Reunions are cool!

 I attended a reunion of Developers from my old Healthcare software company recently! There were about 20 men and women sitting around tables and getting reacquainted over burger and fries. I missed last year's reunion because of some family medical issues, so for me it was great to see everyone again.

The company has gone through several buyouts, restructures, merges, etc, like all companies seem to do these days. These were lots of cool people from the original company, people I worked with on a daily basis until I retired in 2016ish. 

About half of them are at different jobs/companies now. Those that stayed at our company have climbed the corporate ladder or changed jobs internally. It was great to see that everyone was still very involved with moving forward. 

That is one thing I always have to emphasize when I talk to people about this group of developers, testers, admin and support people. It was by far the best group of dedicated individuals I have ever worked with. No other company ever came close to having such truly devoted workers. Our support group and dev group consistently went above and beyond to make sure our customers were well taken care of. Unless you've worked at lesser involved companies, you can't know what a difference this kind of hardcore dedication means to a customer. OK, soap box off now. ;-)

It was amazing to see how everyone has changed, but stayed the same! I know that sounds odd. However it's how I felt as I looked around the room. I could remember each and everyone of them. Remember what we did together for so long. I miss them, our course, but I'm so proud to have been one of them.

We talked about work a little, but most of the conversion was about current family status and how our lives have changed. It was heart warming to hear about new births, vacations, and new experiences. That is what I miss the most about my time with these people. Leanin' at the door of an office and hearing about a new kid in the family or a wonderful vacation story.

Of course while standing at an office door I also heard about the challenges we all met on a daily basis. Again, what made this company of kindred souls special was that we communicated/bitched/helped/brainstormed with each other with our problems. Together. No one was isolated unless they wanted to be. A closed door meant 'I'm trying to work something out by myself' and was respected by all, but the doors were seldom closed.

So. I've got a few 'We'll get together soon' reassurances to look forward to and a few more good memories of some amazing workers and friends.

Take my advice and foster a culture of genuine friendship and cooperation at your workplace. Say 'Hello' everyday. Take a minute or two and find out if they need help or if they can help you. It's OK to say you need help. Go out to lunch with different groups. Get to know what each person contributes to your company's success. It never hurts to bring in donuts once in a while, too!

You and your company will be a better place for everyone.