There is growing backlash in the legal industry against what some are calling “performative busyness”—going out of your way to show everyone else how hard you’re working (or, at least, supposedly are working).

Critics say this behavior sends the wrong message to young lawyers, creates anxiety in colleagues and ultimately leads to burnout. But, as anyone who’s ever tried to train a puppy knows, bad behavior is not likely to change until it stops garnering positive reinforcement.

The Driver: