Amy Ehrmantraut, CHRO of Kenway, has a problem most companies would envy: people were so committed to helping each other that they were afraid to give critical feedback. Here's how she reframed feedback as help—and built programs that make "help and be helped" more than just words on a wall.
Amy Ehrmantraut noticed something troubling as Kenway grew from 40 people to around 90 people: people weren't always providing feedback that would help their colleagues develop professionally.
"One of the key things I started doing is addressing what I really perceived to be a fear of providing feedback," Amy explains.
People cared so much about their colleagues that they worried feedback would hurt someone's feelings or damage relationships.
But here's the thing: "The reality is we all need to be coached."
Amy started shifting people's mindset to align with Kenway's "help and be helped" philosophy.
"We have people starting right out of college. We have people new to consulting. We shouldn't expect people to be exceeding expectations in every facet of their job on day one," she explains.
The reframe is simple but powerful: If feedback has a negative connotation to you, you're missing the point.
Amy's approach? Stop treating feedback like criticism. Start treating it like coaching. Because that's what it is.
Amy doesn't just preach this philosophy—she models it.
"I am a very small to big thinker. That means Amy thinks in details and specifics. So when she needs to communicate at a strategic level, she asks for help.
"I lean on colleagues who think big to small, so that I can ensure that I'm communicating at the right level to the entire organization."
When Kenway was struggling with people not providing feedback effectively, Amy didn't just create a solution from her desk. She brought in help.
"I needed to make sure I was getting help from those who are newest to the organization, so that they could help me solve the problem—versus just reinventing a solution. "It's always important to seek the help of others, as shared insight often sparks fresh ideas and better outcomes."
That's the model: We ask for help at all levels of the organization.
"Help and be helped" isn't just a tagline at Kenway. “It’s why we exist, it’s our mission, and we live it day-to-day with each other and with our clients.”
Small Group Forums
Employees opt into smaller groups to discuss key topics that interest them. The twist? Junior leaders facilitate these sessions.
A recent session focused on goal setting and accountability. "The leaders of the groups meet, they decide the topic, they facilitate. The facilitation was centered around what goes into setting goals, what's been challenging, and how can we help each other with the ones that have been challenging."
This accomplishes two things: junior leaders build facilitation skills, and Kenway leadership gets visibility into what people are actually struggling with.
New Hire Buddy Program
"We have a new hire buddy program to help our newest employees get engrained into our culture," Amy says. "These new hire buddies are often those that are newer in their careers, allowing them to flex their 'help' muscles early on."
Feedback Training
"We recognize that providing feedback is a skill and can be hard," Amy notes. "Growing as much as we have in the last couple of years, we're implementing a large effort to ensure that people are trained on both giving and receiving feedback, ensuring we all embrace a growth mindset as we navigate our careers."
The training covers both giving and receiving feedback to strengthen growth mindsets across the company.
Amy is clear-eyed about what it looks like when someone doesn't align with "help and be helped."
"You never say in an instant, 'Somebody is maybe not going to be a cultural fit,'" she cautions. "But if you start to see patterns of people being really resistant or defensive around feedback, that might be a sign that they are not embracing the why."
"Help and be helped" doesn't mean avoiding hard truths. It means being honest precisely because you want to help.
Amy has three questions she believes leaders should ask about their culture.
1. Can your organization describe it consistently? "From leaders to those that are newest, is it described consistently?" Amy asks.
2. Is it being stewarded? "Does your organization believe it is being stewarded and not just words on a piece of paper?"
3. Do people believe in it? "Do the people in your organization believe in it and are they aligned? People who do not truly believe in the culture will likely never truly be happy."
This is the hardest one to fake. You can measure alignment. You can't manufacture belief.
"Culture is your guidebook," Amy says. "It's who we are. It's how we operate. Not everybody operates the same. Not all cultures are the same, and that's okay.
Most companies say they want a feedback culture. Few actually create one.
The difference? Treating feedback as help, not criticism.
Amy Ehrmantraut has built programs that make "help and be helped" more than words on a wall. But the real work is changing how people think about feedback itself.
"Everybody at some point in time is going to need help," Amy says. "Providing feedback is providing that help."
That's not just good HR. That's culture you can actually see.
Help & Be Helped isn’t just a philosophy — it’s how we lead at Kenway. Connect with Amy Ehrmantraut on LinkedIn or read more stories of how Kenway brings Help & Be Helped to life on our Insights page.