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Ask Sharon Zarter how long she’s been at AIA and she’ll laugh
and say, “Too long!” But for those who report to her, they can’t
imagine the organization without Zarter, who will celebrate 14
years on October 28. She joined AIA in 2002 after working with
4imprint as its Help Desk technician for two years and has
held supervisory roles for almost eight years.
“Sharon is on top of everything all the time for everyone,”
says Wolff, who has reported to her for the past 11 years.
“She is an expert in just about every aspect of our business.”
He says she has worked to understand all of the company’s
systems and procedures, not just because she needs to, but
because she knows it helps her better lead her team. He also
describes Zarter as a kindhearted resource, not only to the IT
department, but to accounting, marketing and a number of
other departments. “If you need the right answer she has it.
However, there is a price to
pay for being that valuable,”
he says. “That price is that
she is in high demand—
even when she doesn’t
have time to be here. But
she always has been here
and I’m pretty sure she’ll
continue to be.”
Most important lesson
learned as a boss:
You need
to love what you do and
believe that you are helping
to make a difference.
Philosophy for successfully
managing people:
My
management philosophy is
fluid, but at my core I believe
leadership (innovation,
integrity and personal
development), fairness
(treating employees honestly
and fairly), and enablement
(positioning my team for
success) are key.
To create a positive team
culture:
I use positive
reinforcement with clear
communication (setting
expectations) and I try to give
my employees the freedom to
get the job done. These are
all factors that have fostered
a positive culture on my team
and help us work together
more cohesively.
Best advice for other people
managers:
Learn how to
empower your employees.
Know that every employee
can use more training
to excel in their roles;
provide timely recognition
of employee efforts, and
share positive motivation
(but maintain balance for
poor behavior or failure to
perform). Last, you should
work to remove roadblocks
that prevent the employee
from succeeding in their role.
Best boss ever:
Paul Weller,
current director of IT at AIA
(he was named a
PPB
Best
Boss in 2015). He manages
with courtesy and respect.
He is also willing to roll up
his sleeves to help all of us
achieve our goals.
Sharon Zarter, CAS
SENIOR BUSINESS ANALYST
AIA CORPORATION, NEENAH, WISCONSIN
NUMBER OF DIRECT REPORTS:
4
NOMINATED BY:
Jim Wolff
ONE-ON-ONE WITH SHARON ZARTER
2016
Nominator Jim Wolff admires his boss, Sharon Zarter, for her broad expertise and
knowledge across the company.
I believe
leadership
(innovation,
integrity and
personal
development),
fairness
(treating
employees
honestly and
fairly), and
enablement
(positioning
my team
for success)
are key.
Tina Berres Filipski is editor of PPB.
SHARON’S COOL FACTOR
“She manages AIA’s Help
Desk, and the cool thing
is she’s been there and
remembers what it can
be like,” says nominator
Jim Wolff. “Because
of that she trusts us
to do the right things
without checking things
out with her before.
This helps us deal with
issues more quickly and
saves all of us a bunch
of needless stress.”
|
OCTOBER 2016
|
65
Best Bosses
|
FEATURE