Teams Still Matter After High School
One of the most common questions I have heard in interviews is, “Do you work better in teams or as an individual?”
I always thought this was one of those trick questions—where there is no real answer; or maybe there is a double answer. I used to respond with the double answer option.
My response would typically be something such as, “I am definitely accountable for my own work and do very well in completing tasks on my own, but I also work well in teams and enjoy bouncing ideas off other people.” Occasionally, I would add another sentence or two to my sound bite—but I think I have really been missing the mark with this question. In a public relations agency, there IS a clear answer: I work well in teams.
Look, we all have to be accountable for the work we do. No one expects four people to sit in a room and write a press release collaboratively (although, I have completely rewritten a release with another person, by talking it through line by line). What these interviewers really want to say is: “Can you work in teams? Because we work in teams a lot and we hope you thrive in that environment.”
While the level of collaboration will change from agency to agency, unless you are a one-person shop, it is all about collaborative work.
I am ultimately responsible for everything produced for several clients, but in no way am I the only person who proofs press releases, knows about media coverage or comes up with story ideas. There is at least one other person who serves as a resource for ideas, provides opinions if needed and keeps me accountable for my writing and other projects. By having multiple people involved in the process, errors are less likely to slip by unnoticed.
Another reason many agencies work in team settings is to make sure the account is staffed even when the lead account person is away from the office. Someone else in the agency needs to be aware of all account activity so another team member can fill in temporarily, if needed. As we all know, news does not stop because we take a trip to Mexico. It is our responsibility as an agency to be able to fulfill our clients’ needs even when the lead is unavailable.
This collaboration is how a well-oiled machine works—many different parts (the staff), with different job functions (the clients), working together to create a fully functioning machine (the agency and the work we produce). Even if they do not admit it openly, the most successful individuals had help along the way too.
-Levente Smith
I always thought this was one of those trick questions—where there is no real answer; or maybe there is a double answer. I used to respond with the double answer option.
My response would typically be something such as, “I am definitely accountable for my own work and do very well in completing tasks on my own, but I also work well in teams and enjoy bouncing ideas off other people.” Occasionally, I would add another sentence or two to my sound bite—but I think I have really been missing the mark with this question. In a public relations agency, there IS a clear answer: I work well in teams.
Look, we all have to be accountable for the work we do. No one expects four people to sit in a room and write a press release collaboratively (although, I have completely rewritten a release with another person, by talking it through line by line). What these interviewers really want to say is: “Can you work in teams? Because we work in teams a lot and we hope you thrive in that environment.”
While the level of collaboration will change from agency to agency, unless you are a one-person shop, it is all about collaborative work.
I am ultimately responsible for everything produced for several clients, but in no way am I the only person who proofs press releases, knows about media coverage or comes up with story ideas. There is at least one other person who serves as a resource for ideas, provides opinions if needed and keeps me accountable for my writing and other projects. By having multiple people involved in the process, errors are less likely to slip by unnoticed.
Another reason many agencies work in team settings is to make sure the account is staffed even when the lead account person is away from the office. Someone else in the agency needs to be aware of all account activity so another team member can fill in temporarily, if needed. As we all know, news does not stop because we take a trip to Mexico. It is our responsibility as an agency to be able to fulfill our clients’ needs even when the lead is unavailable.
This collaboration is how a well-oiled machine works—many different parts (the staff), with different job functions (the clients), working together to create a fully functioning machine (the agency and the work we produce). Even if they do not admit it openly, the most successful individuals had help along the way too.
-Levente Smith
