When I first started working, I thought I had to do everything by the books. I was formal in my communication and I was careful not to do anything that came across as offensive.

But through this conservatism, I lost some of my humanity. I became someone who I wouldn’t want to work with on a daily basis. As soon as I realized this, my mindset started to change.

The people that we enjoy interacting with the most are rarely 100% “by the book.” They’re the people who aren’t afraid to be themselves and stray from the ordinary.

For some people, that means being cheery and ending every email with an exclamation point. For some, it means talking about the weird things that interest them. For me, it’s keeping things light-hearted and giving my co-workers a hard time.

Although it might seem like the safe play, it’s rarely beneficial to try to be a robot.

Trust me, I learned first hand.

-Brandon