It seems like today we celebrate the “I” more than ever. And I would argue that the biggest part of the desire to go somewhere else is forgetting that there is no “I” in “team.”

My point is simply this: If you are always looking out for you, you will never be satisfied with your job. Doesn’t matter how “cool” it is – once people know you are there and the “cool” factor wears off, it will come up short to your egocentric expectations.

To give yourself fully to your job, to invest in it, to think of it as your company, is one way to truly see if the place where you are is the right one. I’m not encouraging being taken advantage of, or working too much; I’m simply saying that giving your job all you have can lead to several positive outcomes:

- Great relationship with the company
- Richer experience
- Better job security
- Better attitude
- More opportunities
- Quick discovery if it’s not a good fit

Now, nothing is guaranteed, of course. And if you are working at a place that doesn’t value you, or one that doesn’t encourage innovation, independent thinking, or the desire to evolve, then you are probably putting in hours at the wrong place, or running your company in a way that encourages turnover. Life is too short – spend your time working somewhere you like getting out of the bed in the morning and heading to.

So… before you think about replacing a team member, or leaving your current job, ask yourself if you have been focusing on the “I” or the “team.”

Check out this great article by Good. Sums up a lot of what we have been talking about as well.

Does someone you know have that “grass is greener on the other side” attitude when it comes to his or her job? Do you? Unfortunately, it’s a fairly common occurrence. So, for our next few posts we’d like to address several ways to make the grass greener where you are, either as a leader or an employee. But let’s start here:

Contentment is sometimes considered an ugly word when used in the context of your job. Some see that word equaling complacency or lack of desire to evolve. And I think it is a shame. Unless you are a complete slug (in which case you should stop reading), contentment with your job frees you up to work at your highest capacity. Or if you really do have a crappy job, apply these next few posts to your next job or use them to assess an upcoming gig.

One illustration of this discontentment in our profession could be job hopping as young designers. Early in their career, many designers feel that they should work at as many firms as possible to gain experience. That can lead to planting a sense within a person that somewhere else is always going to be better. Now I know some of that is just natural; heck I look at other firms and wish I could work on some of their projects or have their clients. But, I truly believe any situation is what YOU make of it. Your daily enjoyment, quality of work and value to the company is in no one else’s hand but your own. You may not have the ultimate authority at your workplace, but you do have a chance to continually create value by always being curious and developing your own knowledge and skill. Contentment is choosing to be happy, and by taking care of your attitude and actions you can make a company better.

So next time you think it’s time to move on, or the company seems stagnant, maybe the biggest issue is not the company, but YOU. The first step is to be honest with yourself on what you want in your career. Are you sure where you are at can’t supply that to you? And if that’s the case, how do you know for sure? Have you sat down with your boss and said this is what I would like to do here or bring to the company? Most design firms, especially small to mid sized ones, would rather invest in an engaged employee that wants to stay and help the company be better than every few years bringing in someone different, but again that value is up to you and the culture of where you are at.

Agree, disagree or have questions? We are ready to talk.

Work environments have always been important to me. Not only the ones I work in, but also the ones I work with. When I met Don Jastrebski a few years ago he really helped me understand the importance of culture in regards to hiring, managing and working with clients. He literally changed the way I (and Rule29) look at business and how we work with people. Culture is definitely king. I will say without hesitation if you don’t understand culture you need to; it will change the way you operate. He has never been wrong when it comes to culture, which is why we affectionately call him Dr. Don, the culture king. Hopefully this interview will give you a little insight. His materials are currently being updated, but in the interim for more info go to the in3 site. Also if you have questions, comment below, Dr. Don will be happy to respond.

1. Don, in 29 words or less, what exactly to you do?
I help companies perform better by aligning their people component. People are a fixed cost. Optimal return on fixed & capital costs is realized by fitting people & programs to culture. Read the rest of the entry >

Recently we created a new twitter feed dedicated to the interactions that take place between us, our clients, partners and even random visitors. Sometimes you hear quite memorable and inspiring quotes, and other times errors in grammar reign supreme. From a self negating statement like, “For 40 bucks, you get a month of free yoga”, to a motivational Timspiration™ such as “Zubaz are always a good alternative,” every bit contributes to the experience of the Rule29 culture. As the current intern of R29 I have taken it upon myself to track and archive all the memorable quotes over the past six months. I found myself wondering about how much time it was taking to record these statements and if it would really be adding anything to the overall effectiveness of our work. Soon after thinking about the question, I remembered a book I had read.

In an architecture class many years ago, I read Cradle to Cradle, by an architect named William McDonough and a chemist named Michael Braungart. In the book they cover topics ranging from the current approach to ideas of renewability and sustainability, to using architecture to better your productivity and overall contribution to the workplace. Relating to this Cradle to Cradle mentality, I remembered a particular metaphor that McDonough and Braungart discussed relating to the ecological impact that a cherry tree has on its environment.

“Consider the cherry tree: thousands of blossoms create fruit for birds, humans, and other animals, in order that one pit might eventually fall onto the ground, take root, and grow. Who would look at the ground littered with cherry blossoms and complain, How inefficient and wasteful! The tree makes copious blossoms and fruit without depleting its environment. Once they fall on the ground, their materials decompose and break down into nutrients that nourish microorganisms, insects, plants, animals, and soil. Although the tree actually makes more of its product than it needs for its own success in an ecosystem, this abundance has evolved (through millions of years of success and failure or, in business terms, R&D), to serve rich and varied purposes. In fact, the tree’s fecundity nourishes just about everything around it. What might the human built world look like if the cherry tree had produced?”

It was interesting that although I cannot measure the tangible effects of the humorous and sometimes inspirational dialogue that flow through our workspace, they clearly contribute to the environment and culture of the office. So what is to be learned by the application of these ideas in our everyday interactions? I would contend that even the smallest events and environmental considerations all add up to a sum larger than the parts. Each hilarious comment, video and inspirational quote adds something to our office culture. In my estimation, if the human built world were to operate like a cherry tree, it would look similar to Rule29.

Enjoy some of the Rule29 culture for yourself, and follow our comments on twitter @Around29.com, @rule29 or @designsobriety