I think I just realized who the secret MVP of our office is.
By @jetty · Work
There’s a guy on my team who is probably a few years from retirement. He never says much in big meetings, but I've started noticing he's the one person quietly making our forced return-to-office not just bearable, but actually nice.
The full story
Our company went full-time back in the office last year, and morale has been… mixed. It’s a lot of open-plan desks and performative collaboration. But I’ve started noticing this pattern with one of my coworkers, a guy in his late 60s who has the corner cubicle by the window. He’s the reason the good snacks are always stocked. Our office provides the cheapest bulk granola bars, but there’s an unspoken drawer in the kitchenette that always has decent chocolate, pretzels, and even the occasional bag of gourmet popcorn. For months I thought it was a company perk I didn't know about, but last week I saw him restocking it with a bag from his own grocery run. He saw me, just gave a little nod, and went about his day. He’s also the team’s unofficial archivist and defender. The other day, a director was grilling one of our junior designers about why a decision was made on a project from six months ago. The designer was floundering, and just as it got really uncomfortable, the older guy chimed in from his desk. they said, 'Oh, I remember that one. We had to pivot because the client’s legal team flagged the initial concept. I have the email thread if you need it.' He didn't do it in a loud 'gotcha' way; it was just a calm statement of fact that immediately defused the situation and saved the junior employee from further embarrassment. He does a dozen other little things, too. He's the only one who consistently cleans the espresso machine. He’ll print out extra copies of an agenda before a meeting if he notices someone doesn’t have one. He asks how your weekend was and then actually remembers what you said the following Monday. None of it is in his job description. He gets no credit for it. But when I think about what makes our team feel like a team and not just a collection of employees, it’s him. It’s these small, consistent acts of service that create a foundation of psychological safety for everyone else. It’s made me want to start doing the same.
How people voted
- Facts — 37% (39 votes)
- Depends — 47% (50 votes)
- No Way — 16% (17 votes)
Readers are split: “Depends” leads with 47% — 106 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@samesame — That’s not a hero, that's just called having a good work ethic.
@paigefr — Why doesn't your company just pay for the good snacks?
@hankkindof — I'd start an anonymous 'office hero' award and make sure he wins the first one, just to see management squirm.
@noelkindof — This is the kind of person that makes a job worth showing up for. What a wonderful teammate.
@reed — cooked.
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