Earlier this month, we had a staff campaign to raise money for United Way, one of our biggest financial supporters. In order to make this more than just the staff giving money, we make it into a competition where we elect mascots and send long emails ramping up our team spirit.

I was asked to be a team captain and at first I was unsure why. I haven’t been with the company very long and have never been through a staff campaign like this before. I went through the week sending my team encouraging emails about how our mascot, a small stuffed dog, was dressed up in each day’s color. I had conversations with people who I don’t normally see in the office, and I cheered them on as they worked to be victorious at minute-to-win-it games. And then I understood why I was chosen.

I’m good at teamwork. I’m good at building relationships with team members throughout all the different departments. And that is a skill that reverberates throughout our entire team.  We are constantly thanking each other for everything and going above and beyond to help each other out. What I’ve learned from working in a small agency is that every member is crucial.

That shouldn’t be true of only small agencies; that should be true no matter where we work. I love my job because every person is necessary and I appreciate the leadership because they make sure they know that to be true. Can you say the same?