Truth, Candor and Zero Shortcuts: Diane Young’s Playbook for Relationships That Last

Editor’s Note: After 13 years at Signal Theory, Diane Young is retiring. She spent those years building client relationships that outlast campaigns, budgets and even job titles. Before she shares what she’s learned, we asked a few of the people who sat across the table from her to say a few words about working with Diane.

“I worked with Diane over a decade ago and still carry lessons from her today. She taught me that great agency account leadership isn't about managing the work. It’s about caring deeply for the people making it and the people counting on it. That’s a rare thing, and it stuck.”

— James O’Reilly, PE, CEO

“It’s been many years since Diane and I worked together, but I still think of her often. She was the first person who showed me what real partnership looks like between a client and an agency. Every agency relationship I’ve led since has been measured, quietly, against the bar she set.”

— Lori Abou-Habib, Former CMO, SONIC

“For years, Diane has been one of MOCSA’s most steadfast champions. She didn’t just donate agency hours – she showed up, listened carefully and made sure every piece of work we did together honored the people we serve and helped us reach the people who didn’t know yet that MOCSA was here for them too. Her partnership has made our mission stronger and our reach wider.”

— Kassie Sands, CFRE, Vice President of Development, MOCSA (Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault)

Now, in Diane’s own words:

After more years in account management than I care to admit and a career built on the belief that the best work comes from the best relationships, here’s what I know for sure.

Your Two Best Friends: Truth and Candor.

People use these words interchangeably. They shouldn’t.

Candor is a gift you give. It’s intended to be helpful – a hand on someone’s shoulder, not a finger in their chest. Candor says, “I’m telling you this because I want us to be better.” Don’t confuse it with being critical. Criticism tends to come from a place of ego or frustration – it’s about making yourself feel right or venting because something didn’t go your way. Candor is about them. It’s generous. It’s constructive. And when it’s delivered well, it builds people up rather than cutting them down.

Truth is a place you stand. You don’t hide from it, even when it’s inconvenient, even when the room doesn’t want to hear it. In my experience, the moment you start editing the truth to make it more comfortable, you’ve already lost something you can’t easily get back.

For me, honesty is everything in this business – and in life. When it’s absent, trust is lost. And while we’re being truthful here (getting vulnerable with you), it’s very hard for me to come back around once the trust is gone (IYKYK). I’m not that generous with second chances in this particular area. Is that a character flaw of mine? You be the judge.

Hard Knocks Are Inevitable. Take Them.

No one gets through a career in account management without a few bruises. Clients leave. Campaigns miss. Conversations go sideways. That’s not failure – that’s the tuition you pay for getting good at this.

The question was never “Will it get hard?” It was always “What will you do when it does?”

It’s OK to Be You – Up to a Point

Bring your personality to the table. Your quirks, your humor, your perspective – that’s what makes people want to work with you and not just near you. Authenticity builds connection.

But – and I say this with love and candor – read the room. Being yourself doesn’t mean being unfiltered. The best relationship builders know the difference between being genuine and being indulgent. Again, read the room.

Finding the Right People (Your Non-Negotiable Checklist).

Not every colleague is your best collaborator. We still have to find a way to make things work. But when it’s up to you to find the right people, here’s what I’ve looked for:

• Similar values. If we don’t share a basic operating system – how we treat people, what we consider honest, what “good work” means – we’re going to struggle. Every time.

• The ability to assimilate and adapt. The landscape changes. The brief changes. The budget changes. The people who thrive aren’t the ones who resist that – they’re the ones who lean into it with curiosity.

• Resolution-finders. I’m not here to be your mother. Bring me a problem, sure – but come ready to solve it, not just report it. The best teammates are oriented toward forward.

There Are No Cookie-Cutter Solutions (Go Deeper. Always.).

If I could tattoo one thing on the forehead of every account person coming up behind me, it would be this: The win comes when you go deeper.

Templates are comfortable. Playbooks are safe. But the work that actually moves the needle – for the client, for the agency, for the relationship – happens when you resist the shortcut and dig into what makes this situation, this brand, this moment different from every other one. That’s where the magic is. It always has been.

A Few Thoughts on Leading People.

I’ve managed a lot of people over the years. The ones who soared had one thing in common: They didn’t need me to have all the answers. They needed me to create the conditions where they could find them.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Assume positive intent. Before you react, start from the premise that the person across from you is trying to do the right thing. You’ll be right more often than you’re wrong – and the grace you extend will come back to you tenfold.

• Listen. Then ask questions. In that order. Not the performative kind of listening where you’re just waiting for your turn to talk. Actually listen. Then ask the kind of questions that help people arrive at their own answers.

• Build problem-solvers, not problem-reporters. Your job isn’t to fix everything for everyone. It’s to develop people who can navigate complexity on their own. That’s your best legacy.

• Get out of the way. Once you’ve hired well and set the direction – move. Hovering doesn’t communicate care. It communicates doubt. They know where to find you, right?

• Take the time to teach. Even when it’s faster to do it yourself. Especially then. The fifteen minutes you spend walking someone through why will save you months of correcting what.

• Invite people into the room. Then pull out a chair for them at the table. Access without inclusion is a hollow gesture. Don’t just open the door. Make sure they know their voice matters once they’re inside.

• Laugh and cry. Our business elicits both – all the damn time. Let it. The teams that can sit in the mess of a hard day together and celebrate the wins like they mean it? Those are the teams that last.

Keep Up the Good.

I’ll be heading down the road now, chock full of gratitude, loaded up with wild stories and plenty of what I hope are lifelong friendships. Signal Theory has been a one-of-a-kind experience – and its heart: curious, optimistic and pure – will travel with me wherever I go.