seeing the positive side of negativity in the legal profession
In a very candid and provocative post, David Maister asks Are We Too Negative? This query stems from Maister’s observation that many blogs, including his own, focus on people’s flaws. Specifically, he notes:
“When you go visit other blogs, you see lots of criticism, complaints, cynicism and skepticism. You only see a very little praise and celebration of successes, triumphs and things done right. For every blog post or comment illustrating excellence, creativity, trustworthiness or professionalism, there are multiples bemoaning the lack of these things.”
The post has elicited a lengthy comment thread that’s well worth a read. What occurs to me after considering the commentary is that there’s really no point in being negative and self-flagellating about all this negativity. Rather, just calling it out is a positive step because it opens the door to a much-needed dialogue on what’s ailing the legal profession.
Like the larger culture, our profession is plagued by rampant pessimism that’s reinforced by heavy doses of bad news delivered daily by media outlets and firm leaders. Through my training and development work, I’ve come to see how this unhealthy diet of negativity has left many practitioners depleted and hungering for positive filling. They’re searching for some meaning at work and beyond.
This drive to redress negativity with an infusion of meaning and filling has deep roots. It’s the focus of famed psychiatrist Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy, “which identifies the search for a meaning in life as the primary motivational force in human beings." It’s also addressed by the field of Positive Organizational Scholarship. And, at the law firm level, the need to avoid depletion and gain positive energy is reflected in the rise of employee engagement initiatives.