Ever since I started working at RSG, I’ve had trouble describing what it’s like. It isn’t like working for another firm. There are days when I’ll work on something for hours on end without looking up, but I won’t be bored. Instead, I’ll feel more driven than I did even before I started the project, and as I look around the office, I know that I’m not the only one. It’s not about working for a paycheck; it’s about cooperating to solve problems.
I work pretty standard hours. But in my eyes, that’s about as “standard” as my job gets. When I first walk into the office in the morning, I’m greeted not by rows of isolated cubicles, but by the distinct smell of dry, hoppy microbrew. Our office is in a shared space above a brewery, and in some ways, that progressive sharing of space is largely characteristic of our company as a whole. As I climb the stairs and settle in at my desk, it becomes apparent that in some ways, it’s just like any other office. What sets it apart isn’t the cubicles, or the computers, or even the brewery, though; it’s the mentality.
At RSG, cooperation is key. I’ve worked here for a few months, and yet I have the same kind of workspace as people who have worked here for decades. We all have work stations that face inwards to be as conducive as possible to group work. The office is usually quiet, but the lack of talking doesn’t indicate a lack of communication. In fact, there are always multiple people assigned to projects, and multiple minds tackling the same problems. A project is never left to one person, and no man is an island; instead, it’s a combination of efforts, focused on together like different cogs in the same machine. Of course we all have individual duties and assignments, but it’s the network of joint partnership that results in the premium quality of work we hold ourselves to – the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Working at RSG isn’t like working for other jobs I’ve had, because here you’re constantly challenged. Unlike jobs I’ve had in my past, you don’t ever plateau here. There’s always a new opportunity or problem (or in some cases, crisis) that cities have to face, and as their aids, we revel in the chance to come up with creative solutions to help communities be the best places that they can become. At RSG, there’s no stagnation, because the problems facing communities aren’t stagnant, either. We push each other to grow so we can continue to adapt to the needs of our clients. And we do it all with synergy and cooperation that gets more emphasized even as work gets more difficult. Working at RSG isn’t like working for another firm. It’s like taking a step back and realizing that collectively, we are capable of incredible things. It’s like a lesson in the great gestalt of human potential.
Written by Michael Dietz who is a Research Assistant at RSG.