An unhealthy dose of cynicism

Everyone can be cynical at times. There is plenty of evidence to back up the belief that humans are motivated by selfish desires. Only a fool would blindly take everyone at their word.

But cynicism has its limits. If you refuse to see the good in people, life can get pretty miserable. And the only person to blame is yourself.

For a case study in cynicism run amok, look no further than the advertising industry. 

Take a stroll through our hipster filled hallways and you will find people very hard at work but also working very hard to act like they don’t care about any of it.

So it’s not surprising that many of us cast a suspicious eye on those who would dare try to cultivate a little culture within the agency. “How dare you try to manipulate me into having positive feelings about my workplace?”

Well, here’s why you should go along with the program. Turns out, a positive company culture can not only help your agency succeed, it can help advance your career as well.

Which is a good thing, no matter how hard your cynical brain tries to spin it into something sinister.

Now, this doesn’t mean you need to throw on your party hat and dance on the bar at the next company happy hour. In fact, agency culture should be about much more than the occasional free drink. It should include training, work-life benefits, career guidance and much more. 

But free drinks are nice too.

And you should open yourself up to all of it. Have a cocktail with a coworker. Take part in an agency-sponsored training session. Volunteer with your team at the local animal shelter.

Perhaps you could even smile once or twice in the process.

We spend a third of our adult lives at work. It doesn’t have to be a miserable experience. Unless that’s the kind of ‘culture’ you want to be a part of. Which is fine.

Just find another agency to make that happen at, okay?