What your utilisation figures are already telling you... and how leaders might be interpreting it differently
As utilisation scrutiny starts to build as we look towards June, most firms will be looking closely at the numbers.
But there’s something those numbers don’t always tell you...
It was 2am in December 2017 and I thought,
“what was all that for?”
All the hard work I’d put in to build my career…
the financial security… the house…
It felt like it was all about to be lost.
Back in 2000, when I was first in law,
I wanted to be a high performing solicitor -
heading up a successful legal team, working with clients we genuinely connected with.
By 2012, I was doing it.
I was living that version of success.
But I hadn’t protected my wellbeing.
I hadn’t created boundaries strong enough for the environment I was in.
And I hadn’t noticed where my values were being compromised.
I sprinted too hard for too long.
And eventually, I burnt out.
Six months out of the business.
And ultimately, leaving the profession altogether.
Looking back now, the signs were there.
Not just in how I was feeling…
but in how I was behaving.
And in my utilisation figures.
My hours were going up.
But my output - my chargeable time - was going down.
So what did I do?
I pushed harder.
I became more insular.
More reactive.
Shorter in my responses.
I said yes to more - more clients, more opportunities, more networking -
thinking that was the answer.
But my efficiency continued to decline.
And the downward spiral continued.
And what did those around me see?
They could see the numbers.
They could see the hours.
But what they couldn’t quite see -
because it’s not what we’re taught to look for -
was what sat underneath them.
Because here’s the thing:
Utilisation figures don’t just measure performance.
They can be one of the earliest indicators that performance is at risk.
Let's be honest with ourselves - in many organisations, high performers are rewarded for:
being available
taking on more
pushing through
And for a while… it works.
They progress.
They get promoted.
They become the people the firm relies on most.
That was certainly my experience.
But over time, something starts to shift.
What looks like commitment
can quietly become overextension.
What looks like resilience
can actually be someone moving further away from sustainable performance.
And often, the numbers are only part of the picture.
Because alongside them, there are small shifts in behaviour.
Someone who was collaborative becomes shorter in emails.
Someone who was visible starts to withdraw from team interactions.
Work gets checked… and rechecked… and questioned again.
Individually, they don’t raise a flag.
But together, they tell a very different story.
And unless you’re looking for it…
it’s easy to miss.
This is exactly where I now spend my time when I work with leaders.
Not waiting until someone is struggling.
But helping them recognise these patterns earlier -
in behaviour, in performance, and yes, even in the numbers.
It’s a pattern I see consistently across firms - and one I experienced myself.
Because sustainable high performance is absolutely possible.
But it requires us to look at performance and leadership differently.
This is particularly important at this time of year.
Because many of the individuals stepping into Manager roles right now
are the same high performers who have built their success on these behaviours.
And for the first time, they’re not just responsible for their own performance…
but for the performance and wellbeing of others.
Technical capability got them here.
But it’s not what will sustain them - or their teams - next.
So if you’re looking at your utilisation data right now…
The question isn’t just:
“who is performing?”
It’s also:
“what might I not be seeing yet?”
If this is something you’re noticing in your organisation - particularly following recent promotions -
it’s a conversation worth having early.
Because once these patterns fully show up in performance or absence…
you’re already on the back foot.
That’s exactly the work I’ve been doing with firms recently -
supporting Managers as they step into leadership,
so they can recognise these patterns early and lead sustainably.
Best wishes
Vikki
PS. If this has made you think of someone in your team, you’re probably not alone - I often have conversations with organisations noticing similar patterns.