Dovetail Spotlight: Director of People and Culture, Rachel Kyger — 15 Years With Dovetail
“The word that most encompasses Rachel is ‘trust.’ She is the glue between all roles and the person people go to for perspective and growth. She puts people first and is a true servant leader who walks the walk. Every day. She is the heartbeat of Dovetail.”
Co-Owner, Scott Edwards
Where did you grow up/how did you end up in Seattle?
I was born and raised in Port Angeles, WA. In fact, my parents still live in my childhood home. It was a great place to grow up, and I had some lovely childhood adventures at the beach and in the mountains. I came to Seattle for college; I got my BA from the University of Washington. Though I also lived in Bellingham for two years after college, I have been in Seattle longer than any other place. I have lived here for the last 25 years.
When did you begin to think more about working in the construction industry?
In my early career, I was doing Marketing, Operations, and Development for non-profit music festivals. I have always loved music, and I enjoyed the rhythm of working toward a seasonal “finale” to culminate a year’s worth of work. I met a lot of amazing people, and I learned so much about the basics of showing up for teammates and working toward common goals. The spark of interest in carpentry came out of nowhere when I was in my early twenties. I longed to find a greater sense of purpose in my career goals, and woodworking popped into my mind, surprising even myself at the time. I think I was intrigued by the concept of building a real “thing” with my hands and seeing the fruits of my labor serve a functional purpose in people’s lives. I shadowed a friend of mine in a woodshop for a few months, and I was hooked. I soon applied as an entry-level cabinetmaker and learned so much about tools, wood, and different techniques. After installing my first cabinet package, I realized that the allure of finish carpentry provided even more satisfaction for that “ta da!” moment, so I switched to finish carpentry.
How did you find Dovetail?
I was working for a finish carpentry subcontractor, and I was assigned to help Dovetail build the first version of “Revel” in Fremont. Working with that team was a dream – everyone was so supportive and accepting of me as part of the crew. I loved the work, and I truly savored the camaraderie and teamwork. I worked there for a couple of months before I moved on to my next assignment, but I stayed close with everyone, and even went to their company Christmas party. Through a fateful miscommunication, I was offered a job, and the rest is history. It was kind of inevitable, looking back.
What was your first role with Dovetail? How did it evolve?
I was hired as a finish carpenter and cabinetmaker, but before I came on board, I let Scott Edwards know that my eventual interest was more in sustainable building. He agreed to help me move into that role when it became possible, and a couple of years later, I became Dovetail’s first Sustainability and Quality Manager. My focus in that first year was a mix of cementing our best practices and training our teams on some new digital tools. After some extensive training, I did safety audits and meetings when I visited each site weekly and built strong relationships with our superintendents. I already knew and worked with many of our carpenters, which I’m sure helped. Eventually, my role evolved into Director of Operations. In that role, I continued to help systematize our management tools and training, provide HR support, run company safety initiatives, and support our teams however was needed. COVID came along when my children were 2 and 4, and the combined stress of work and home needs forced me to recalibrate to a part-time role centering on our teams. I’m now Dovetail’s Director of People and Culture. Each of the above roles was one that I more or less created for myself, with support and input from Scott and Chad. They have been great at helping me lean into my strengths while keeping necessary boundaries.
Did you have any mentors?
I have so many people I look up to and learn from, many of them at Dovetail. But Scott was probably one of my most influential mentors. He keeps a really steady and positive attitude when things get hard, and I’ve tried my best to emulate that for both myself and for others (at work and at home!). No one benefits from stress and panic, especially when it’s coming at you from your leaders. Keeping calm under pressure helps facilitate better outcomes. And committing yourself and others to doing “the next right thing” is a natural, useful approach when it’s hard to see the horizon.
What was the advancement process like for you? Where was the fastest growth? Where was the slowest?
This is kind of funny to reflect on. I suppose it can always feel slow in the moment, but I’m a firm believer that we can learn so much at every level. I tried never to be limited by my title, and I think that’s why I naturally grew into more and more responsibility. I always tried to soak in as much learning as I could while being a great teammate (for coworkers and supervisors alike). When you are in that mode, everyone around you is a teacher. So even when it feels slow, it’s never boring.
Can you talk a little bit about being a member of executive leadership? How would you describe your relationship with Scott and Chad?
I’m very proud to be in an executive leadership position at Dovetail. I have worked with Scott and Chad for so long. I remember when Chad’s wife was pregnant with his now 14-year-old. I’ve seen Scott go through parenting kids, teens, and then become an empty nester. I got married and started my family while at Dovetail. Scott and Chad are true friends, and they literally cringe if I ever refer to them as my “boss” (to be honest, I think that would be the same for anyone here, as it’s not a word they love). But I guess, through all that, the three of us really feel like we've built Dovetail into what it is together – we have been shaping the company as a team for the past 15 years (with plenty of help from others, of course!). With that relationship comes a ton of trust and transparency. I’m very comfortable disagreeing with them or pushing back on something I think needs to be rethought, and I trust/know they value my opinion and appreciate dissent. I come to them for guidance/gut-checks, and they come to me for my perspective. And as with any team, we know we are better together. Everyone on the executive leadership team (Alex, Lauren, Chloe, and Jeremy) brings something unique and vital to our team and the company.
Can you touch on the company culture at Dovetail, such a core part of who we are, and your vision for integrating that so heavily into a construction company?
Our culture is strong, and I think it really serves our purpose – to elevate craft and craftspeople. There are so many values reflected through our work every day. Teamwork and relationships are highly valued. None of us can do this work without our teams, and we know it. Humility, transparency, passion, appreciation, and a desire to learn and improve are strong values that have served us well as a company over the years. Whenever I interview a potential new employee, those are the traits I’m looking for. We are choosing to build challenging projects for discerning clients - there isn’t any room for ego or entitlement. Whenever we ask people why they like working here, inevitably the answer is resoundingly consistent – “it’s the people.” What’s great is that when you have a good group of humans, they not only attract other good humans, but they also positively influence each other. We learn, grow, and improve together while we build beautiful things. What more could you want?
What are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned while managing a company of 100+ people?
The hardest lesson that I’m still learning is that delegation and “letting go” are absolutely necessary. The truth is, I could easily put in 60 hours a week and still feel behind. With competing needs coming from all different directions, I have to prioritize and empower other teammates to take the ball more often than is natural for me. As a people pleaser at heart, it’s easy to feel like I’m letting someone down or dropping the ball. The only way to manage this well is to communicate, download, and let go. The good news is, I have a great team (special shout-out to Alex, current Director of Operations, who took over a lot of my responsibilities when I switched to my new role). She is handling everything on such a professional level and in many ways, probably even doing a better job than I was. With that in mind, I think letting go was a net positive for all of us. I have a better workload, Alex is growing in her responsibilities and skills, and our people are getting top-notch care.
When you think of some of your proudest moments in the last 15 years, what comes to mind first?
What comes to mind first are the countless moments someone talks glowingly about Dovetail when they see me wearing a jacket or hat with our logo. I’m really proud to work at a company with a reputation like ours, and I know we have all our amazing teammates to thank for it. And I guess on a more personal note, I am proudest of the moments when I was able to help people solve unwieldy issues (usually based around relationships or communication challenges). I’m a champion of digging in to do the hard work so that everything else can become easier. I truly believe that when relationship problems at work go unresolved, they fester, and no one wins. If I can help mediate, coach, validate, or push forward the next steps, I find it extremely rewarding to see the improvement.
How have you seen the construction industry evolve over the past fifteen years? How have you seen Dovetail evolve over the past fifteen years?
The construction industry is notoriously slow to evolve - we have a reputation for being behind the curve from other industries. But in the last 15 years, I think a lot of contractors and architects have benefited from cloud-based project management systems. I can’t imagine doing our projects without the software and tools we now take for granted. Dovetail tries to embody a “work smarter, not harder” mentality, and I think it shows in the ways project teams and divisions continue to tweak the dial. I also look at the company I started at and the one I work at today, and see so much positive change. We now have active divisions, functioning as their own little business units – our shop was rebranded as Interbay Wood and Metal. Our concrete division is now Fieldworks Custom Concrete. We just started a finish carpentry in Montana called Millsmith. We are serving as owners’ reps for some clients with whom we have worked for several years, a new but familiar part of our business. It’s great to see each of those divisions find its success. And it’s been so fun to see our GC projects continue to evolve as well – in size and scope. What once was a large project is now a small project. And we manage more efficiently than ever, with our custom tools and processes.
Can you share a few key lessons or words of wisdom you’ve learned while building Dovetail into the firm it is today?
Truth is kindness. If you can’t be honest with someone, it will negatively impact your relationship. I work with so many kind people. No one here wants to hurt anyone else’s feelings. But sometimes, that means they might avoid having a difficult conversation. I think there is a way to deliver an honest message without mincing words, and I truly believe that is the best (only?) way to achieve the desired outcome. With that in mind, speaking the truth proactively is the kindest path forward. Those hard conversations (where we thoughtfully outline clear expectations and/or clarify boundaries) are where trust is built, and true teamwork thrives. When you are on the receiving end of those conversations, it’s best to keep in mind that when someone lets down their guard enough to be real with you, it means they care. Apathy does nothing for anyone. Giving and receiving constructive feedback in a productive way is a life skill that will serve anyone in a professional environment.
What excites you the most about the future of the company?
We have such a great team of people here. So, what excites me the most is that there are a lot of talented, driven, kind people who are (hopefully) empowered to do their best work. I love watching that unfold. The spark of an idea turns into a manifested dream. I’ve already seen it come to fruition over and over, and it’s inspiring. Scott and Chad are not afraid of taking risks as long as they are thoughtful and within our core values. We have built a great foundation for success. I’m so grateful to provide our teams with support and resources to support their vision and purpose, and I can’t wait to see what we can build together.