You Did A Good Job
When was the last time someone spontaneously told you that you did a good job? I mean, looked you square in the face and told you that they appreciated you and the work you did? I thought about this when I recently had a client turn to me and, concertedly and earnestly, thank me for my help, and extoll their gratitude for helping them resolve their legal issue. Their words meant so much to me that it completely shone a light on the rest of the day for me. As I was driving, still on cloud nine because of their words, I started to think about why I was so appreciative of what they said. Yes, it was kind and wonderful for them to express to me their gratitude. But, why was it so profound for me? I have noticed that every time a client, or other professional, expressed to me their gratitude, or complimented me on a job well done, it affected me similarly.
In our business, one could say, that the expression of gratitude is achieved in different ways. Clients who compensate their attorneys well (and timely) for their work are expressing their gratitude. Clients and colleagues that leave positive reviews and feedback on Google® or social media could be seen as expressing their thanks as well. I think while welcome, those ways seem more formal and more of a direct result of contractual relationships as opposed to heartfelt thanks and gratitude. Yes, we are paid for the work that we do, but it takes on a whole different meaning when we are actually appreciated for the work we do. It’s an acknowledgment of value that I think I was so responsive to when that client expressed their thanks.
So, how important IS the expression of a job well done for us as attorneys? Is it at all? I know, one is not supposed to work and do a job well done JUST to get a thank you or an expression of gratitude. But, what happens when we do a great job, over and over and over again, and rarely receive so much as a thank you in return? Am I totally off base for even asking the question pertaining to attorneys? I mean, our profession is often seen as a product of the devil and a demonstration of the worst parts of humankind. Are we even worthy of thanks from others?
There is a whole science of gratitude that is explored by higher education institutions like the University of California at Berkley’s Greater Good Science Center (https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/). The very general idea being that there is evidence that the expression and demonstration of gratitude not only is beneficial to others but highly beneficial to oneself. It deters harmful and negative rumination about what is bad and promotes thinking in terms of what is good.
I think we as lawyers are so much in the business of trying to clean up a bad situation for our clients, make a bad situation less bad, or we are not the ones to deliver good news, that we often aren’t in the position to receive a lot of praise for the good we actually have done. I think no matter how good we can be at managing our client’s expectations, often we don’t get the kudos for those good things we actually do. This can affect us twofold. Going without these acknowledgments and expressions can make us feel unappreciated and devalued. But, it can also blind us to how much our work has positively affected the lives of others. The receiving and sharing of someone’s gratitude only seem to notify both who are involved in the good that occurred and can occur. The client I talked about above was thanking me for helping them broker a custody agreement with their ex-partner. Their thanks made me realize just how important that was for their life, at the time, and how much better things would be for them now that that issue was addressed.
I think it is important for us to see the good in what we do, as attorneys, so that we may stay engaged and excited in our work. One way to see that most clearly is when we hear those two simple words from time to time: thank you.
