It’s hard to be a zebra in a herd of horses.
I love my workplace—and like any large organization, it has its challenges. An institution generally needs many colleagues with a similar purpose, but in other areas only needs the expertise of one or two specialists.
In my case, I support academics (my alma mater!) with communications: translating the work of one school to the rest of the institution, prospective students, and other stakeholders.
The challenge? Some schools only have one full-time communications specialist. That can feel like being a zebra among horses.
Some of us joke about being unicorns, but honestly, there are enough of us to form a herd—so I say we’re zebras. And what is the collective noun for zebras? A *dazzle*!
Lately, all of the academic marketing specialists have started meeting monthly. We’ve always shared ideas and advice informally, but this scheduled time together feeds my spirit. We speak the same language. We understand the same pressures. And we leave with tools, templates, and confidence to bring back to our own departments.
When our dazzle disbands, we return to our horse herds stronger and better equipped.
Would I love to connect every day? Absolutely. But even once a month reminds me I’m not alone.
And that’s the point: find your dazzle. Whether it’s a formal group or a few trusted peers, community matters. It makes the work lighter, the ideas brighter, and the challenges easier to tackle.
I’m grateful for my dazzle. And I’m also grateful that it’s not a pack of jackasses.
Communication By Design 