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“Amy is a big proponent of letting her employees be self-led,” says nominator Rosie
Fitzgibbon. “She is against micromanaging and wants her employees to grow from
their own learned experiences—both good and bad. She allows the teams to develop
their own unique styles that work best for them and only intervenes when absolutely
necessary.” Fellow nominator David Dees, project specialist, says, “Amy genuinely
cares about us and our lives and success while remaining a good boss who is profes-
sional and firm when need be, and is a good leader.” Stephanie Porter, account man-
ager, adds, “She is a great mentor, does not micromanage and empowers others to
make decisions. If we go to her with an issue, she wants us to come up with some
solutions to present first.”
Amy Geiger
Director of Sales Operations, Sunrise Identity
(UPIC: Sunri635)
Bellevue, Washington
Number of direct reports:
25
Cool factor
: Amy is laid-back when she needs to be and more involved
when necessary. She doesn’t get in the way of productive work.
Nominators:
David Dees, Rosie Fitzgibbon, Stephanie Porter, Vanessa
Chung, Jessica Grinaker, Kevin Sanderson, Richelle Simonson, Christina
Lopes, Ash Mitchell, Cori Baily, Sasha Torre
What is your philosophy
for successfully managing people?
Geiger:
The first thing I would say is it’s
important to hire well. I go by the philos-
ophy ‘hire tough, manage easy.’ I would
say skills for the job are important, but fit
and attitude are equally important. Hire
interesting people that you want to be
around. Put the ego aside and don’t be
afraid to hire people that are smarter
than you and encourage them in their
strengths. Also, I look for people who
can “hustle.” I use scenarios in my inter-
views to see how people work. At
Sunrise Identity, it’s a fast-paced environ-
ment, we have fun, but we work hard. I
want to see that fire of motivation in a
potential new hire.
How do you create a positive culture
with your team and those who report
to you?
Geiger:
I see managing people like
coaching. Set clear expectations and
goals with accountability to those goals.
Believe the best about your team. When
there’s a conflict or issue that arises,
remember that most want to work hard,
feel valued and do a good job. Listen
and seek to understand with that in
mind. Cheer for your team and encour-
age them—be their biggest fans—how-
ever, don’t be afraid to hold folks
accountable when they are missing the
mark. I also set up mentors with newer
folks to help foster leadership and
empowerment.
I like to do fun activities with my team
to foster a positive culture. I look for ways
to add some fun, bring in coffee or lunch
if the team has been working hard. We go
on “trend walks” (shopping to see the lat-
est and greatest) three to four times a
year. We’ve also really enjoyed afternoons
off as a team at a baseball game.
Additionally, for important meetings I’ll
bring in lunch from a trendy spot.
What advice can you share with other
managers to improve their people-
management skills?
Geiger:
Value curiosity and listening.
Information is key to doing your job as a
manager. One-on-one meetings are key
to gaining insights from your team and
sharing information. This is a time to lis-
ten; don’t do all the talking or you won’t
learn anything. Ask questions, listen and
take notes. From there, you can set
goals and check in on those goals. It will
keep you learning from your team and
from there you will be adjusting your
goals or strategies for the success of the
company. Don’t micromanage. Give
people space to be successful. People
management is not easy, but it’s so
rewarding.