What’s the culture of your business?

My daughter started work today.

It reminded me of my first day at work when my father gave me a piece of advice as I kissed him goodbye in the morning.

“Vix,” he said, “whenever you have to walk anywhere, always hold a piece of paper in your hand. You’ll look important, as if you know what you are doing.”

Even then, I thought it a depressing piece of advice. I adored my father and he was an ethical and decent man. But his comment reflected business cultures of the time – more important to be seen to be doing the right thing than what you were actually doing.

I think and hope businesses are different today. As my daughter went off to work, my advice was that she should say ‘yes’ to anything she was asked to do and look for every opportunity to do something new, different or helpful. Build up experiences, grasp promotions and learn new skills.

Was I right? Are business values different today? What advice would you give your child as they go off to their first job?