More wellbeing is not the answer

I’m a committed advocate for wellbeing.  I practise it all myself – regular exercise, plenty of sleep, healthy food – and it’s central to all my Jurilogical programmes.

But five more minutes of meditation probably won’t manifest an abundance of new clients.  Digital marketing and automated business systems probably will.

Wellbeing doesn’t tackle the institutional problems

The institutional structure of The Bar is designed to heap intolerable levels of stress onto one person.   The outcome is divorce, breakdown and talent leaving the profession before fully recouping the investment in training.

The directories are full of quotes describing gladiatorial personalities who can – apparently – cope with these high levels of stress.  Rottweilers. Iron Fists. Big Beasts.  The reality behind the PR facade is often quite different.

Many barristers don’t enter the profession in order to tear everyone in their path (including family and friends) limb from limb, just to get to today’s client’s desired result.

For more gentle souls, a wellbeing programme is an important part of the solution, but it’s not the only part. The acquisition of a hard-core set of digital and business management skills is tremendously helpful too.

Upskill, fast.

The days when a barrister could spend their entire career waiting for briefs to drop onto their desk are long gone.

Some may resist the idea that it’s no longer the Clerk’s responsibility to bring in all the work, but the tough message is that law firms are transforming faster than you can say “the billable hour is dead” and increasingly, expect Counsel to adapt to the modern world.

Digital marketing, sales strategy, client service, client relationship management are not core skills which come to mind when you think ‘barrister’.

But barristers run small businesses and these skills are absolutely key to success in the digital age.

Those barristers who are willing to embrace the CEO skillset, will be well positioned to life after Covid19, when everything is going to change.

Build a support network

Many barristers with whom I work report feeling extremely isolated, lonely and unsupported.

It’s hardly surprising. You sit all day every day in a room by yourself.  It’s a form of self-imposed solitary confinement, which is likely to present a challenge for even the toughest INTJ profile.

The way to manage isolation is to build a support network around your practice.  Informal peer networks, built around principles of trust and confidentiality can work very well. It’s a structure that could span your career at The Bar.

Even Mohammed Ali had a team around him.  You don’t have to do all of it, all by yourself.

Choose evidence-based wellbeing interventions

The global wellbeing industry is worth $bns. There are many people who will sell you a miracle morning routine based on no evidence whatsoever.

If you’re going to adopt a wellbeing intervention, pick one that is evidence-based and created from the results of scientific research, preferably from an academic or medical institution.

A good place to start is the academic research of Prof. Laurie Santos (Yale) and Prof. Paul Dolan (LSE).

Getting started with business systems.

Business systems will bring clients to your practice.  Your approach to client service will keep them coming back.  Wellbeing interventions will help you cope in the moments of peak stress.  You need all of it to grow your practice in the digital age.

Sign up to become a Jurilogical Member below to start learning modern business systems for free.

By Heidi Smith
Creator of Jurilogical.com