Having worked in corporate America over the years I’ve learned a few things.
On the whole the people that work there don’t seem to have much going on with them other than their jobs. They have (what I consider) an odd tendency to want you there (the office, the cubicle, the space) at a specific time even when there is nothing to do. If there isn’t anything to do, they want you to play the game and pretend there is. Or better yet assign you some meaningless task to fill your corporate driven life.
Personally I’ve found that they don’t want to hear your thoughts on the matter, for the most part they don’t want you rocking the proverbial boat.
I’ve been lucky (or some may say stupid) to build my career in art and/or digital media (usually a combination thereof). Not everybody can do what I do; therefore I’ve always been able to walk out on jobs I don’t like or get what I need to complete my tasks.
I’m not sure if this makes me a bohemian or just an asshole? I’ve pretty much completed my sojourn in corporate America as a lackey, an underling, or a subordinate. I’ve no interest at all in being somebody else’s paintbrush any more. I’ve found that no matter what job I’ve quit, or what job I’ve kept, at the end of the day there’s always something better I could be doing with my time. So in essence, I really don't care.
The powers that be, on the other hand, are putting upon Mary, at her job. Mary took the job with the understanding that she would have some level of autonomy, as of last Friday the former high school teacher that has become her direct superior informed her that was not the case. Mary left at 4:30, as it was New Years Eve and there was nothing to do because she had already completed her tasks (unlike some of her associates, I might add).
Mary and I get along pretty well because of our ongoing dream of doing nothing. Well, not nothing but rather of doing what we like to do. What we like to do is spend time with our kids and go to the beach. You know...have a life.
The people Mary is employed by don’t really seem to get that. What they are failing to understand is that by trying to get Mary to conform to their (at best) idealistic version of who/what she should be is only going to make her leave.
Posted by shawn at January 5, 2004 09:04 AM