The agency that I work at has a reputation for being cutting edge and quite creative. We have a beer account and a fast food account, so within the industry we are considered major players. We're proud of our awards. Being here myself, and having worked in the industry as long as I have, I find "our culture" alternatively annoying and funny.The best advertising doesn't win awards, folks. The best advertising convinces you to buy a particular brand. Looked at through that prism, I'd rather work on those coupons you find in the food section than a spot on the Super Bowl. That's because over the years, I have come to value steady employment and the ability to pay my utilities over glory.
Most of the people who come to work here, though, are dazzled by "our culture." They want to be cool. They view themselves as cool. They could actually OD on their own coolness.
One of the newer members of our team definitely came here to be cool. Unfortunately, she landed in our group. As creative teams go, we're older than most. As clients go, ours is duller than most. We're not big on bonding here. None of us plays on the agency softball team or goes to the agency book club or meets for drinks at weekly agency get together at Rock Bottom Brewery. Mostly we go home.
The new team member became a more obnoxious bitch by the day. Consequently they are moving her to another group and this morning when I saw her in the elevator, she nearly glowed. Really, it's that look new brides have. "Lit from within," as my best friend likes to say. And it's because she was surrounded by cool kids, her new teammates, on their way up from a morning Starbuck's run.
I realized this morning she wasn't a mean little snot, determined to make my life hell, after all. She's a young girl, new to Chicago from St. Louis, who came to this agency to make friends, and to dazzle the gang back home with tales of her exciting career at a Michigan Avenue ad agency. She must have been so disillusioned and bitter working with all of us old farts.
Well, good for you, Meredith. I'm happy for you. Really. I'd forgotten that when you are young, you're supposed to want to be cool. Enjoy your new friends.
I guess it's been a long day for me, but it is hard to remember being excited in a new job. The young just have stars in their eyes for having a job period! Did she learn anything with you?
ReplyDeleteI work for a big national retailer that has somewhat of a cool culture. Of course, there are departments that are "cool" and departments that aren't cool. Mine is in between, I guess - mostly late 30s/early 40s, long-timers, hard workers, etc but we're also a fun, close-knit group. Frankly, I think we have one of the best teams in the office! Not that I'm biased. But were definitely not one of the "sexy" departments, that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteWell, Jenny, I hope she got something out of the experience. I believe we finally reached a point where she learned that when I was resistant with her, it's because I was all about the work and not just trying to hurt her feelings or be mean. Dear God, she is still that young -- emotionally and chronologically. In retrospect, I could have been more compassionate. To be honest, I didn't give her feelings much thought at all. Isn't that awful? So I guess I learned something from her.
ReplyDeleteBookmama, we spend so much time with our coworkers every week that it's important to be surrounded by a fun, close-knit team.
any job is so much better when you can have a conversation with the other co workers that does not involve work. I look at the wife, when her one younger co worker is on vacation, the office has the guy and 2 near retirement women in it, she comes home a tad more miserable. Or is on the phone with me, ALOT
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