Team Building Efforts Make Us Better Marketing Professionals
Roy T. Bennet, author of The Light in the Heart, wrote, “Do not let the roles you play in life make you forget that you are human.” Let that sink in.
It’s too easy to pin ourselves inside life’s rat wheel, grinding away, busy and over-extended, trying to do it all– but the dangers of this are many. Perhaps the most worrisome of dangers is that when you live nose to the grindstone, you can lose your humanity– your ability to empathize with the people around you. At Riverworks, our Chattanooga Marketing Agency, we think team building is an exceptional tool, not only because it’s fun and helps to break up the busy work days, but also because it allows us glimpses of the beautiful humanity of our coworkers. It reminds us that we are all people, flesh and bone, with beating hearts and harrowing struggles, with fears and hopes that drive us, and vulnerabilities we contend with daily.
In an effort to learn a little more about each other, to put our humanity on display for a few moments, our marketing team hosted a Grown-Up Show & Tell. Each Riverworks marketer brought in a treasured item, and spoke to the rest of the team about what they brought. Each of us shared insight about our treasures, and what important facets of our lives they symbolized. It was a playful activity that served a hearty purpose. If you find yourself curious about what we brought, check out some of our treasured items below.
Our Marketing Account Manager, Rachel, brought her favorite book, Dune. Reading is special to her as it provides her an escape and helps sharpen her mind. Our Creative Director, Amy, brought her first ever drawing, a rendition of Sailor Moon, and an incredible oil painting she did of her husband, Scott. Our Technology Director, Kevin, brought yard game components symbolizing his love of playing with his son, and being active outdoors. Our Senior Designer, Jess, brought medals from father/daughter races she has won over the years, from bronze to gold. Running is a part of her. Just feet and the ground, and nothing else. Our other Senior Designer, Brian, brought his band’s album, a product that came from an outpouring of heart and collaboration with friends. Music is everything to him, and the work on his album, a treasure. Our Search and Content Specialist/Photographer, Lindsey, brought a LEGO Knight Bus from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, something she built with her son. It’s special to her because it’s symbolic of the bond she has with her boy, and the passions and time they share. Our Developer, Blake, brought a photo of a computer he built at the mind-blowing age of 15! Computers are life for this dude, literally. They have always given him an outlet, and now an income! Our Graphic Designer, Isary, brought a deck of cards that is special to her because her fiancé from Italy gave them to her as a gift. They used to play lots of fun games with that deck, even from across an ocean when they were navigating the waters of a long distance relationship.
Our team sees the value in investing time and energy not only in our clients and marketing efforts, but also in each other. We hope you’ll take a little time today to find your humanity. Tap into your empathetic side. When you interact with others, be it coworkers or neighbors, bank tellers or servers, clients or friends, remember this: they are people.