San Francisco Entrepreneur Says Recognition Fosters Positive Work Environment
One of the best qualities a San Francisco manager can have is the ability to acknowledge outstanding work from team members. Not only does this help solidify a positive work environment, it also generates respect towards management. This is some of the advice that Nectar Communications co-founder and partner Tracy Sjogreen offers to people interested in a possible career in management.
What is your background and education?
"Originally from Southern California, I moved to San Francisco to attend the University of San Francisco – Go Dons! While there, I earned a bachelor's degree in business administration. Prior to co-founding Nectar Communications in 2008, I worked in-house managing public relations for Siebel Systems, BEA Systems and Varian Semiconductor and consulted with Adobe, Macromedia, HP, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. I've also worked abroad in Australia and London, which has given me a global perspective on business."
How has your education helped you in your current position?
"Although I was a business undergrad, it was run more like an M.B.A. program. College was a really collaborative environment with a heavy emphasis on group work – you had to work together to achieve common goals and objectives, which set me up well for the kind of business I do now. We were also encouraged to take liberal arts courses like philosophy and theology to develop our critical thinking skills. USF was very much about the process of learning, solving problems and asking questions - skills that are so important in life and business management."
What career advice can you share with people interested in a management position?
"At Nectar, we take the time to give shout outs for a job well done, either verbally during a meeting, over email or on our internal team Facebook page. Regardless of the medium, people like to be recognized publicly and as a manager, it's important to make sure that happens. Also, there's more power in being respected than being liked. You need to be someone who others can count on and if you get caught up in being liked, you can end up not making the smartest and most impactful decisions."
Randy Yagi is a freelance writer covering all things San Francisco. In 2012, he was awarded a Media Fellowship from Stanford University. His work can be found on Examiner.com Examiner.com.