what you do vs. who you do it with
Someone said to me recently that they thought that in the decision criteria for choosing a job, who you work with (or for) was a much more important factor to consider than what you actually do. Put simply: the who matters more than the what.
I can think of times in my life where I’ve done things I didn’t enjoy per se simply because of the opportunity to be around certain people. And I’ve experienced this in both the professional and personal environments. With friends, I may go see a movie I don’t particularly want to see because I want to spend time with friends I haven’t spent time with in a while. At school, I may choose the less interesting (to me) of two project topics simply because the team is one I’d rather work with. While these experiences tend to make me think there’s some validity to the hypothesis, I can also imagine a situation where someone takes this to the extreme, chooses to do something they truly hate with people they really like and the hatred for the task leaks over into the relationships.
This notion isn’t offered as a comfort for those taking jobs they aren’t particularly thrilled about, but rather as a prod for those trying out potential employers: it may behoove us to figure out whether we’ll truly appreciate being part of the team, given who’s already on it.
so long for now…
have just finished the last day of work, very sad to leave. i hate mass emails, but did one anyways, text below:
Short of elementary school, my affiliation with ABC News has been the longest of any in my life, so you’ll have to excuse the sentimental nature of this note. Today marks the end of my (current) journey with you.
If someone had told me as a kid, that I would someday have the opportunity to go to Buckingham Palace with Charlie Gibson or the White House with Diane Sawyer, I would have laughed. But I did. As a kid, I used to break my mom’s kitchen appliances because I liked pushing buttons, so I’m not sure how I was ever allowed to set foot in a network television control room. But I was.
My time here has afforded me some incredible professional experiences and some amazing personal friendships. It has been a privilege to work side by side with so many talented people every day. I do sincerely hope that our paths will cross again some day, but in the mean time I look forward to keeping in touch.
Until next time,
Brad
