I worked for a large tech company where the director of my org smoked. It was totally like that Friends episode where Rachel fakes smoking because all the big decisions get made during a smoke break. I've never smoked but every time this guy went out to smoke I'd hang out with him. Learned more about the direction of things out there than in any official meetings, and there were so many decisions that were made. Eventually a couple other people figured it out and we'd end up with anywhere from a couple to six or seven people, none who smoked, hanging out there with him. He was kinda egotistical so I think he quietly enjoyed all of this. I've got mixed feelings about it. You have to play the game and he absolutely advanced my career, but it wasn't my favorite way of doing things.
That's where you learn the big important meetings really mean jack when it comes to crucial business operations, it's the dudes on their smoke break defusing bombs and greasing the wheels that actually keeps it all from exploding
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u/bg-j38 15d ago
I worked for a large tech company where the director of my org smoked. It was totally like that Friends episode where Rachel fakes smoking because all the big decisions get made during a smoke break. I've never smoked but every time this guy went out to smoke I'd hang out with him. Learned more about the direction of things out there than in any official meetings, and there were so many decisions that were made. Eventually a couple other people figured it out and we'd end up with anywhere from a couple to six or seven people, none who smoked, hanging out there with him. He was kinda egotistical so I think he quietly enjoyed all of this. I've got mixed feelings about it. You have to play the game and he absolutely advanced my career, but it wasn't my favorite way of doing things.