OpenTable

As someone who can often treat myself badly in service of working more, I have found unexpected allies everywhere at OpenTable. Multiple co-workers (and definitely my manager) have encouraged me/us to take sick days when in doubt, including mental health days when the news hits hard. This makes me feel valued beyond what I can contribute to the bottom line, which is unfortunately mostly a new experience for me after 7 years in this industry.

I have enjoyed working with almost everyone I have come across. People are kind, eager to help, fun, energetic, and caring.

There is definitely a cost to being a relatively old company — lots of structures, silos, and approval processes that have me thinking "there has to be a better way" on a weekly basis.

At the same time, I have seen signs of awareness of the silos problem, and some willingness to address it. I am still new here, so the jury is still out, but I have hope.

Truly be bold by experimenting with more self-directed and less hierarchical ways of structuring work. Collect stories of what it is like to wait multiple days for permissions, and make the structural changes that improve things.