Amy Spychalla
Director of Strategic Operations Support
American Solutions for Business, Glenwood, Minnesota
Number of direct reports: 8
Nominated by: Taylor Smith
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.
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 joined the distributor in January 2003 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.”
One-On-One With Amy Spychalla
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.
