Ricky Gervais is now a household name, a comedic superstar and a Hollywood A-lister. But it wasn’t that long ago that Gervais was a nobody, struggling to make a name for himself.
Well, obviously that all changed with the success of the BBC hit The Office 15 years ago.
To celebrate this epic milestone, I thought I’d pay homage to the man and his character, David Brent.
Here are seven things I learnt about working in an office straight from the one and only David Brent.
1. Your dance moves belong at home – period
Despite how good you think you look out of ten, divide that number by a hundred, and then by another ten. That’s the message you’re sending out to the world…
Unless you’re drunk, willing to be laughed at, or really, really good, don’t dance at work. Foot tapping is okay though.
2. Laughter is great for stress relief
We don’t need to heed the wise words of the Brentmeister General to know this is true.
Laughter really is the best medicine – trust us, there’s been studies on it an’ everyfing.
David Brent tries to laugh at least three times a day. What about you?
3. Sometimes other people do know more than you
Yes, you probably do know everything there is to know about your industry, but it doesn’t hurt to keep an open mind and listen to what others have to say. Especially if those others are specifically trained and have years of experience behind them.
So be humble, open your ears, and who knows, you may just learn a thing or two.
4. Leave the guitar at home
You’re at work, not out camping or at your local open-mic night.
Just. Leave. It.
5. Don’t play sport in the workplace
Trust us, it will just end badly.
Either your boss will crack the $hits or one of you will pull a hammy – or worse.
Stick to Pokemon Go.
6. Being a good communicator is important
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7. Romance in the office only ever ends in heartbreak
The office is just not the best environment to pursue a mate.
It’s tempting, yes. But ever heard the expression “don’t crap where you eat?”
Yeah, there’s a reason so many people subscribe to that. And you should too.