In Defense of the Office

For many of us, the office is more than just a physical space—it’s a daily environment where work, culture, and personal growth meets. While remote work has reshaped our expectations, there’s still something uniquely human about the rhythms of office life.

For many, the day often starts before stepping into the building—through emails checked on the commute in or mental task lists formed over coffee. In the office, a quick “good morning” becomes part of a social routine that eases you into the day. These small moments help define the culture. A casual chat near the coffee machine can be the start of an idea, or simply a moment to feel connected before the inbox takes over.

There’s a paradox at the heart of office life: structure and unpredictability. Meetings fill the calendar, yet priorities often shift by noon. And while we crave productivity, we’re constantly managing interruptions—Slack messages, emails, urgent requests. But most people learn how to build boundaries, focus time, and moments of recovery—whether that’s a solo lunch, a walk outside, or even five minutes away from the screen.

No two offices are the same, but one constant is the cast of characters and dynamics. From the manager who genuinely cares, to the colleague who always knows where to find the best templates, relationships define how work gets done—and how enjoyable it is. Team chemistry can’t be forced, but it matters. The best office experiences come from environments where trust, communication, and mutual respect are part of the culture, not just the HR handbook.

Every office experience is shaped by small but meaningful moments, such as solving a difficult problem as a team, a sincere “thank you” after a tough deadline, or learning something valuable from a colleague. Those aren’t things that show up on performance reports, but they’re what many of us remember long after roles or companies change.

The office isn’t just where we work—it’s often where we grow, challenge ourselves, and connect with others in ways that shape both our careers and personal lives. It can be frustrating, motivating, dull, or deeply fulfilling—sometimes all in one day. Understanding the office experience means recognizing it’s not about perfection, but about adapting, contributing, and finding purpose in the everyday.

The point to this blog is not to argue whether working in the office or remotely is best. Different ways work best for different environments and concepts. But, whether you are going to the office every day or working remotely, Shachihata has the marking solutions that you need to complete your tasks.

The Heart of a Contender

As I am sure you are now aware, the Milwaukee Bucks won the 2021 NBA Championship. What makes this achievement noteworthy, besides Giannis Antetokounmpo’s amazing performance, is that the last time the Bucks won a championship was in 1971. That’s 50 years, a half-century, 5 decades, 18,250 days. Any way you write it, it is a long time coming.

What we can learn from the Bucks feat is that if you stay committed and focused on your goal and work hard, good things will come your way. Of course, there will be setbacks, and it may take longer than you initially planned. Ask the Bucks, but yet, here they are champions once again.

Now not everyone can be THEE champion, but that isn’t always the most important thing. When I was younger, I was a motocross racer; I loved everything about it, the bikes, the sounds, the smells, the competition, the excitement, the risk involved, all of it. Well…maybe not exactly all of it. One season there was this other rider. I can’t remember his first name, but I’m pretty sure his last name was Juba, as I saw it on the back of his jersey more times than I care to remember. I could NEVER beat this guy (unless he fell off or broke down); it became a bit of an obsession for me to beat him, if just once.

I watched him ride at every opportunity. During practice, I would always try to follow him to learn his braking points, his corner entrance and exit speeds, how far he would clear a jump, the lines he would take. Anything I could glean that would benefit me, along with my own hours of practicing. As the season moved on, I took what I learned and steadily got closer and closer. When the season had finally ended, I still had not beat Juba…not even once. The following season he moved on to another race class, and we would never compete against each other again.

Now I know what you are thinking; that doesn’t seem like much of a success story. At first glance, it may not appear to be one, as my total dedication to one goal had not been realized. But, what was achieved is more important than one race win. From this experience, I became a better rider, and the following season was more successful than any prior. I also learned patience and respect. So if you do experience initial setbacks, keep going, find ways to learn from them, and try new techniques and ideas. In the end, you may not be the champion of the world, but being the best you can be is true success in itself…

So, no matter what your passion may be; a sport, business, art, music, crafts, writing…stick with it, create, grow and expand, who knows maybe one day you too will be a champion. And hopefully, it won’t take 50 years!

In the words of Samuel Beckett – “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

– Charles Arjavac, Marketing Manager