Perfectionism, the plague for many law practitioners, is something I have written about before. My consistent bottom line has been that perfectionism for lawyers is dangerous to their well being. My mantra has been Do Not Sacrifice Good on the Altar of Perfect.
Having said that, I know that it is much more complicated than a slogan or a mantra. The practice of law is fraught with multiple critics: Clients, colleagues, supervising lawyers, and judges among them. They all want the perfect lawyer, and they all can be very hard on those they perceive as falling short of that standard.
A recent study from Krill Strategies, Ambition Profile and NALP (National Association For Law Placement), as reported on by Above the Law and commented on by Vivia Chen on her Ex-Careerist forum, makes the dangers of perfectionism more clear than ever before. Based on a survey of 764 lawyers, that study identifies the price of perfectionism as stress, depression, workaholism, resistance to feedback, and reduced engagement, motivation, and longevity. The underlying data demonstrates that among lawyers, who scored high on the perfectionist scale, 50.6% showed elevated depression compared to 7.1% in the low-perfectionism group. Perfectionist lawyers also tend to have shorter tenures at their firms: 5.3 years, compared to 8.4 years for low-perfectionists. And, unsurprisingly, women reported higher levels of perfectionism and stress.
In the NALP article reporting the survey results, the emphasis is on both the mental health challenges faced by perfectionist lawyers and the institutions that foster those challenges. The article includes recommendations for mitigating the negative effects of perfectionism on both the individual and institutional levels — without compromising work quality. The challenge in eradicating the dangers of perfectionism is for both the individual lawyers and the law organizations which employ them. Perspectives and behaviors will have to change to reduce the demand for perfect performance and protect practitioners.
For most people, the pursuit of perfection is unhealthy and dangerous. There always will be those among us who can easily meet that standard without harm, and we all will recognize them. For so many others, however, “excellent” and “very good” performance should be rewarded in ways that do not relegate that performance to secondary positions and create the expectations for more.
Being all that they CAN BE without experiencing harm is a much healthier goal for young lawyers, especially, and will lead to more genuine satisfaction in both professional and personal lives.
