Separate Parts but One Body

They say that a house divided cannot stand.

This is especially true in a communications firm. Like the different parts of a body working together as one to a common goal, each and every member of a team works together for the advancement of their firm.

In a public relations perspective, each employee has a different set of tasks. There are people who work in the Media Monitoring department, people who work in the Graphic Design department, and also people who form part of the administrative team. PR Executives handle most of the decision making process and come up with the creative and business proposals for clients, but their work depends largely on the performance of others.

It is vital to understand that while everyone has a different role to play, all individuals are equal in their work. If one person is not present to fulfill his or her job, the firm will suffer the same way than if someone else in a different department was not around.

Throughout my internship, I have seen this to be true in so many different ways. When someone is missing in the Media Monitoring department, the PR Executives have a harder time fulfilling tasks such as press books and purchasing orders because the person who keeps track of news clippings and who knows the prices of ads in certain newspapers and magazines is not present.

Likewise, if a PR Executive is not present at the office the Graphic Design department will not know what kind of message needs to be conveyed in their art works. The Media Monitoring department will not know which client needs updates on their news coverage, and so on.

This is why team building activities and retreats are such an important part of a company’s efforts in increasing work satisfaction and achievements. It helps employees discover the individual doing the task at work, and helps him or her see the importance in this role. 

It is very easy to overlook the importance of individual work and the roles we play- whether at work, within our own family units, or even in society. Each and every person is of value in a team, and the faster companies learn that, the better they will perform and achieve their goals. 

Sasha-Lee Marivel