Embrace Your Team’s Quirks!

by Linnie S. Carter, Ph.D., APR, and Amanda Griesser
HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College
Harrisburg, PA

Linnie S. Carter and Amanda GriesserWhether you like it or not, the people you work with become your extended family. As with any family, when many different personalities come together, things can get interesting fast. There may be days when you want to blow up on the person who has been sitting in a closed room with you all day as you pore over communication plans. There are other days when that person becomes your therapist and a shoulder to cry on.

One of the most valuable lessons that we’ve learned at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, is the importance of intentionally selecting new members of our family so we not only work well together but also love our time together.

Within the integrated marketing communications department at HACC, we capitalize on the strong personalities that make up our team. Over the years, the department has recruited experts of varying professional backgrounds – including a former investigative journalist who can still get to the bottom of any issue and a graphic designer with a love for musical theater and the arts.

It might feel easy to let our distinctive backgrounds divide the way that we approach our mission and work. Every person on the team can share past horror stories of work environments and relationships that were passive-aggressive, catty or dishonest.

How do we make our quirks work to our advantage (and to the advantage of our college)?

  1. We commit to working hard.
  2. We have each other’s backs. Always.
  3. We listen to and confide in one another.
  4. We prove our trustworthiness.
  5. We close the door and vent when we need a moment, knowing that what is said will never leave the room.
  6. We lovingly point out flaws.
  7. We laugh every day.

There’s no way to create a perfect family, but in the wild world of marketing and communication, we’ve found that the right mix of personalities makes work life a whole lot of fun.

HACC’s Integrated Marketing Communications and Website and Multimedia Resources departments celebrated the launch of a redesigned website in July 2017. The project wouldn’t have been such a success without the distinctive perspective and skill set of everyone involved.

Linnie S. Carter, Ph.D., APR, is vice president of college advancement at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, and executive director of the HACC Foundation.  >

Amanda Griesser is the integrated marketing communications coordinator for project management at HACC.

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