6 things The Office taught me about the office

If there're two things you need to know about me - is that I'm a huge fan of personality tests and The Office.

Personality tests give you insight into who you are, and sometimes know you better than you know yourself. Of all the assessments I've taken, one thing that stood out consistently is that humor is my superpower. Truth be told, I was a little disappointed when I discovered this. Why not influence? Why not leadership? Why not something IMPACTFUL? Of all things, humor, really?!

Over time, I've come to embrace this and I'm lucky that I work in an environment that celebrates my authentic self (5 Ways Humor is Vital to a Healthy Culture | LinkedIn ). This also inspired my first ever LinkedIn article and gave me the courage to post about it, because hey, how bad could it be? We could just laugh it off, right?

Nothing fancy, nothing too serious, just some of my real thoughts and observations on work.

For the uninitiated, don't worry, the references are rather universal and easily digestible. And hopefully by the end of this you'll be rushing to pick up a copy of the show.

1."Fake It" Till You Make It

We all need to start somewhere. Whether it's our first job, our first role in a new industry, our first time presenting... there will always be firsts. And experience is the best teacher. While we are not the expert at the beginning, we need to exude confidence in ourselves that we know what we're doing.

The caveat here, of course, is to focus on what we can control (researching, preparing, asking people, being honest that we may not have all the answers, embracing an open mindset) and learn by going through these experiences and getting feedback.

Repeat until you really know your stuff. When people start coming to you as the go-to person, you know that you have made it. And then the cycle repeats when you have the next new thing to work on. Spoiler alert - the cycle never ends.

2. Perfection Doesn't Exist

I've started brainstorming on this article back in March 2021. Since then, we've gone out of covid lockdown, global LinkedIn members have grown to 875M, and my sister-in-law had given birth to a beautiful baby niece. My point is - it's been way too long. It's one of those items in my OKRs (Objective Key Results) that gets postponed quarter after quarter because there were always other priorities.

There's usually a huge inertia to work on something, and often, these are things with no set deadlines by a higher authority, such as side hustles and passion projects. I used to be that person who wouldn't learn a new skill or start an unknown project simply because it's a mammoth of a task to do a perfect job of it. I've even mulled over an email for a good 30min just to ensure it *looks perfect*, which could've easily been done in 5.

I've since come to terms that you shouldn't seek for perfection (because it doesn't exist), and when in doubt - just do it! That said, I'm sure I'll cringe when I re-read this article a year from now. Because #progress .

3. Not Everything Is A Lesson

A bit of a controversial one that took me a while to understand. Also a little counter-intuitive to the previous point. However, the learning here is to not be so harsh on yourself.

There are days where you just don't progress, you just don't perform, and you just don't learn anything. Not everything has to end with a huge takeaway that serves as a valuable lesson. And you know what - it's okay. It's okay to take stock of that. Don't let it pull you into a rut, speak to someone and tomorrow is a new day.

Quoting one of my favourite cliches - it is what it is.

4. Don't Try, Don't Know

This is simple math. 0% of 100% is 0%, and 1% of 100% is 1%, which is infinitely ∞ more than 0% (I had incorrectly stated that 1% is 100% more than 0%, and got swiftly corrected by my brother. I have failed you, math teachers).

I've encountered way too many people who pass up on an opportunity because of over-thinking on the "what-ifs". A huge reason is also a fear of failure or rejection. When I was looking to pivot into Tech Sales, I reached out to many people (via LinkedIn, of course!). Not all got back to me, but the ones who did then opened up more doors of opportunity. I wouldn't be who I am today if I didn't tell myself to just try. Any chance, no matter how slim it is, is still a chance.

5. It's A Marathon. Enjoy The Journey.

When I first graduated, I set myself up for the "ideal career trajectory" and was often stressing myself out when things weren't progressing at the speed or direction I had wanted. Then, I realized that I was too focused on society's end goal for me, that I forgot to be in the moment and celebrate every little milestone and eventful work situation.

Whether good times or bad, it's the journey that makes everything so meaningful. Why rush to complete your career? So the next time you're in panic mode - pause, breathe, and think about what you want to relish when you look back at the end of your career. Whatever that is for you, cherish every moment, be present, and enjoy the ride.

6. It's All About The People

The Office depicts a group of employees in the Paper business. What makes their workplace magical though, is that the Manager thinks of them being in the People business.

Throughout my career, I've found that happiness in my role is correlated with how well I get along with my colleagues and how much my company cares about me. And I don't mean culture and values slapped onto the company website, nor excessive perks and fancy office facilities.

You get to know whether a company walks their talk by how they navigate difficult times - are they providing clarity on business direction, are they listening to employees, and are they following through with what they have committed to. Are they authentic people? Ask any happy employee why they are with their company and the answer's likely going to be "the people".

P.S. The manager depicted above is not talking to Ryan Roslansky , our CEO at LinkedIn, but now I wonder if our CEO was inspired by this...

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So, in the most imperfect fashion, I end my article. Let me know if any of the points resonate, and more importantly, let me know when you want to talk about the show. I can send lots of memes.