Janna has been in a management role at Infomedia for a few years now. She manages our Project Strategy team, which includes all of our project managers — and though they have different styles, they all share a common goal: to serve our clients. Previously, Janna has also managed our podcast, our marketing department and our copy department.
Janna has learned a lot during her time as a manager, but the most important thing, at least to her, is having empathy — not just toward her clients or her peers at work, but also towards the people that report to her. Showing empathy means that your team will feel supported and listened to, and Janna strives to be as understanding as possible when it comes to her team.
One of the ways Janna implements this trait is by having weekly one-on-one meetings with each person on her team. During those meetings, Janna provides her team with opportunities to talk about anything — whether it’s work related or not.
Empathy is one of those things that’s important, but can make your job harder in a way, too. But by supporting your team in an empathetic way, they’re more likely to want to continue working and growing in their roles.
Janna Stevens