The Importance of Your Job

It was last Friday, just before the long holiday weekend, and from my end of things as Director of Media Development and Public Relations there wasn’t a whole lot to do other than sit at my desk and read blogs and try and look busy.   I caught wind of the fact that one of our departments we kind of behind on a few things.   I didn’t want everyone there to have to work all weekend so I went down and told the boss I was heading downstairs to help out if anyone needed me.

I grabbed the production manager and said “Ben, I’m yours for the afternoon – what needs to get done around here?”  That was the beginning of a real eye opener. 

We had a lot of products to get shipped out and some were a real rush.  I was asked to gather and package a few posters that were to be packaged in tubes according to how many were needed for each retail outlet they were going to.  “Ok, I can do that”.  I had to stop and really set my mind to “order of operations” which if you are a “creative type” is really not the easiest thing to do.  I began to roll them up and get them in the tubes, sometimes forgetting to get a tube first….then sometimes having to re roll the posters as they were not quite tight enough…I’ll save you the minutia, but it was truly a fish out of water moment for me.  I was approaching the end, and at the last minute, there were some changes.  OY VEY!  We had to start all over from the beginning and luckily Ryan,  a guy who really knows what he’s doing came along to help.  We figured out a workflow and got it done and out the door on time for the customers.  Outside of the UPS lady who had to wait a couple extra minutes…..BAM!  We found a way and got it done!

It left me thinking over the weekend though.   What a way to learn the importance of every aspect of your business.  What a “leveler” if you will,  to remind you of the big picture of the importance of everyone’s role within your company.  Everyone matters.  From the top of the heap, to the guy putting address labels on everyone’s package is important, everyone along the way contributes to the goal,  and what an experience for me to have thought “Packing up some posters….who can’t do that?”  Well, I couldn’t really.  Not like the true pro’s downstairs do it.   I found my back hurting, my feet hurting and honestly my ego too because I thought it would be easier.  They all dwarfed me downstairs with knowledge, efficiency, speed and team work.  A good lesson to anyone, on the importance of everyone.