I left the corporate world just about this time in 1999. I still think I've made the right decision if this article is true.

If you're a loyal employee like me, you occasionally check your company's Vision Statement to make sure all the T's in "empowerment" have been crossed, and the I's in "mission" have been dotted. But if you come across buzzwords like "excellence" and "leadership," you should know that your corporate culture is sadly behind the curve--those terms are as '90s as Reebok Pumps, Zima, and Total Quality Management. There's a new core value on the loose, and it goes by the name of "Fun."

Ug.

Shortly after I left that hierarchical world of mission statements and performance reviews that decided whether I would get a 3.5% increae in pay or a 4.1% increase in pay, I caught Office Space for the first time. It was reassuring. The Divine Mrs. M. bought the DVD.

But every once in a while, I yearn for the ability to hid amongst the group. To be cloaked by the herd. And then I read this piece.

Here's an abbreviated list of the jollity that will ensue at your place of business if you follow their advice: "joy lists," koosh balls, office-chair relay races, marshmallow fights, funny caption contests, job interviews conducted in Groucho glasses or pajamas, wacky Olympics, memos by Frisbee, voicemails in cartoon-character voices, rap songs to convey what's learned at leadership institutes, "breakathons," bunny teeth, and asking job prospects to bring show and tell items such as "a stuffed Tigger doll symbolizing the interviewee's energetic and upbeat attitude" or perhaps a "neon-pink mask and snorkel worn to demonstrate a sense of humor, self-deprecating nature, and sense of adventure."

I've said it before. I worked for MegaCorp for 6 years. I was on 5 different "teams" to decide on a mission statement. After those years, I have no idea how our economy beat out the Soviets.


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