You're just like...

You hear some horror stories about the way people are managed or lead in the workplace. I mean, some really nasty, vindictive stories of how people treat other people.

I've been blessed by having good relationships with my managers almost since the day I started working. I think some of that was personality of the people I've worked for, but often its been through working hard (some of the time, at least), being reliable and showing some ingenuity too. It's helped to find ways to express the talents/gifts that I have in the work I've been doing.

I got a fright the other day when I realise that I've been working for 16 years. More than half my life. That's just slightly concerning.

Come July I'll have worked for my current employer for 12 years. Jings. In no one year has my role at work been the same though - and that's a very encouraging thought!

Funnily enough, when I was at school my ambitions were clear: I don't want to work in an office. Seems that I didn't fulfil that one. I think that's because my Dad was never *really* all that happy at work, and so I didn't want to be like that. I equated the unrest with the office, but it really wasn't because of that.

How about you - how did your childhood influence your choice of work?