Many years ago I worked for an uptight company. At this particular organization, we outsourced most of our marketing communication duties to local firms. Luckily, I had the opportunity to spend a great deal of time in a variety of creative environments. As you might expect, most of these businesses had a relaxed atmosphere and an upbeat feeling, much different from the office where I worked. Visiting those creative firms was a nice break from the strict corporate structure I worked in. There was one specific advertising agency that I gravitated towards more than the rest, however, and they continued to earn our business. For some reason their campaigns were especially fresh, exciting and on target. Not only did I find myself granting them the majority of our business, I also found myself spending more and more time in their offices. I liked being there for many reasons but I have to confess, the main I wanted to hang out there is because I fell in love.
I fell in love with their office dog! As I said, the environment I worked in was tight, but when I walked into their workplace I was greeted by a big, goofy, sweet mutt. Being able to step out of the rigors of my job, being able to pet and love and smell a dog in the middle of the day was like drinking a tall glass of cold water on a scorching hot day. Suddenly I had a better perspective on things; suddenly things didn’t seem so difficult. It was wonderful.
The owner of the advertising agency believed that having a dog in the office improved his employees’ creative output. He was convinced that he had a brighter, happier, healthier organization because of their four-legged mascot. I agreed with him, and longed for a job where I could take my dog to work with me.
