Sharon Zarter, CAS
Senior Business Analyst
AIA Corporation, Neenah, Wisconsin
Number of direct reports: 4
Nominated by: Jim Wolff
Nominator Jim Wolff admires his boss, Sharon Zarter, for her broad expertise and knowledge across the company.
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.”
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.”
One-On-One With Sharon Zarter, CAS
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.
Tina Berres Filipski is editor of PPB.
