All Of My Friends

Friends are at a premium these days. For friends don't like friends who are never around between Monday and Thursday, who are too tired to go out on Friday and leave town again on Sunday afternoon. That leaves Saturday for everything and everyone, which is why 'everyone' may not comprise all that many people after a while.

So it's a good thing that I have some great colleagues. The stress is on some, of course, and there seems to be an inverse correlation between likability and rank on the career ladder, but it's generally true that few of your team members below Project Leader (beyond that the air gets a lot thinner) will turn out to be terrible. I've worked with people from all continents; I've debated star formation with a brand new associate and the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire with a Senior VP . I've gone running with an Iron Man contestant (don't ask how I felt afterwards) and gotten drunk with a former bartender (no, don't ask either). These experiences are a huge part of the reason why I am still in this business. Though of course I sometimes cannot help asking whether all this talent is not shamefully wasted on post-merger integrations and distribution strategies. You decide.