YIN Wisdom

Me: "Audrey, why do you call that guy the green man"
Audrey: "Because his business cards are green and we can't remember his last name."
Me: "OK"
Audrey: "Lets get crackin' this is Hillary time"

Even though they might seem silly to you, that conversation actually struck a string to me.

There are two things you need to look out for here.

1) Audrey and Chris call the guy "The Green Man"

Early on I had no idea what they were talking about. Also what perplexed me even more was their dynamics. It was never a plain boring business office relationship. Chris and Audrey had FUN.

Even though I come from a teaching background, I know the corporate world quite well (thanks in part, to all of my friends whom I heard consistent whinging from). The corporate world was all business, no fun, no games, strict lunch time, limited break times, all work and overtime too if it was needed.

In total an average of 50-60 hours a week.

This was different. Here was flexibility, people truly living the philosophy of "doing the opposite of what the money people tell you." They work, yet play- they eat and come back when appropriate. "All within reason" as Chris says.

So when they started calling people by funny nicknames, I knew I was onto something.

To me now, I will always consider "The green man" a physical symbol of people enjoying themselves and having fun at work.

2) Audrey and Chris have alter egos for work

(Actually Audrey has an alter ego exposed to me immediately from day 1. I have yet to see Chris's)

The first day I was there Audrey introduced me to Hillary. "There's the fun Audrey and then there's the ready to go Hillary."

I understood what she was trying to teach me straight away.

Never take work too seriously. Always have a bit of fun thrown in there every now and then. Any why shouldn't you- you need a balance in your life. All within reason of course as things still need to be completed, but I understood immediately the difference between the sour and bitter worker compared to the upbeat and happy one.