Are you a platypus?

If you haven’t stopped recently to think about the platypus, you’re probably perfectly normal – unless you’re a zookeeper, live in the eastern Australian outback, or have random and bizarre thoughts like I frequently have. Presuming you’re none of these things, let me take this moment to broaden your perspective a bit.

The platypus is a relatively small creature that, as noted earlier, is native to eastern Australia and Tasmania. It’s a mammal but it lays eggs to produce offspring like a chicken. It has a paddle-shaped tail like a beaver, a furry body like an otter, a flat bill and webbed feet like a duck, and a skeletal structure that resembles a lizard. While they spend most of their time in the water, they can’t hold their breath longer than a couple of minutes. They frequently come to land to dig burrows with their claws like a badger. The platypus is a carnivore but has no teeth. And, if all that wasn’t enough, the male platypus is actually venomous – more so during mating season which seems like the worst timing for this feature. No doubt, the platypus is a strange amalgamation of dozens of creatures all wrapped up in a single body.

But, let’s face it. When you think about your “spirit animal” you probably never think of the platypus. Maybe you should. As marketers and communicators, that’s precisely the animal that best represents us. We frequently have to wear many hats, perform a litany of tasks and functions that all require different talents, and, like the platypus, evolve and grow so we can bring a wider set of skills to the table (though we should never try to lay eggs or become venomous). That’s how we become more effective individually and as a team.

So, the next time you’re asked what animal best represents you, maybe platypus will be nearer the top of your list. Then again, maybe not.