New York Lawyer
January 12, 2005

Q:
I am slo-o-o-o-o-wwww right now. I mean, there is hardly anything going on. I've done some low-key looking around asking for work, but I just don't have much to do. I'm feeling anxious that this is a comment on my abilities. What should I do?

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A:

Everyone should have a plan for when times are slow. You should actually write the plan down and follow it when you don't have much to do. Everyone, privately, goes through the same agony, of thinking they will never get work again, that no one likes their work, that they are losers, that partners aren't looking them in the eye because they don't like their work, etc. The fact is that work assignments are uneven, that sometimes work is overloaded and at times work is slow slow - for everyone. For the most part, people who tell you they are never slow are lying.

So the trick is to manage this so that the slow periods don't drive you crazy with anxiety. I guarantee you that the positive energy you will generate by following your "slow time plan" will help override the anxiety that you feel. Also, I have never seen it fail that once you get involved in an alternate plan, "real" work turns up and away you go. Here are some tips:

View slow time positively. This is the time to do those things you always say you want to do - cultivate contacts, network, read up on the latest developments in your practice area, etc. Turn it to your advantage instead of letting it rule you.

Do a marketing plan. You will need a plan to follow in these times. It requires setting goals, and deciding what you need to get there. Your plan will differ depending on your years of practice, the size firm, your practice area, etc., but everyone can do a marketing plan that is modified for your personal needs and goals.

Pick something out of the plan and do it! Perhaps you've intended to join a bar association, a section, or something of that sort; now's the time to join up. Maybe you're already in a section and want to publish something - do it! You've been meaning to call up 4 or 5 people and shake the tree to see if you can get some business - pick up the phone.

The point is, take some action that looks beyond this particular day and hour and helps you with your future.

Read up. If you accumulate reading material all the time, you will always have something to do when things slow down. Think of the time you are spending as your investment in becoming an expert in some area that you're interested in. You can quickly convert yourself into the go-to person that area, which distinguishes you and adds to your credibility.

Have a plan and you'll welcome slow time instead of dreading it.

Sincerely,
Holly English
Principal Consultant, Values at Work