Corner Office

Today is “Take Your Child to Work Day” and I was a little stunned when my daughter expressed interest in coming to the office with me.  In the past when I’ve tried to explain to her what I do in my “other” job, her eyes would glaze over and she’d shrug and turn her attention back to texting or TV.

In fact, it’s been quite a while since she’s even seen my office, but boy what a difference 4 years make.  Her eyes widened when she entered our big, gleaming white office lobby with its large reception desk, multiple LED screens and spacious conference rooms.  When we passed behind the security door into the inner sanctum where the real work spaces are, she saw people typing away furiously at their desktop computers and whispered, “Wow, they’re working already.”

I walked her around the hallways so she could be re-introduced to my buddies --old timers at my company, like me, who’d last seen her when she was 38 inches tall, if that -- and new kids on the block, cool-looking young women and men dressed like the ambitious, early career professionals they are.

We went to my office – which is pretty large compared to others and not a cubicle for no other real reason than longevity at this point – and she nodded approvingly.  “Nice, Mom.”

And then I noticed our CEO standing in the hallway outside her office and I waved at her to stay put for a minute (which is hard to do because when she’s not in a foreign country on business, she’s in a meeting, in transit to a meeting or on a conference call).  I grabbed my daughter and we raced down the hall to the boss’ corner office.

My daughter extended her hand (when did she learn to do that?) and said to my CEO, “It’s so nice to meet you again,” followed by a dazzling smile and an appreciative nod: “You have a really beautiful office.”

She’s right.  My CEO’s work space is large, sunny and well-appointed, befitting a woman of her considerable accomplishments.  I’ll confess:  I was deeply pleased that my daughter was impressed with the corner office because it will help me to slowly, quietly but consistently remind her to always see her possibilities in new ways – as the leader of a company, the director of a music video, the vet, the teacher, or the owner of her own small business. 

When we went back to my office, which isn’t as beautiful or as grand as my CEO’s space but is filled with photos of my delightful child and quite comfortable to me, she said as if I needed to hear it, “I like your office too, Mom.”  While the size or décor of one’s office is hardly the measure of a women or man, it can be one small but tantalizing clue to the resident’s aspirations for their life.

I know the years ahead will deliver challenges and some tough lessons, to be sure.  And the corner office may not be in my daughter’s future, but here’s hoping that she’ll define and navigate her own successful path to her own “corner office” – whatever that looks like -- with courage, caring and self-confidence.