• Team Bonding

Since most engineers came from various countries, the company recognized the importance of strengthening teamwork and encouraging us to work together more effectively. There are companies that specialize in such services, and we had a 2-3 day event that could be called a retreat. We enjoyed free lunches and participated in many team-building games, similar to Boy Scout activities. While the team-building events were enjoyable, we all agreed that if the company could increase our salaries or offer bonuses, it would motivate us even more. Since we didn’t have to focus on work, there were no complaints. As we engaged in the outdoor activities, the counselor encouraged us to find more collaborative ways to solve obstacles, although not everyone fully understood the approach. After all, it’s hard to change a culture with just a few lessons.

• Casual Fridays

Many companies offer casual, relaxing Fridays and host events like wine tastings. However, since most of the engineers either didn’t drink or weren’t accustomed to strong-tasting cheeses, it didn’t create the same atmosphere as it did in the sales or marketing departments.

Another memorable experience was when one of the companies organized a farmer’s market every Friday afternoon with local vendors. One vendor brought in a large quantity of live fish, each priced at $5.00. We all thought it would be our dinner that night. However, after bringing the fish back to the office, we found ourselves distracted. Besides trying to focus on our computer screens, we couldn’t help but watch the fish jumping up and down in the tightly sealed plastic bag. It quickly lost its appeal. I don’t remember how I handled the situation, but I still remember the fish.

• Christmas Party

Most companies have different ways of acknowledging our hard work, often through increased stock prices from the shareholders. Each year, we had a glamorous party to celebrate. I remember one year, the party was held at San Francisco City Hall, featuring three rock bands and an orchestra singing Christmas carols on the stairs. They even hired a fortune teller. One of my colleagues had a tough year with her manager, so she went to ask the fortune teller whether she would be laid off. The fortune teller told her, “Not a chance.” I could’ve answered that question for her too: “Look at the party”—definitely not this year.

• Promotions

One day, our manager called us to a meeting. He was very serious as he announced that we were all being promoted from developers to designers. We would relocate to another nearby building that was still under construction. He asked each of us for any requests we had. My answer was, “I need a window,” since the current office felt like a big, old basement. The manager was puzzled because two of his staff members wanted the window, and there was only one. He called the architect to redesign the layout, dividing the window between two offices. What a great manager he was—truly listening to his employees.

• California Roll

• Budget Cuts

Off and on, all companies had budget cuts due to business performance not meeting Wall Street expectations. We didn’t pay much attention to the budget cuts until we noticed that the lady who cleaned our office at night stopped coming. So, I brought in a lint roller to remove dirt from the rug and a wipe to clean the desks. My manager then ordered a case of cleaning supplies for everyone so we could take care of our own office cleaning.

• Company Merger

In Silicon Valley at that time, there was a small reorganization every three months and a larger reorganization every six months. Within a year, just as we were celebrating our big achievements, our company was acquired by another company, and the entire department was no longer needed. During this period, we all began looking for new jobs. As an engineer, if you were skilled, it wasn’t very difficult to switch from one company to another, but it was tougher for managers. One of our managers had a strong “man ego,” and many female engineers decided it was the perfect time to have some fun. On his blackboard, people left all kinds of messages: “Need a job? McDonald’s is hiring, but do you have the right skill set?” or “Want me to talk to my hiring manager? I need a programmer, are you interested?”

• Language Improvement

Each year, during the review period, we would often receive “Improve your communication” as a goal for the following year. The action item typically suggested was to “send us to school to learn English.” Over the years, I attended various training courses and developed a wide range of communication skills, including “English Conversation,” “Public Speaking,” “Effective Communication,” “Effective Briefing,” and “Leadership.” Interestingly, most of the teachers in these courses were also immigrants. This experience became a significant gain in my real life. Today, my children no longer criticize or misunderstand me because of my language. Your mother has been taught by language specialists over the years.