Amanda Brooks Helps Her Team Reach New Career Heights

Amanda and her dad on a hunting trip. 'When I took this role, I told my boss my goal was to be a good people manager,' she says. 'Now, I'm starting to think about where I want to go next. I don't know yet, but I'm learning every day, and I want to continue to build on what I've accomplished with my team.'

As a home improvement warehouse sales service manager for our Distribution business, Amanda Brooks spends her days working with national retailers including Lowe's and Home Depot, supporting the team to coordinate special orders and program sales through our 19 distribution centers.

But as soon as her tasks are complete, she spends any available moments hyping up her direct reports and colleagues, celebrating their accomplishments and guiding them toward ever-brighter futures.

"Most people crave new challenges after a while, and I always want to make sure every member on my team feels prepared to take the next step in their careers," Amanda says. "I'm there to say, 'Yeah, you can do this! You have my full confidence. Let's make sure you reach your goal.'"

Recently, Amanda's passion for helping her team climb higher earned her a 2023 Wood Products Award for Excellence in People.

Amanda, her sister and niece dress up as the Sanderson sisters for Halloween.

LEARNING HOW TO NURTURE TALENT

Amanda is a relatively new people manager herself. She started with the company as a Southern Timberlands intern in 2014, then transferred to Columbia Timberlands during the Plum Creek merger and integrated into Western Timberlands in 2017. In September 2021, she uprooted to our Dallas distribution center in Carrollton, Texas, to take her next step, tackling a new role and the new responsibility of people management.

"I found it very challenging at first," she says. "But luckily, I have great mentors, including David Gibson, my boss Chris Degnan, the folks in Human Resources (especially Tokunbo Faleye!), and others. They really supported me as I found my rhythm, and I want to give that same level of support to anyone on my team who wants it."

Amanda collaborates with her team to ensure they make progress on their goals almost every day. Her team sets annual group goals so they can move forward together. When schedules allow, she encourages them to take an online class, spend an hour with another team, or brainstorm lists of tactics that could give them a leg up.

"I take a lot of inspiration from an informal group called Goal Getters that I'm in with some friends," Amanda says. "We meet monthly to write down our goals and how we plan to achieve them. It's a great way to formulate a smart goal plan, review your progress and try to stay on track."

She currently oversees a growing team of nine and supports six HIW dealer sales representatives. So far, she's helped six employees earn promotions and hopes a few more may be on the way.

Amanda (fourth from left) and the Dallas Rugby Football Club Womxn's team after a tough match. 'Early in my career, I received a sage piece of advice from a friend, who said, "We only have 100 percent of our life capacity, so you simply can't put 100 percent into work." That means we must reserve some of our time and energy for our personal lives and learn how to achieve a balance with work. That's crucial for personal fulfillment. A promotion alone is not enough.'

BEING EACH OTHER'S CHEERLEADERS

To boost her team's confidence and motivation to improve, Amanda focuses on celebrating their wins - no matter how small they may seem. She does this during team meetings during time set aside to reflect on recent achievements.

"We often call out each other's wins, because it can be hard to see our own progress," Amanda says. "We actually just held a virtual award ceremony in which I wrote informal awards on paper plates based on each person's wins over the past year, like 'the team spirit & morale booster award', 'the reliable rockstar award,' and 'the excellence in action award.' It's a fun way to uplift and inspire each other."

During their Individual Development Plan meetings, Amanda and her direct reports discuss their career aspirations, their leadership competencies, and new directions that might interest them. When they're ready, she encourages them to go through a 360-degree review process, which can provide deeper insight into their strengths and opportunities to improve.

"I have one team member who's in our companywide Front Line Leader training and another in the Training for Tomorrow program within Distribution," she says. "It feels amazing to see their growth and have them bring it back to the team so others can learn from them."

Amanda with family at the Ranger vs Red Sox game, where the boys caught a ball!

THE KEY TO A WELL-BALANCED LIFE

Amanda has a few tips for anyone who wants to cultivate a similar environment of ambition and growth.

"I believe listening is the most important skill, especially in leadership," she says. "Everyone has a different plan and path for their life and career, so nobody's journey will be exactly the same. Listen to what they want and where they want to go."

That includes discussing her team members' personal wins and goals, such as running half marathons, volunteering or completing a tough home renovation project.

"We grow together as a group, not just as individuals," Amanda says. "The support we provide to each other is just as valuable as any actions I'm able to take as a leader. I want to thank my team - they're the reason I got this award."

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