CREDIT: VAN REDIN/20TH CENTURY FOX/KOBAL/Variety.com
For everyone that has had a desk job in the corporate world, no movie better depicts corporate existential angst than Mike Judge’s 1999 film Office Space. Initially a disappointment at the box office, Office Space has since become a cult classic thanks to its ability to connect to its audience via the mundane and ordinary life of an office worker. However, what many may not know is that Office Space has a plethora of lessons available to apply in everyday life and especially in sales/business. Judge drew from his boring experiences working in the corporate world in the Bay Area and turned it into a relatable comedy for anyone that has worked in that setting. Below is an abridged list that goes over my top three lessons learned from Office Space and how you can apply them in your career. (Spoilers ahead!)
No. 1: Don’t be afraid to be yourself.
Near the beginning of the film the main character, Peter Gibbons (portrayed by Ron Livingston), is upset at his current place in life so he begrudgingly agrees to see a hypnotherapist. While at the session, the therapist abruptly passes away due to a heart attack. This leaves Peter in a perpetually relaxed state and allows him to start expressing himself in different ways at his drab job at his software company, Initech. This includes ignoring his oafish boss (Gary Cole), tearing down his cubicle, and also speaking candidly to business consultants, Bob Slydell and Bob Porter. During this exchange, Peter wins over the Bobs’ thanks to his frankness in regards the inner-workings of the office and what his opinion is on how to improve the company culture.
The key takeaway here is that instead of being ruled by the corporate system, Peter found his own way to make the company better and started expressing himself as such. While this is in no way justifying outlandish behavior, it is reasonable for one to express themselves at work in a professional way. Companies nowadays are able to see the full scope of your interests via social media and having a balanced professional and personal life is critical to your own personal and professional success. Organizations and prospects want authenticity more than ever and employees are empowered to do so within reason which can promote a much healthier workplace via transparency and working together towards a common goal.
No. 2 Take care of your co-workers.
Over the course of the film, Peter and his two friends, Samir Nagheenanajar and Michael Bolton (no, not the singer), are all thrown into the precarious situation of going from disgruntled employees to potential felons. While there were a handful of situations where the group could have turned on one another, they instead stuck it out and eventually worked through their problems to prevail. In business and in life, we are faced with many situations where we can point fingers and accuse someone else of not doing their job, but what the best leaders do is to bring the group together and lift each other up. Each situation is different, but more often than not, taking the high road and taking care of your colleagues is essential to having a long and fulfilled career.
No. 3 Think outside the box.
In one of the most famous scenes in the film (other than the group destroying a troublesome printer in a field), the three hatch a plan to siphon money out of the company’s bank account, which of course goes terribly awry. Again this is not an endorsement of white collar crime, but it is rather ingenious the trio thought to help themselves and give their company a taste of its proverbial medicine. In the 21st century, companies are exposed to a variety of different sales techniques and products. While each product is different, organizations are being inundated with sales pitches all the time so finding a way to think outside the box and fit the client’s needs is imperative to your professional development. Thinking outside the box (in a legal way), will not only help yourself but the companies or clients you work with on a daily basis.
As always, thank you for reading my post and check out this link to The Ringer’s fantastic oral history of the film.
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