My 25th Work Anniversary and the Mystery of a Happy Corporate Life
How to solve the puzzle and make it to silver.
“Should you have any more questions, please let me know.”
It was Thursday, October 1, 1998 — my first workday as a junior lawyer at a multinational electronics company.
My new colleague left me in an empty office. There was a grey desk, a black office chair, a small round office table with two chairs, and a low-maintenance office plant. The painting decorating the wall was from an art rental company.
I was happy to be left alone that Thursday afternoon. It was a welcome break after the overwhelming first impressions of the morning. The new colleagues (and their names I couldn’t remember). The briefing on office policies and practices. The “photo shoot” for the company ID badge.
Everything seemed appropriately formal and, thinking back, slightly stiff.
I opened the vertical blinds to let some light in and, ever so slightly, loosened my tie. After my new Dell Latitude c610 was booted up, I followed the instructions to reset my password and made a to-do list for the coming days. Collect my new badge and return the visitor’s one I was currently using. Attend a meeting regarding my first project. Look at the case filing system…