After an interesting conversation last night with a colleague I respect and like usually, I was thoroughly disturbed to hear that there are people who believe that a company _owns_ it's employees.
I'm not a company man or a company woman even. If they are handing around the drinks, I'll pass on the kool-aid. My work is good. What I do is fun, challenging and stretches my ideas about technology, people and myself each and every day.
It's still my "day job"
Although those are words we are not supposed to say, I will shout them to the heavens.
I love my job. Sometimes I am shocked that people pay me to do this. Would I retire tomorrow? Yes! Then after traveling the world and sleeping in a lot, I'd go back to work. People often do what they do to get paid. They do what they do to buy houses, feed families and fill their time. Not me, I like what I do.
Right now I work for a company I like. In the past I've worked for ones I didn't. Either way, I have fun and enjoy it. Learning and learning each day. Extending myself.
But do I belong to the company I work for? No! Never!
If that means I'm doomed to walk the Earth for eternity writing code and building beautiful ideas, then that's ok.
No matter how much my job makes me happy, my family and my life outside work are just as important and more. Obsessing about anything is not good. Moderation is good. Do everything well but know when to stop. Do your job well but remember to go and hang out with your friends. Put down the mouse and call someone to go out. Liking your life outside work does not mean you suck at work. It means you are good at living.
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4 comments:
Wow, a company who owns you? How positively 1950's! How retro! Awesome! Tell me, does this person wear blue and sing songs to the glory of ThoughtWorks?
Seriously, it's pretty obvious now that those who can maintain some sense of perspective and distance will always be more valuable. Sometimes your beloved company is wrong and they need to be told that. Those who drink too deeply aren't so useful then.
If I quote that last bit of your post, should I use your name, "Mana," "Geek Diva," or something else?
I ask because I don't see your name anywhere on the blog, even though it comes through on the TW feed. I don't want to put your name out there if you're trying to keep it somewhat private.
I would have contacted you privately, but I didn't see where I could do that via the blog.
Anyway, great post. I can't believe someone literally thinks that (or would say it), although I notice a lot of people act like it (on both the company side and the employee side - and it gets worse for lower paying jobs).
I've been working like crazy lately, and your post really put things into perspective for me.
Thanks for that.
I've worked for two companies that others have mistook for cults so far ... while I was close to drinking the first time around, I now have much more perspective!
Maybe your friend should read or ...
Hey thanks for your comment on my blog. It's nice to read something positive :)
I really like your blog. Very interesting thoughts and observations.
Jess
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