Another thing I've noticed in the corporate world, gradually over the past 30 years while we weren't noticing, is the depersonalization of the corporation.

At my first job after college, I remember the company store which sold toiletries, stationery, cards, things you might need during the day. There was a coffee wagon that came around to the offices as well as the cafeteria that was subsidized by the company. The nurse's office had real nurses and a doctor, and it was where you went if you didn't feel well. They administered things like over the counter medicine, offered basic medical advice, let you lie down for an hour, and then sent you back to work. In fact, the ladies room had a couch where you could lie down for a few minutes. The executives used to walk around and talk to the workers occasionally, a big deal. People spoke to each other on the telephone.

Fast forward to today.

There is no company store, just expensive boutiques where you'd never find a stick of gum or an aspirin. The coffee wagon and cafeteria have been replaced by expensive restaurants with "gourmet" selections. The medical department has some former nurses who administer disability claims and track absence cases. The officers of the company are viewed on closed-circuit TV for those "homey" get togethers. People leave e-mail or voice-mail without even trying to speak directly to others.