Oh, man, it seems to me American business culture rewards the folks who can brag at meetings but don’t necessarily do the work behind the scenes, and as someone who has trouble with listing my individual achievements in an aggressive manner, I am staying in a positively mediocre corporate path. Folks who excel at kissing up and sound like a corporate borg in public succeed. I like doing a good job and working hard, but I don’t like participating in meetings, unless they are actually about getting work done. I mean, isn’t the path to happiness not through emphasizing our personal accomplishments but focusing on the bond we have with others? (I believe that, though have trouble focusing on that at times.)
Sure, I could dismiss this favoritism of excellent face time as a business flaw, except it probably happens in the arts too. I mean, don’t all documentary filmmakers hate Ken Burns b/c he hogs all the grant money up? What about Robert Wilson? Surely, he’s not the only one out there that likes to fill up a football-size exhibit full of random stuff and call it art, right?
So get ready, starting Monday, I’m going to be so freaking perky about work people won’t recognize me.
Sometimes, I wonder if that whole bamboo ceiling thing really does kinda explain it all.
could be, though my co-workers who have similar issues and are people I like are caucasian, some jewish, some haitian (not the white ones). i think it’s universal if you have self-esteem issues
Is it working? Are you “freaking perky”?
I’m DAMN perky and happy to be here. I dunno. I’m playing the game more and doing less work–that’s my strategy for 2008, 07, whatever.
Reporting later. Being perky is really tiring. Like someone in the bathroom and told me to “Smile!” when I was washing my hands, and I was like WHAT KIND OF INANE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL POSTER ARE YOU and I realized that’s not what a perky person would say, so I stayed silent…and smiled. So I think I have to retire.
Retire! Come join me! We hate perky people! Only cynical cranks need apply.