My philosophy is that work is like Disney World, an approximation of real life that requires the suspension of disbelief.
Now, the corporation that employs me want me to be engaged. I'm already married, I protest.
I'm afraid, now, that I'll be encouraged to do calisthenics with my coworkers each morning (I am encouraged to perambulate the campus, they even provide three routes with distances so I can live a heart healthy life). Perhaps I will be reciting the brand pledge each morning along with the loudspeaker leader piped in over my head.
I want to buy copies of Jennifer Government for the senior management to read. Or at least suggest they get a grip.
Here's the deal: I have skills, the corporation wants them, I enjoy what I do, they need what I do; they pay me, I put up with their bizarre culture. I would do what I do for free. I love what I do. Of course if I were doing it for free, I would not show up every day and they wouldn't be able to count on shipping product on time.
As it is, the branding experience is feeling a bit odd. And frustrating. We're going to spend an entire day in workshops and group exercises, becoming engaged and committed to the brand philosophy. None of us, in my group, belief the brand philosophy. We just want to get our job done.
That's it.
We want to get our job done, and done well. We take pride in our work. We work as a team, we're comfortable with each other, we trust each other, and we can move the work along with little friction and tussle. We aren't each other's best friend and we don't want the company to try so hard to make us be its best friend. It's work, for crying out loud.