Corporate

So i've clearly fallen off the posting wagon--though not for lack of material. I've got tons of content in my head, but have been reluctant to spend more time online than necessary. Unfortunately, that has left little time for posting in the blogosphere.

I've got a bunch of postings in a half-baked state, that have been sitting around since mid-April. I'm cleaning up a bunch of them and putting them out there. Here's the first of them...

For those of you who know me well, you know that my working life up until 2004 was marked by the beginnings and endings of classes.

Though I could have probably made more money bartending or zookeeping rather than teaching, I was rich with perspective. I taught children and adults here in the States and in Asia. And this is a strangely true fact--because of my previous job, I can say that there are photos of me posing w/various students from every city/country in the world including: Oman, Cape Verde, Ghana, Saudi Arabia, Jakarta, Sakahlin, and Macau.

When teaching, I remember coming home at the end of the day, completely exhausted from talking. There was actually a point when students would ask me, "What's your dream job?" And being completely honest, I'd sometimes answer, "This!"

As you may know, for the past two years, my days have been spent in a high tech cube farm.

I have absolutely no regrets, but have been thinking about how different my working life is now, compared to the past 13 years.

For the past two years, I've been talking much less. I have IM conversations with people who sit on the other side of a wall. I overhear engineers speaking in a jargon that I can hardly understand. I recently had an hour long conversation about the differences between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0. And, now, rather than running from class to class, I sit in a cubicle. A great benefit is looking over my shoulder and seeing the nearby Cow Palace, downtown Oakland across the water, and planes continually landing and taking off from SFO.

...Oh and I don't have to pay for coffee every day.

Here are my top 8 corporate truisms that I've observed and heard about in the past two years:

1. Never Underestimate Anyone
At any random company meeting, you could look to the person to the left of you, and to the person to the right of you. Realistically, one of these people could become your manager within one week, one month, or one year.

2. Fairness is an Illusion
There will always be someone in your company who does much less than you, has less education than you, does not have knowledge or skills appropriate to their task--yet makes more money than you.

3. The Bottom Line
You thought this was just a positive all-company mantra. Then before you know it, a corporate brushfire clears out entire sections of cube farms. "The Bottom Line"--believe it, there is no other God.

4. Watch Survivor
This show reflects the very principles that one encounters in the corporate world. Women of color are either ridiculously suspect or exploited for their diligence and reliability. White men protect each other--only if they see themselves reflected or align with someone they hope to be, or hoped to be. Alliances are very real, but ultimately flimsy and worthless. The only immunity idol is a strong tolerance for ambiguity and the ability to walk the walk on a daily basis.

5. War and Poker
Some men really do use these unforgivable themes when discussing business and computer engineering! "We're not holdin' aces, but we're not ready to fold just yet..." Or the abominable, "This gives ammunition to the theory...." Yuck.

6. Indirectly Direct
All important communication is indirectly direct. Read between the lines. The energies you feel through the walls tell you all you need to know.

7. It is About Who You Know, and Who Likes You
Sometimes executives are executive for a reason beyond their qualifications!

8. It's Not Unusual: People in their 30's and 40's Can and Do Act Like Junior High School Kids
When I was young, I thought people over 30's were adult, reasonable, wise, and mature. I still think that, but for a much smaller minority.

In my mind, unleashing yourself in a cube farm on a daily basis means that you accept the known terrors. It's kind of like owning property on or near a major fault line. You know the potential risks, but get in the elevator everyday.

That's all I dare to spill for the moment.