers are serious people. You may be thinking to yourself, “There just isn’t room or time for ‘happiness and positivity.’” We’re here to tell you you’re wrong. We’re here to tell you that if you cultivate a happy, positive culture in your firm, you’ll not only be a better lawyer for your clients, you’ll be a healthier lawyer and a happier lawyer. You’ll be a healthier and happier person. If you cultivate a happy and positive culture in your firm, your employees will work harder and care more.
Far from silly, happiness and positivity are key to your creating the competitive advantage you’re looking for. And it starts with you. You set the tone for everyone on your team. If you are happy and positive, the greater the likelihood that your team will be happy and positive. And if your team is happy and positive, they are much more likely to be engaged. That’s important because engaged employees are one of THE MOST IMPORTANT aspects of your law firm’s success. Here are just a few characteristics:
- They care. They care about the work. They care about your clients. They care about themselves and how they present themselves.
- They are punctual. They call in sick less often than unhappy employees.
- They are enthusiastic and energetic.
- They are proactive and volunteer for work.
- They are consistently high performers.
- They ask questions.
- They are committed to the firm and the clients you serve.
Happy employees are productive employees. Bottom line – happy employees will add to your bottom line. So, the question becomes: How do you get more of them? The first step is for YOU to set the tone. If you’d like to learn how to increase your happiness quotient, check out my 15-minute webinar, “Five Lessons for Lawyers to Live a Happier Life,” from our friends at Affinity Consulting.
C’mon get happy!