In-House Counsel

The Allure Of Toxic Productivity

Toxic productivity occurs when we try to schedule the maximum amount of output for every minute of our day.

By  
on

Balance is a myth.

If that seems like a generalization, hear me out. I don’t think that you shouldn’t try to achieve balance, but you should never expect perfect balance — at least, not by yourself. A lot of lawyers seem to think that they must have everything in absolute harmony.

The truth of the matter is that, when people work together, they bring about balance. You will never be able to juggle everything 24/7; there will be times where you drop the ball. If you reframe your thinking, however, then you will find that you never truly need to drop the ball — sometimes, you must pass it to somebody else or pass it altogether. That is what we should call “balance.”

There is a general trend toward pursuing productivity, with lawyers trying to find the next productivity app, hack, or guru. And, yes, there are certainly ways of getting your life more organized. Certainly, it is a good idea to be curious and be on the lookout for self-improvement. Yet, you should also be aware of falling into the trap of toxic productivity.

What is toxic productivity?

I’m glad you asked. Toxic productivity occurs when we try to schedule the maximum amount of output for every minute of our day. We fill every moment with back-to-back meetings, projects, or research, with little-to-no time for breaks. Toxic productivity assumes that we can always perform at our best. All we must do is pack our days.

But reality does not agree. Lawyers and other professionals often ask me how I manage to balance being a CEO of a Silicon Valley tech company with the rest of my life.

Sponsored

My answer is always the same: I don’t.

As soon as you have “I,” you will struggle to find balance, because anything you put on top of the “I” has very little reason to stay there. “I” has a very slim base, which will act as more of a pivot than a foundation.

On the contrary, using the word “we” offers a lot more surface area, enabling you to stack significantly more on it. In fact, the word “imbalance” might as well be spelled “I’m-balance”!

Do not be afraid of recognizing that you cannot do it all alone. I have a wonderful mother and husband who help keep me “balanced” and sane. They were the ones homeschooling my daughters during COVID-19, allowing me to do what I love.

The trick is to find a support group and to figure out a structure that distributes the load equally and sustainably. Sustainability is the most important factor of productivity — yet, it is the most overlooked.

Sponsored

If you know you cannot maintain your current system forever, then you are in dire need of a system overhaul. If you must push through every day, then you do not have a productive balance –- you are merely teetering before the inevitable fall.

Olga V. Mack is the CEO of Parley Pro, a next-generation contract management company that has pioneered online negotiation technology. Olga embraces legal innovation and had dedicated her career to improving and shaping the future of law. She is convinced that the legal profession will emerge even stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive than before by embracing technology. Olga is also an award-winning general counsel, operations professional, startup advisor, public speaker, adjunct professor, and entrepreneur. She founded the Women Serve on Boards movement that advocates for women to participate on corporate boards of Fortune 500 companies. She authored Get on Board: Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat and Fundamentals of Smart Contract Security. You can follow Olga on Twitter @olgavmack.

Topics

, , , ,