Poor workflows masquerade as team spirit

Driving ourselves beyond capacity results from “a curious interplay of psychological vulnerabilities … and cultural forces,” a Law Society webinar has heard.

During From Burnout to Resilience (31 March), resiliience expert Ronan Harrington explained the drivers, symptoms and effects of burnout and outlined how to shift toward resilience at an individual level.

Speaking from personal experience, and drawing on practical experience working with law firms, in-house legal teams, and professional services organisations, Harrington described burnout not as a sudden collapse, but as a gradual and cumulative process. 

The former futurist for the British Foreign Office defined burnout through an “equation” of excessive demands, unrealistic expectations, and insufficient replenishment, which together produce strain over time.

This strain typically manifests in three stages: exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced effectiveness.

“Cynicism,” Harrington explained, “is actually your body's way of protecting you from the source of chronic stress that is damaging your health.”

At a physiological level, burnout was described as an ongoing deficit within the body. Repeated activation of stress responses gradually erodes the body’s capacity to recover. 

Gordian Knot

He characterised modern professional work as a 'Gordian knot' of interlocking pressures – external, cultural, and psychological – that reinforce one another. 

He noted that many people are now operating in an “ambient” environment of stress, where deadlines, pressure, and constantly accumulating tasks increase what is known as ‘allostatic load.’

In addition to excessive workload, Harrington highlighted the concept of “pseudo productivity,” where time is consumed by meetings, interruptions, and reactive tasks, leaving little room for sustained, focused work. 

The result is a paradox: individuals feel constantly busy yet experience declining effectiveness, which in turn drives further effort and longer hours.

Endurance glorified

Another factor is the rise of an “endurance culture” in which over-extension is normalised and even rewarded. “

Modern professional cultures, particularly legal cultures, glorify endurance, Harrington said, noting that the profession tends to admire those who go above and beyond and remain constantly available. 

In many environments, working beyond capacity becomes a signal of commitment and ambition, with those who progress often seen as exemplars of stamina and personal sacrifice. 

Senior figures, having advanced under similar conditions, may unintentionally reinforce these expectations, creating a self-reinforcing dynamic. 

He cited the example of young legal teams.

“We're all familiar with the war stories, staying up until 2am, 3am to get the pitch deck done for the presentation the next day.

"It feels like culture and it is exciting, but I would say that it's actually poor workflow design dressed up as team spirit,” the burnout specialist said, 

Internal drivers

However, Harrington emphasised that burnout cannot be understood solely in terms of external demands.

Internal drivers also play a significant role. 

Individuals may become attached to constant activity, and equate productivity with self-worth, or struggle to disengage from work.

These tendencies often operate below conscious awareness but contribute to sustained over-extension.

To explain this dynamic, Harrington distinguished between two internal modes: the “functional adult” and the “adaptive child.” 

The former represents a regulated state marked by perspective, flexibility, and deliberate decision-making.

The latter emerges under pressure and is more reactive, shaped by earlier conditioning. 

When individuals are stressed, they may shift into this adaptive mode, leading to more rigid thinking, heightened self-criticism, and a tendency toward overwork as a means of regaining control.

Pushing beyond sustainable limits

In legal contexts, Harrington explained, this dynamic commonly manifests through recurring patterns or archetypes, including the “achiever,” the “perfectionist,” and the “helper.”

Each reflects a different strategy for securing validation or avoiding failure, but all are associated with pushing beyond sustainable limits. 

These patterns help explain why burnout persists even where individuals are aware of the risks, as the behaviour is reinforced both externally and internally.

Against this backdrop, Harrington argued that the first step in addressing burnout is recognising the system as a whole.

Because the drivers are interconnected, isolated interventions are unlikely to be effective. Instead, there must be a shift away from habitual over-extension as the default mode of working.

Resilience as alternative framework

He proposed resilience as an alternative framework, not in the sense of simply enduring pressure, but as the capacity to work sustainably within it. 

This begins with situational awareness, understanding the demands of the environment and self-awareness, including recognition of personal limits and patterns of behaviour.

A key element of this shift is reframing performance. 

Rather than aiming for maximal output at all times, Harrington advocated for “optimal” performance, based on the principle that peak effectiveness occurs at moderate levels of stress. 

The inclusion of genuine recovery periods is vital, he added.

Practically, Harrington suggested deliberate management of time, energy, and internal responses, including:

• Structured weekly planning
• Clear prioritisation of tasks,
• Protected periods for focused, uninterrupted work,
• Intentional scheduling of recovery and downtime.
• Addressing internal drivers
• Recognising tendencies toward perfectionism or over-identification with work,
• Developing strategies to disengage when necessary,
• Strengthening the “functional adult” mode to respond with perspective, flexibility, and measured decision-making.

These practices help counter constant reactivity, support recovery, and create space for sustainable performance.

Ultimately, he framed responsibility for managing resilience as resting with the individual, even within demanding environments.

“Fundamentally we have to become the most fierce protector of our health,” he said.