BASIC/DEPT® - B/D® JAMS

CHALLENGE
How do you build comraderie when everyone is WFH?

APPROACH
JAMS didn’t have much of a vision at first. It turned out to be one of the best things that happened to our agency.

Every Monday morning, an employee owns the proverbial mic for a few minutes. They tell the 120-ish people on the agency-wide call about a playlist they created, the meaning behind it, and a specific lyric.

It’s a break from reminders about timesheets and other announcements; a time to roll back the shoulders and get re-introduced to a co-worker through their favorite music.

The idea became even more powerful as the pandemic reared its ugly head. Checking in at the start of each week became critical to our sanity.

In sharing playlists and the stories that follow, walls are effectively broken, tears are sometimes shed, friendship is organically formed, and culture is most certainly built.

JAMS is now a staple of our agency’s identity. It shows that everyone has something to contribute that has nothing to do with a job title. It literally sets the tone every week.

Today, around the world, employees at our partner agencies as well as at our clients use JAMS to get to know each other.

We all know the power of music, but the life it takes when each of us becomes vulnerable is what makes it sound even better.