Loyalty at Work
This post "On loyalty to your employer" made the rounds on Hacker News today and I wanted to write a short reflection.
I whole-heartedly agree that even if you've found a great job, by no means should you be loyal to your employer. You can and will be replaced or simply cut completely. Do not sacrifice your health and relationships for work. Eat well, go strengthen relationships, exercise, and sleep well (yes I'm being hypocritical on the last two).
After reading this post, however, I did realize that I do feel some sense of loyalty in my work setting. It was loyalty to my team, the people I work with.
I do tend to open up quickly to people who I get along with, and I've been lucky enough to click well with many of my teammates. Folks who not only worked hard and got their things done, but who were also fun to play Minecraft with after work, join for a weekend party, or just meet up for lunch. Loyalty to these people has felt important, and I believe some have been loyal to me, too. That kind of connection strengthens my work environment and encourages me to be better. And while it might benefit my employer a little, the main benefit is that it gives me motivation and focus to work hard for myself and others. As a result, my network is not necessarily big, but it feels reliable. I have definitely gotten help in my career through these relationships.
Of course, there's always some risk to loyalty. I'm not saying that anyone should always feel loyalty to their team. My default state is to still keep work and life separate. But the risk feels worth taking for some people that you may meet at work.