Pressed for Time?

We spend a lot of time thinking, talking, and writing about why lawyers, law firms, and legal departments should do pro bono work.

In case you need yet another reason, check out this recent Harvard Business Review IdeaCast: Pressed for Time? Give Away Some of Yours.  This brief podcast is an interview with Cassie Mogilner, assistant professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, about her research and article “You’ll Feel Less Rushed If You Give Time Away.”

After conducting a series of experiments, Mogilner and her colleagues discovered that spending time helping others leaves people feeling as if they have more time, even though objectively they have less time.  The results may be counterintuitive but suggest that we are never too busy for pro bono.  It turns out that volunteers feel more capable, confident, and effective.  They develop a sense of accomplishment, which carries over into a feeling that they can accomplish even more in the future.  Self-efficacy and self-accomplishment enhance a person’s overall productivity.

Want to feel less pressed for time?  Try doing some pro bono work.

Do you feel more productive when you do pro bono?  Leave a comment and share your reactions to the podcast and Mogilner’s research.

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