Thursday, February 24, 2011

Which Would You Prefer?



Workplace A is exciting and chaotic. There are few rules. The place is reorganized every two weeks. You never quite know what your job is and yet everyone hustles, plays hard and jokes, and no one expects order to arrive anytime soon. Some staff meetings are at 2 a.m. The Employee of the Month gets to drive a BMW sports car.


Workplace B is quiet and very organized. People are polite and caring. Voices are subdued but laughter is often heard. In the mornings and afternoons, a coffee trolley is pushed down the hallway and people talk about the job while sipping from china cups and nibbling on cookies. The latest dispute was over the use of a semi-colon.


Workplace C is a mess. Anything you do will be an improvement and there is a complete openness to change because all acknowledge that any new idea might just be a life preserver. The timid left long ago. You are a little embarrassed to admit you work there and yet every day you can make a difference.


Workplace D is a war zone. The factions have been sniping for so long that they have forgotten why they were formed but there is a daily rush and the pay is unbelievable. You may never see your family, but when you escape in seven years it will be with a lot of money. Few people stay longer than that.

3 comments:

Kurt Harden said...

Gotta take C. Carve out some excellence, save your soul AND sanity.

Anonymous said...

I'm in D, except for the money. I want C. Don't need money, need to feel like I can matter.

John said...

Thanks for reminding me how great retirement is. I never actually stopped working, but I'm free to leave any time I want.