The Best Office I Ever Worked In
The best office I ever worked in was also the most diverse office I’ve ever been a part of. We were a small but mighty force. We were from different cultural, religious and economic backgrounds, we had different experiences in education, and our ages spanned from early 20s to early 60s. But, while it may have seemed on the surface that we had little in common, in reality we were a natural fit—we understood each other even if we did come from many different cultures. We shared our favorite family recipes, celebrated each other’s birthdays, weddings, and pregnancies, and provided listening ears for one another during difficult times.
It’s been years since I worked in that office. I was there while I finished my PhD, and once that project was done I left to begin my career as an educator. But I still keep in touch with each and every one of these co-workers. I worked in many offices before becoming a college professor, and those offices also had a lot of wonderful people in them, but there was something special about my last office job.
I think the reason we got along so well is because we trusted each other. We knew that when we spoke our opinions would be heard and considered. We knew that when we needed support we would get it. We knew that we respected each other. And, because of this, we were also a highly effective office.
Outside evaluators continually marveled at how such a small staff could accomplish so much. Like so many employees, we were expected to achieve great things with very few resources. It turns out that our greatest resource turned out to be our ability to communicate. We were a creative and hard-working bunch, and when one person ran into a problem, we would gather around them to help problem-solve. Our different backgrounds turned out to be a real strength. There was no end to the number of solutions we could come up with.
There is no such thing as a perfect office, but working somewhere you feel respected and supported can really smooth over the more challenging days. Instead of spending our workdays secretly searching the internet for new jobs, we were committed to putting our best efforts into flourishing where we were. You can build a career in an office where you feel seen and appreciated.
According to a recent study, “nearly 33% of employees in the U.S. are considering quitting their jobs, while 25% have actually resigned over the past six months, citing toxic company culture as their No. 1 reason for leaving.”[1]
There are few things worse than showing up every morning to a job that makes you feel bad, unheard, or disrespected. Talented and ambitious employees will leave those work environments even if they enjoy their actual job—even if they are making a good money. For better or worse work is a big part of our lives, and being happy in life is inexorably linked to being happy at work.
If your company nurtures the talented employees that it already has, and invests in people first, profits and success will follow. Workplace Development training is a tool to help ensure that co-workers can communicate effectively with each other. Workplace Development training does not aim to ensure that every person in your office holds the same exact beliefs; instead it aims to help coworkers focus on their commonalities, in order to create office spaces where everyone is encouraged to reach their potential by being their authentic selves.
Workplace Development training is only the beginning of this process. The most successful businesses are those that commit to the on-going work of creating equitable and respectful work places.
These days when I gather with my old co-workers we marvel at how far we have come and how much we have accomplished over the years. We are all a part of each other’s success stories. I’m so grateful for my time there.
[1] FlexJobs survey, 2022