100 Reasons I love America: Work Culture.
#31 Boundaries
“Why don’t we go to the beach?”, a question my colleague often posed to me in jest when I interned at a software company in India. He would watch me growing increasingly uncomfortable and then laugh the whole conversation off as a joke. While I knew he was just teasing me, I realized after a few years in America, such a thing would never happen here unless you know both parties decided to go to the beach together on a work day! So yes, boundaries. I can take for granted that people won’t make requests of me that seem out of the ordinary, ask for favors that make me cringe and just speak out of line. An awesome perk (that’s actually more basic than a perk) if you work in America.
#32 Respect
I can’t remember the last time I garlanded an important executive in any of the companies I worked for! I don’t address my boss with a “Sir” or “Ma’am” and I can actually use first names. Respect is earned with actions not age. A simple but profound American concept.
#33 Merit
Seniority cannot be taken for granted at least in the bay area where I work. You have to work to keep your job at whatever level you work at and that is purely based on merit.
#34 Privacy
I don’t have to give elaborate reasons for being absent from my desk for a few hours. People don’t ask me personal questions if I say I need to be home to take care of a few chores. Colleagues don’t intrude into each other’s personal lives or engage in gossip.
#35 Personal Growth
There are a myriad opportunities here to invest in my personal growth at work. Workshops, training sessions, coaching circles, team rotations…and they are for the sole purpose of personal growth so we can be better versions of ourselves and contribute better at work. A win-win formula.
#36 Diversity
Working with people from countries all over the world involves automatic learning opportunities for studying how different cultures have their unique ways to express opinions and thoughts. I have learned to look beyond the tentative, timid opinions and the loudly-spoken, confident declarations to get to the crux of the content. What is this person trying to say? Not, how he is saying it.
#37 Comfort
Silicon valley companies try to out-do each other in providing perks and comforts for employees. Chef-cooked hot meals, laundry services and what not. Comfort that will make you look forward to working even more than the work which is in itself exciting!
#38 Autonomy
You have a great idea. First you ask your manager for permission. She will then schedule a quick 1–1 with her manager to ask for permission who has to check with his boss to give him the green signal and by the time it comes back to you, your idea has just about shrivelled and died. Or not. You have a great idea, you pitch it to your colleagues, get their buy in and build something great together. Precisely the reason I love working where I work.
#39 Freedom
The freedom to express your authentic self through whatever reasonable means you choose — what you wear, what you can express without fear of being judged, the freedom to bring your real self to work is a great reason to work here. You don’t have to fit into a uniform to fit in.
#40 Fun
Working hard and playing hard is a mantra I had not run into in India. You work hard and you climb the proverbial career ladder and then you retire. You don’t expect to have fun while working in India. The two are separate facets of your life. It doesn’t have to be that way and I learnt that in America.
What is this all about? What happened to the first 30 reasons?
