Jill Schanzle
“To make employees part of the team, you have to understand the whole problem.”
Jill Schanzle | Chief Operating Officer
Without Jill, a performance improvement expert with more than 19 years of executive management experience, Infuz would not be able to do what we do. As Chief Operating Officer, Jill takes care of the daily workings of the agency, making Infuz a meaningful place to both work and create.
Before coming to Infuz, Jill transformed a family start-up business into a multi-million dollar corporation, all while operating her own retail store chain on the side. It is no wonder the St. Louis Business Journal listed Jill among the city’s Most Influential Women.
Jill is a Power Seller on ebay and has a perfect feedback score.
Now in your twentieth year of management and performance analysis, you’ve been able to develop an eye for talent, but also a level of understanding the people you manage and their problems, questions, and challenges. How have you been able to connect so well with your peers and the employees who look to you for guidance, throughout the 19 years you’ve been in a managerial position
Over my years of management, I have learned that you have to put yourself into the employee’s shoes. Managers fail when they do not realize problems and challenges that are different than their own. To make employees part of the team, you have to understand the whole problem. Problems in our lives do not go away when we come to work and sometimes, we just need someone to bounce things off of someone…. I lend an ear. I also don’t expect anyone to do something that I haven’t done or wouldn’t do myself.
When you transitioned to Infuz, you were moving from a management role with another independent company, although completely unrelated to the interactive and creative world. How has your previous experience helped you here, and what have you learned from this industry, and the people involved, since you’ve been at Infuz?
When I first came to Infuz, I was worried that I knew nothing about the industry but soon found out that managing people is the same in every industry. Rules and procedures need to be documented and communicated which gives everyone a sense of goals, expectations. I have learned so much about this industry over the last couple years and continue to learn something new daily from the talent that surrounds me. Its always changing and I think the team has a good grasp on keeping up with those changes.
More often than not, it seems you are stepping out of your role in very unconventional ways. Referring to recently, you’ve been a major part of the construction and development processes involved with the new home of Infuz. Your experience of managing people doesn’t include evaluating blueprints and new office architecture, but with your hard hat on, you seem quite comfortable and capable with the help and decisions you have contributed thus far. What drives you to continue your involvement with tasks others in your position may not be prepared for, or even shy away from? And what do you attribute to your desire to be actively involved in anything thrown your way?
I have always enjoyed challenges and the ability to learn more through actions vs. reading about it. The New Space project has been a challenge to bring clients expectations, cost, time lines and the operations all together at one time. I compare it to what our Project Managers go through daily. I’ve always had a “take charge” mentality no matter what I was trying to achieve. In the end, the “wow” factor of our new location will be like getting to the top of that mountain. I can’t wait for the finished project.
