The Asset of Being You

One of the hardest lessons for me to learn, as a young art director, was that your personality and quirks often can prove to be an asset.

I began my working career at Target and Starbucks. Both are good places to work and both are pretty strict corporations that ask that you leave your personality at the door and put on the brand face. When taught to, on a daily basis, remove your personality when at work, it becomes difficult when asked to express myself regularly at an agency.

Although not every career expressly wants you to be yourself on a daily basis, no one wants to work with someone that is dull or rude. When interviewing for design and art director positions at agencies, I’ve found that the agencies that were always heavily interested in me were the ones in which I was very relaxed and simply being my normal, odd self. By being someone that is naturally happy and spreads humor to others I have an asset outside of my ability to create good work and pitch it well to clients, I have the ability to help create a stronger team through being myself.

Yet, the hardest lesson to learn for those that have radically different or unusual personalities is the necessity to do what I call, “Easing people into your crazy.” By with holding much of your personality initially to gauge others, find your niche and allow for your personality to gradually come out, you become a natural fit. On the other hand, being extremely out there from day one can often create apprehension, unease and the feeling of being ostracized from the group.

So in the end I’ve found the best practice is to show your personality, craziness and all; but, don’t jump the gun (ease people into your oddities).

All You Need to Be Successful is a Season of Survivor

Although I’ve never been an avid fan, I’ve always thought that all you need to know to be successful can be observed from watching one season of survivor.

It contains the three essential parts of survival in a corporate structure, an island community or an agency: ability, honesty and understanding those around you. Most people, including myself, would gravitate towards those of ability. Yet a talented individual that is a prima donna, would find it difficult when collaboration is necessary.

The next major factor is honesty. The individuals that are always truthful and direct are often carried far in survivor because they prove to be quite loyal. Yet, if they don’t appropriately voice their opinion they can often be thought of as aloof and could become ostracized from the group.

Lastly, knowing those around you can make or break “the game” for an individual. Knowing how each person will react to praise, honesty or critique should factor into how you communicate the good and the bad with that individual. Those that are more than able, openly honest and understand the politics of a work environment are the ones that seem to consistently succeed.

In the end though, it’s not solely about trying to get to the top; but, more about how to create a team of individuals that can make great things together. That, after all, is the ultimate challenge.