Rock the Boat

What are some of your top career takeaways?

It’s not the job that’s the dream. It’s getting to exercise my unique gifts and abilities within that context that really makes me feel like I'm firing on all cylinders. For so long, I felt like I had to find the perfect job. I have to know what my calling is and what I’m supposed to do. While it wasn't bad to be pursuing that,  it also sometimes kept me from considering opportunities that seemed a little bit outside of the box. The more I have leaned into realizing that I have these gifts and abilities, the more that can manifest in a lot of different roles and responsibilities. Once I realized that, I've found so much more joy in my career path.

What makes an ideal team player?

There are baseline things like reliability and chemistry. You're spending 40-plus hours a week with these people, so connection matters. But for me, the real make-or-break is someone's ability to deal with conflict. So many little things fester and become fires, and that destroys team culture. It's easy, especially in remote work, to have a small interaction and start making up stories. Something so small builds, and it can become a fire.

I'm always looking for people who have courage to lean in on those little things. To say, “Hey, it seems like we got a little tense in that email exchange. Can we hop on a call real quick?” Those conversations are what keep teams healthy. And it's not just internal. I'm in a client-facing business. If things got tense on a call, it's my job to call you afterwards. That's what builds the relationship and keeps things moving forward.

How do you look for that quality in interviews, and how can candidates show it?

Our first interview at Schaefer is called a cradle-to-now interview. It’s essentially a life story. It's designed to surface where someone engaged with adversity, and whether they're avoidant or whether they lean in. I've never been asked to do that anywhere else, and it's been a really good indicator of cultural fit.

If you're interviewing somewhere that doesn't do something like that, the way I've seen people demonstrate it is through real, specific stories. Not just the big wins, but the small ones too. Tell me how you solved friction with a coworker. Tell me about a moment you were bothered by something and picked up the phone instead of letting it sit. Those things stand out because they show me you're communicative and going after the heart of things.

I also never take an answer at face value. I'm always looking for the follow-up. “You mentioned there was friction there; you kind of brushed over it. Can you tell me more?” That's where the character-driven stuff lives.

What mistakes most commonly harm team culture?

The obvious one is not addressing friction head-on. But the one I'd put at the top is responsiveness. That's the number one most critical thing. If I reach out and ask you a question, am I going to hear back? If not, I'm not building trust with you. It doesn’t matter if I'm reaching up, down, or sideways. And it doesn't mean responding in 30 seconds. It's just that consistent connection that’s essential.

There are two more that I’d highlight. One is competitiveness. As a manager, you have to constantly reinforce that we are all winning together. I might close a deal, but someone else builds the creative that makes the campaign land. If you only celebrate one kind of win, you diminish the power of the whole team.

The last one is gossip. Don't be someone who spreads gossip. That sounds basic, but I see it constantly. People get a piece of information and want to share it. So many times I've watched a piece of the truth become a wildfire that caused harm where it didn't need to.

Is there someone who shaped how you think about team culture?

My current boss and my counterpart have both been instrumental. My boss is really gifted at giving credit where it's due: publicly, consistently, even when he had a significant hand in something himself. I think it's very tempting when you're driven to take the praise. To watch someone actively fight that instinct and shine a spotlight on the people around him has been really transformative for me.

And then, of course, my counterpart, Sierra. I've never had a colleague who locked arms with me so sincerely. We were hired in at the same level. When you are both fighting to grow to the same level, it's really easy to start viewing your partner as a threat. I've never had that with Siera. It's always been us together, each on our own path and cheering the other on along the way! We challenge each other, learn from each other, and trust each other. The dynamic we've built between us on our leadership team is really special. It's a real testament to the culture my boss and our agency have built.

What's the biggest challenge in identifying the right hire?

The world is changing so fast that the job I'm hiring you into is often evolving in real time. In a smaller environment where work is increasingly project-based, I need Swiss army knives: people who can solve problems in the moment more than people with a specific background.

So I'm always looking for proactivity and critical thinking. Walk me through a time something went completely sideways. What did you do, and why? And equally important: are you willing to raise your hand when you don't know? We all want to say I've got this. But part of being effective is having the wisdom to admit when you don't. I tell my team all the time to gut-check things with me. I've been doing this for almost 15 years, and I still encounter things I've never seen before. If you can't take feedback and keep moving, you probably won't be successful here.

What's the one thing you want readers to take away?

Be willing to lean in when there's friction. I've watched in so many contexts how much avoiding conflict erodes people individually and teams collectively. We're afraid of it. We want to sweep things under the rug because it feels easier. But my lived experience would say rocking the boat will ultimately have a better outcome.

Don't be afraid to rock the boat.

Thank you so much for sharing, Amy.

If you'd like to connect with Amy or learn more about her work, find her on LinkedIn here.