Great Place to Work

Although The Firm was (in my opinion) inherently incompatible with the limbic brain, nonetheless there were many partners - including the managing partners - who sought to transform the institution into a great place to work. This involved many initiatives, surveys, etc., as well as high salaries and window offices for all attorneys. The effort to improve morale and retain talented associates was never particularly successful, even on its own terms.

Even if The Firm's efforts at cultural transformation had been fully achieved, however, there is simply no comparison with my current workplace. Today, there was a retirement party down the hall from me for someone who'd been with my current employer for 30+ years. Balloons marked the doorway to the large conference room. Sustained clapping and cheering could be heard throughout the entire floor. And it wasn't just a "thank God you made it out of here alive!" party either. Two employees got up and started a call-and-response chant praising their employment:

We work hard from 9 to 5! [Name of employer] is the place to be! Sound off! (1, 2!) Take it on down! (3, 4!) Cadence count! (1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2 ... 3, 4!)

I've never seen anything quite like it, particularly in a work setting. It is far beyond anything The Firm could ever dream of: people genuinely and extravagantly loving their colleagues and their workplace, and almost bursting with pride in their work.