Over-Attached to Your Job?
“It’s like a family”
Elena has never been happier in a 9 am Monday team meeting. Now, at last, these were her kind of people. Her kind of mission. Her kind of boss.
Her workload was enough to keep three people busy. On Saturdays, she prepared updates for the CEO and did some strategic thinking. Sundays were reserved for ‘emergency’ work (which happened with clocklike regularity — to the dismay of her partner and friends.)
The CEO was over the moon with Elena. She delivered, lived and breathed the company’s vision and didn’t ask for much in return.
That went on for 6 years. Until one day, while doing her ‘strategic thinking’ weekend, Elena realised that her strategy, or thinking, wasn’t of interest to anyone anymore.
She still worked as hard as ever and loved her immediate team. But the company changed its course. The CEO had other plans now. And her role shrank to a mere shadow of what it used to be.
It didn’t feel like much of a family now.
Was it ever like a family?
Now, there is no doubt that emotional attachment to work is a good thing — it makes us happier. So does building friendships with our colleagues.
