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Amy Spychalla joined the
distributor in January 2013
after working for Securian
Financial Group in St. Paul.
She’s managed others for
about 12 years.
“Amy gives immediate,
helpful feedback with
genuine kindness,” says
nominator Taylor Smith,
a promotional products
specialist who has reported
to Spychalla for almost
two years. “She also
understands that in order
to achieve our creative
potential, our workload
must be manageable, yet
challenging.” Smith says
her boss is also incredibly
respectful of a work-life
balance. “She understands
that everyone has interests
and responsibilities
outside of work.
Because she remains so
approachable and invested
in our team’s professional
and personal lives, we trust
that she always has our
best interests at heart.”
Amy Spychalla (front row, far right) shows off her team. Back row from left: Brady Johnson, Nancy Roering, Becky
Thesing, Stephanie Hall, Rob Whitman. Front row: Greg Nelson, Taylor Smith, Wayne Martin.
Most important lesson
learned as a boss:
To listen.
To look at each employee
as an individual, capitalizing
on their specific skills.
Philosophy for successfully
managing people:
Regular,
uninterrupted one-on-one
meetings are helpful to ensure
that employees are happy in
their work and are receiving
the support they need. During
our one-on-ones we typically
cover victories, challenges
and what needs action, and
discuss how recent projects
tie into American’s mission
statement and values. This keeps
American’s mission and our
purpose on the forefront of the
work we do every single day.
To create a positive team
culture:
I hold regular meetings
to check in on progress and
ensure positive morale within the
team.I also believe in celebrating
victories with kind words.
Best advice for other people
managers:
Make time to meet
one-on-one with direct reports
and encourage your supervisors
and managers to do the same.
Independent employees will
often try to manage everything
on their own and not ask
for help. Working together
to strategize ways to most
effectively tackle a situation or
project is rewarding for everyone
involved and improves morale.
We’re all in this together.
Best boss ever:
Wayne Martin,
VP-sales resource group
at American Solutions for
Business. He is an effective
leader as he is approachable,
reliable and always has my
back. He brings humor into
the workplace and is very calm
during stressful situations, which
is highly contagious.
ONE-ON-ONE WITH
AMY SPYCHALLA
Working
together to
strategize
ways to most
effectively
tackle a
situation
or project is
rewarding
for everyone
involved.
AMY’S COOL FACTOR
“While many managers
struggle with whether
they want to be feared
or loved, Amy is simply
a fearless leader who
is loved by all,” says
nominator Taylor Smith.
Amy Spychalla
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC OPERATIONS SUPPORT
AMERICAN SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS, GLENWOOD, MINNESOTA
NUMBER OF DIRECT REPORTS:
8
NOMINATED BY:
Taylor Smith
2016
60
|
OCTOBER 2016
|
FEATURE
|
Best Bosses