Work environments have changed significantly over the last several years as businesses transitioned from full-time office work to fully remote environments. Now, as companies blend both types of experiences into a new hybrid model, the skills required from today's professionals have changed. Margaret Reese Milkint of Diversified Search Group and Beth Jarecki of Omnia Paratus share how insights on how to succeed in an increasingly digital world.
Transcription:
Patti Harman (00:07):
Thank you so much for joining us for this transformation forum, how to Succeed in today's Changing insurance environment. I'm Patti Harman, editor in chief of Digital Insurance. Work environments have changed significantly over the last several years as businesses transitioned from a full-time work in an office to a fully remote environment. Now companies are learning how to blend both types of experiences into a hybrid model, which changes the skills professionals need to thrive. In today's world, with approximately 50% of the insurance industry workforce expected to retire within the next 15 years, the opportunity to expand skill sets is unlimited. Communication is just one area in which c-suite leaders must excel. But there are a variety of other skills one must acquire to succeed in today's work environment. Joining me to discuss all of this and more are two executives who will be presenting at this year's Women and Insurance Leadership Conference and Boca Raton, Florida on June 26th. Margaret Reese Milken is global insurance practice leader for Diversified Search Group, and Beth Jarecki is the U.S. CEO of Omnia Paratus. Thank you both for joining us today. I have been looking forward to this conversation for quite some time.
Beth Jarecki (01:35):
Thank you. Us too, great to be here.
Margaret Milkint (01:37):
Thank you, Patti.
Patti Harman (01:40):
So let's just start with a brief look at how the job market and skillset have changed since the pandemic. With the launch of more virtual meetings and hybrid work environments, they've had a very definite impact on how we interact with clients and coworkers. How has this change affected the types of skills executives need to either develop or sharpen to succeed in a new environment?
Margaret Milkint (02:10):
Patti, you are so right. It is such a brave new world out there, and the pandemic really has given us so many silver linings. And I think in this brave new world, what it's done is created a holistic culture, a holistic environment, whether we're on these screens or in person or a little bit of both, it's time for leaders, and that's everyone, that's leaders at all levels to operate with more transparency, more purpose, more courage. I think about it as harnessing those superpowers that all of us have and honing those as we go forward. And one of the most important ones to hone in the virtual world and on these screens is communications. And I know Beth knows a lot about that.
Beth Jarecki (03:02):
Yeah, absolutely. I agree with you. It is a different world. It's a brave new world, and communication skills are very important because no longer do you just have to be good in person, but now you have to be good in person and also virtually. So there's new skill sets that are necessary. And thinking about it, there's a generation that grew up on screens and they're very comfortable on the screen all the time, but now they have to pivot to being professional on a screen and what does that mean and how does that look? And then for those who didn't grow up on screens, this is all very terrifying, especially, and we're on screens all day and it's very draining. So there is an element for many generations to pivot to presenting live and how that works virtually and being in person, that's always been a challenge.
(03:57)
That's an age old problem for everybody. Presenting also could be terrifying in person and being in meetings and interpersonal situations. And again, coming from a virtual environment when you're home all the time, then getting on the podium, getting on a panel, being at a conference, how do you interact? So communication skills are very important and we're definitely seeing a greater need for training that is across the board in terms of media training, speaker training, presentation, even LinkedIn training, how to be better on social media because it's not just about how you present on video, it's also how you present with a written word and how you present in your emails and your social media posts. So really all forms of communications are super important right now. And I will say that we all know that the insurance industry has a long-term PR problem, and we need to be able to effectively tell our stories. We need to be able to tell the world how insurance is a great industry to work in, how what the insurance industry does is important. And so to do that, you need to be a good communicator. So it's definitely a more important skill right now.
Patti Harman (05:11):
I agree. It's interesting. I was telling my team, I said, we are all journalists and I grew up in the print world and I have had to develop a lot of new skills as I have moved through my career. Why is it important? Why is it important to develop or hone what I'll term virtual skills? How do they differ from the skills we use in person? And I know, Beth, you touched on this a little bit, but virtual etiquette, things like virtual etiquette or running a virtual meeting. What are some of your best tips? And Margaret, I'll start with you on this.
Margaret Milkint (05:49):
Yeah, Patti, I think it's so good that we're focusing in on this because it's all about being prepared, practicing and being intentional, having a successful virtual meeting, interview conversation, fireside chat. It doesn't happen by accident. There is a lot of planning, a lot of prep. And here in your head, getting yourself ready, getting ready to step in and lean into that screen, lean into the camera. As Beth said, this screen is not forgiving in this screen. The screen doesn't give anything back when we are all together. And I love being together as well as love being on the screen. But if I was with Patti and Beth right now, I could see the whites of their eyes. I could feel their energy right now. I have to rely on that screen. I have to lean in a little bit. And yes, I can see the sparkle in Beth's eyes, but that's in my mind, right?
(06:54)
That's in my mind. I can see the sparkle because I know it's there in my mind. So what I'm saying is this is head and heart time. You have to be ready. You have to prepare, you have to use the science to make these meetings effective and powerful. And what I will say, there's no do over, there's no do over. This is real time. And no one's going to give you a hall pass. If you're a leader, you want to be a leader, you're an aspiring leader, you need to come to the screen in that way, come with your energy, come with whatever attire is going to work. Sometimes it's a jacket, sometimes it's just a blouse or a shirt.
(07:43)
Sometimes it's not a baseball cap. So I will just say that you want to think about how you're showing up, how you show up on that screen and how you're leaning in. Beth and I were having some fun with this because when you lean into the screen, you can actually see this, but when I pull away, you're going, where is she? Where is she going? So there is a method. I think there's a little bit of magic that goes along with this Patti. And I think that there are some tips and tricks that we can all practice and use to help each other. I think the etiquette part of this is really operate with grace. Give people grace. If someone has their microphone off, it happens. It happens to all of us. It happens to me. We have to bring our joy, our sense of humor and our grace. We have to give grace to people. So maybe the dog does bark, maybe the baby does cry. Maybe your mom walks into the screen. It's okay, this is real life. And there's an authenticity to that and a warmth that I think has enriched us, especially the insurance industry. Beth, you talk about the branding, you talk about that I talk about there's so much heart in insurance. I think one of the silver linings is we've been able to see that. We've been able to experience that, and we've really humanized ourselves.
Beth Jarecki (09:17):
So I agree with all of those things, Margaret, absolutely. It's so important to be authentic, and I love the dogs and the babies and the moms coming in. That's very cute. But some tips I would say, I would say absolutely, you have to be intentional. And I think the two things, if you really want to, two good takeaways, tips, I would say give yourself a virtual presentation checkup and focus on how you could do a better job preparing. We can all do a better job. So a virtual presentation checkup you absolutely. We know these calls are recorded. Many times we're on a teams call, they're recorded. So maybe watch it back, which is again, we talked about, it's hard to watch yourself back, listen to your voice, but take some time, listen, see how you're appearing on screen. Listen to how you're presenting, or are you using a lot of verbal fillers?
(10:14)
I know that I do. And the only way you could really get better is by practicing, by watching yourself back, by taking pauses. And that is how you will get better. So I really think the virtual checkup is super important and that will help you improve. And then being prepared. So when I prepare and Margaret and I prepared you think about who are you speaking to? What is the most important thing I want to get across when I'm speaking and have your messages written out. You don't want to be scripted, and we'll talk about that. You don't want to be scripted, but you want to have a sense of what do you want to get across. So I think just taking some time, don't be too hard on yourself, but give yourself a checkup. Listen to your voice. Think about how it sounds, think about how you could improve and do a better job. Preparing those two things alone will make such a big difference in your communication skills.
Patti Harman (11:15):
That's great. I will confess to you, so back at the beginning of the pandemic, when we switched and everything went virtual, one of the first things that I did was I looked online for tutorials on how do you position your camera? What should I keep in mind as I am getting ready for a virtual meeting? And it talked about just simple things like just raising the level of your laptop. So that angle that it shows in terms of your face and body looks better, what should I keep in mind for lighting? All of those sorts of things go into helping to create the right environment, I think as part of your meeting. And Margaret, I loved how you were talking about what to wear. So a couple of years ago, I was doing a presentation and a junior staff member had never done anything virtual online like this before.
(12:07)
And I said, come on, and I will walk you through this and I will help you do all of this. It never occurred to me to tell her to comb her hair, to wear a nice shirt and make sure that she looked professional from the waist up. She showed up and looked like she had just climbed out of bed in an old sweatshirt. And we were presenting to a number of executives. So I think when she saw me and she was like, oh, okay, I'll be right back. And came back on camera a few minutes later. But again, it's your professional persona and you want to make sure that you just put your best foot forward for that. So Margaret, you are extremely involved with helping place executives in either new positions or on company boards. Can you share with our audience what boards and corporations are looking for in terms of both skills and qualifications? And then maybe touch on how this has changed over the last few years.
Margaret Milkint (13:10):
Patti, that's such a great topic and it's a living, breathing topic because that is the space that we're in. Insurance is dynamic, insurance is resilient, and we have seen that, I love to say insurance is pandemic proof, recession proof, the backbone of the economy. And what kind of leaders does this dynamic industry need? Well, I think that we need leaders that are both head and heart leaders, leaders that are curious, leaders that are not only watching emerging trends, but learning with a voracious growth mindset. I think those leaders that board seek and corporations seek are those the ones that really look around the corner, they watch and they're ready for what's next. They're not waiting for a surprise, as we all know. There's no good surprise. So I think that today in the boardroom and the C-suite, and I'm going to say everywhere throughout the insurance industry, we're looking for people who bring purpose, who bring passion, who bring the science, their expertise, their subject matter expertise, but well-rounded.
(14:38)
They don't live in a silo. They know how to collaborate. They know how to build relationships and to best points, they know how to tell a story. They know how to captivate their audience and create understanding, followership and maybe even a bit of fun because what we're doing is not just one dimensional. I think we're working more so than ever in a multi-dimensional way. And when we have leaders that are multi-dimensional, that can reimagine that understand strategy and execution and who are vulnerable enough to say, I don't have all the answers, everybody help me. I need your help. That vulnerable leader, that humble leader is so welcome in today's environment. And I think as we think about belonging and culture, as I mentioned earlier, what is your culture? What is the DNA? How do you live and breathe that culture of welcome and belonging? Doing it with respect, doing it with head and heart leadership, doing it with energy and positivity, courage.
(16:00)
These are the things that I call the human superpowers. We all have them, but we do need to hone them. We do need to practice and we need to talk with others about them. And we have to look for that feedback. The active learner, the constant learner, that person who accepts and asks for feedback and gives it with candor and respect, these are the things that we're looking for. No one wants sharp elbows in the boardroom. What boards do want is healthy debate, respectful debate, and we all want collaboration everywhere. Collaboration, partnership really is the glue, and we see that so much, but the days of the silo are gone, the days of hierarchy are gone. Organizations really are operating in a very nimble, entrepreneurial way, and I think that that is a fantastic silver lining, Patti, as we go forward in this brave new world.
Patti Harman (17:09):
I completely agree. I can see that at our company, just the ability to collaborate within all of our different departments, and we're all part of the same team. And so we do want to make sure that we're supporting each other. I just want to make a note for our audience. We will answer your questions at the end of our little Q&A here, so please go ahead and type them into the chat, and I will make sure that we get to them later on. So I know that at the Women in Insurance Leadership Conference, you're both going to be discussing the importance of leadership skills for women. But can you tell our audience what are some of the skills that sometimes get overlooked for both men and women or maybe that we don't pay as much attention to, but they're really important to our success, whether it's reading a balance sheet or budgeting or something like that. What are some of the things that are important? Margaret, I'll ask you to answer that one.
Margaret Milkint (18:11):
Yeah, absolutely, Patti. I think that being able to operate outside of your own comfort zone, your own area of subject matter expertise. So for example, in you might be in a claims area or a human resource area, yes, you should understand the financials of your organization, you should understand the profit and loss of the business. Those are strong general management skills that are so needed. So I say step beyond your own subject matter expertise, stretch yourself in terms of cross collaboration, cross-pollinating, as I like to call it, and learning about other sectors, other disciplines, and having that ability to speak all the languages, not just one. I think that's one important thing. The other thing I think that we're going to really key in on is presentation skills. I think that today more than ever being able to present on the screen in a small group, on the platform, in the written word, and I'll even say email and text.
(19:25)
I mean, we are seeing that those modes of communications, I mean, we're all operating in real time. So thinking about being multi-dimensional, again, multi-channel in the way that we operate, and that ability to be responsive, that ability to not only to speak, but to listen and to be an active listener. And sometimes that's hard. So I think practicing the active listening is really important for both men and women. And one other thing I will say back to relationships and followership, those go hand in hand, and it doesn't happen by accident. Relationships are cultivated, they're nurtured. You've got to plant those seeds. You've got to water those seeds, you've got to take care of it. And every strong relationship has to be nurtured, and relationships are within your own organization and externally. So having that ecosystem, I think an ecosystem that gives you support, that gives feedback, that helps you on your learning paradigm. These are all in your toolkit in tips and tricks of how you get ahead. Because we don't do it alone. This is not the I game. This is the we game, and it is really important to cultivate that ecosystem.
Patti Harman (20:52):
I'm really glad that you talked about the importance of relationships because within the insurance industry that has been built on the relationships that you have and just they play such an important role across the entire insurance ecosystem. So yes, they really are very important. So Beth Communications is definitely one of your areas of expertise. That's how we met initially. So with executives often serving as the voice or representative of an organization, what should they keep in mind as part of their communication strategy? What sorts of factors should they consider, whether it's setting goals or networking, those sorts of things?
Beth Jarecki (21:38):
Well, I will say, I just wrote down the watering the seeds when Margaret was chatting. I thought that is a very important part of communications, and I want to talk about the relationships for a minute. So my old boss, Richard Torn, used to call it a reputational cushion. So what he was saying is that you have to build a reputation, a cushion, because the first time something happens, if it's something bad, you'll fall flat. You won't have any cushion because you won't have the foundation, and it's really about building the foundation, and not that you want to build your relationships because just in case something bad happens, but in terms of communications, relationships are so important. You have to sow the seeds, and what are the seeds? So I think that is at the top of the list in communications, really building communications and speaking and being consistent in your communications, not just when something bad happens, but as we've seen over the past few years, lots of bad things have happened. We've lived through a pandemic. We've seen social issues, geopolitical issues, cyber attacks, climate change, natural catastrophes, all the things that the insurance industry talks about all the time. And these are things that are impacting our worlds, your employees, your communities.
(22:52)
And going back to what Margaret was talking about, followership, I also thought was a new word for me. I haven't heard anyone say it that way. I thought that was really interesting. People are looking for a leader when you're in a crisis situation or you're in a time of uncertainty, you're looking to your leaders. I remember back to 9/11, being at home after that and just looking on the tv, who is going to talk to us? Who's going to tell us what's happening? And really needing you really need that leadership. Also, during the pandemic, you felt very alone and very scared, and you needed to hear from someone. So not that everyone has all the answers, especially during something like 9/11 or the pandemic, you don't have all the answers, but you could have empathy and you could have a voice and something to say.
(23:40)
And there's a lot of controversy over how much CEOs and leaders should be talking about what's going on in the world. But for the insurance industry, you really have a role. The insurance industry, you're front and center in risk mitigation. And so when we're facing one of the biggest risks to hit our world, we want to hear from you. So I think in terms of how things have changed and why this is a skillset, we are looking to our leaders in a different way now. Absolutely. And so the CEOs really need to sharpen their communication skills
Patti Harman (24:18):
When we talk about the importance of thought leadership.
Beth Jarecki (24:21):
Yeah.
Patti Harman (24:22):
Beth, would you be willing to address that maybe a little bit more? And can we talk about what that means? What does that look like, and how do executives even develop what we would call a thought leadership focus, and why is it an important aspect of their leadership responsibilities?
Beth Jarecki (24:43):
Well, it's very important for the CEOs, as we talked about CEOs and senior leaders because people are looking to them for answers. But thought leadership really could be for anyone these days. It's not just for the senior leaders. For companies, especially if you're in a financial services or professional services like insurance, the people are the product. So it's so important to hear their voices. We want to hear their expertise, and people are really sitting behind their desk every day sort of doing what they're doing, and they don't realize how much they have to share about the weather, about technology, about all of these different topics. So what we really do is draw that out of a person. So they're doing their day to day, and we really come to them and help draw them out to think about what do they have to say. And that's so important to our clients right now because what we're hearing more and more is they want to promote a diverse chorus of voices.
(25:44)
They don't want to just hear from senior leadership. People want to hear from new people entering the workforce that because the insurance industry is really trying to attract new talent, you don't want to hear just from the top. You want to hear from people throughout the organization that have interesting things to say. You want to learn from them, and that will help promote the industry, that will help attract new people to the industry. And it gives people entering the industry an opportunity. And there are lots of different ways to do that. In terms of how to build a thought leadership program, like I said, first you have to step outside. You're at your desk doing your thing. Maybe you're an underwriter, maybe it's your property underwriter, and you've been doing this for 20 years, and I'm just an underwriter. This is what I do. Well, let's talk about it.
(26:35)
What are some of the risks? Let's talk about climate change. What we do is when we sit people down and really talk to them and ask them questions, we show them news articles, what do you think of this? We really come out with fascinating perspectives. So I think the first thing you have to do is step outside yourself, really look at what's going on in the world and think about how what you're doing applies to the greater world. And you have to about who you want to reach. What do you want to say and how do you want to say it basically? And that's a really important part because we know that so many people take to social media, but before you do, so think about it. What are you trying to do? Why are you doing this? Who are you speaking to? Are you speaking to potential employers?
(27:18)
Are you speaking to potential clients? Are you speaking with your superiors within the corporation? Who are you trying to reach with your message? And then what do you want to say? Think about what do your clients care about? What keeps them up at night? You think about what could you bring to that conversation? What is your voice and what are things that you care about? There might be a cause that you care about an organization that you're involved in. So that's really how you start to think about how to build your thought leadership program by considering all those questions. And then you have to have a strategy. You have to think about, how do I want to say this? So social media is definitely one way to do that, but in a bigger organization, if you want to get started, a great way to do this is just to read the news, come up with some ideas and tell your manager, say, I've read this article.
(28:12)
This was really interesting. We have something to say. I'd love to help produce some thought leadership on this. I'd love to do a video on this. I'd love to do a podcast on this. And sometimes you'll hear, oh, I'd love to do that with you. Let's do it together. And that's okay too. You'll be part of the process and eventually you'll get to do the thought leadership yourself. So there's lots of different ways to get involved in thought leadership within an organization. And I think if you go to the communications department, the odds are they'll be happy to hear from you. They really are looking for a diverse group of voices. There's definitely a lot of ways to get involved there. There's room for everyone in thought leadership, and I encourage it because I think it's a really important part of building your personal brand. It's not just about selling your company or selling your service or selling insurance. It's about we have a really interesting view to share. We understand this risk better than anybody because we're on the front line when we see something bad happens and we're helping to protect you. It's very interesting, and obviously my life's work. So everyone,
Margaret Milkint (29:22):
I love that. And I want to add onto that from my perspective, because the thought leader and what I like to call the luminaries in insurance and elsewhere, everybody can be a luminary. They can shine that light on their topic on a fresh topic. No one has all the answers in ai, no one we're all learning together. How interesting is it to be on the journey? How interesting is it to be on the journey of the work of inclusion or understanding intentionality, or what does culture and what does belonging really mean? I mean, these are the big questions that we're all facing every day. When you become that thought leader, that luminary, you develop followership and you're on the radar. You are on my radar. I'm watching you.
Patti Harman (30:19):
All these are where you want to be.
Margaret Milkint (30:21):
Absolutely. We're watching and we're listening and we're learning and we're saying, wow, she's the one we want. He's the one we want. This is all part of your brand, and you own that because you're the CEO of you. I say that every day probably a hundred times a day, but it's really true. Own it. You're the CEO of you.
Patti Harman (30:45):
Oh, I love that description. So in 2023, women held almost 60% of the jobs in the insurance industry for underwriting sales and clerical positions, but the C-suite was composed of only about 22% women. Some recent figures indicate that gender parity in U.S. companies is dropping and there are fewer women in some of the c-suite roles. Why is it important for companies to focus on ensuring that there are women in leadership levels as part of their growth strategies? And Margaret, I'm going to ask you to answer that one if you don't mind, since you're working with a lot of companies and executives.
Margaret Milkint (31:30):
Absolutely. Patti inclusivity is good business. We know that there is a direct correlation to the bottom line. When there is inclusivity in organizations, it makes them richer. And that is a lot of diversity, diversity of thought, diversity of perspective, diversity of age, it's diversity of geography even. It is fascinating to see when we mix it up, what can happen. And that's why these data points are important. Patti, I look at this as it's the fact, it's the data and there's more work to do. But as I reflect and I do reflect with a very positive heart in that we've made strides. I know we've made strides in the last 10 years. What I do know as I look at this data is we've got to go faster. We've got to accelerate our work. We've got to keep our foot on that gas pedal and we've got to go.
(32:37)
We've got to go. We've got to grow and we can't let up and we need to do more. So DEI, that's the work of inclusion. We're talking about equity, we're talking about representation. We're talking about moving the needle and moving those numbers. The data keeps us honest, and I think it keeps us motivated. So I am very fired up to read this, and I want more, and I need you all to be with us on this journey. This is again, a we moment where we all have to come together. And as my dear friend in luminary Grace Vander Cruz always says, we lift as we climb. We all lift as we climb.
Patti Harman (33:25):
That is so true, and I'm glad you mentioned the importance of diversity. I've had the privilege of leading a number of different teams, and the more diverse we are, the more we are able to accomplish because everybody has a voice and you're coming from a different perspective. And when you're looking for solutions to something, that's what you want. You want that diversity of thought and experience in terms of what's going on. So yes, I would completely agree with that. Actually, the teams that I have enjoyed leading the most were the ones that were the most diverse because there was always something new to learn and hear and to experience. So great. So I don't want to steal anything or everything that you're going to present at the Women in Insurance Leadership Conference, but what are some of the steps that women can take or skills that they can focus on developing to help them be seen as C-level candidates now and in the future? Beth, you want to go ahead and take a stab at that one?
Beth Jarecki (34:27):
Sure. Well, we're super excited. Margaret and I are super excited to do this together. We love working together. We're so excited to present to the Women in Insurance Leadership Group at the conference, it's going to be great. It's going to be an interactive session. And it's so interesting, Margaret was saying it to me last night that it's one CEO at a time. That's the word that has to happen. So that's what we're going to focus on, really, what are the skills that it takes to get to the c-suite? So that is our goal, is really helping this group of women learn these skills. And a lot of it is going to be about your brand, your authenticity, and taking a view beyond what you're doing at your desk every day. Taking a board view, an enterprise view, and thinking about what's the greatest challenges facing the company, how is the company performing?
(35:19)
What should I be looking at around the corner, we're going to talk about how to be a thought leader. We'll go in a lot more detail about how everyone could become a thought leader. We'll do some interactive exercises about thought leadership. We're going to talk about preparation because preparation is everything and confidence and how you could be ready for meetings. And we're going to talk about networking and expanding beyond your silos and what you're doing within your company, networking within your company, within other companies and conferences. So those are some of the steps and that we'll talk about. And like I said, I hope we'll do it one CEO at a time, so hopefully we can make some difference.
Patti Harman (35:59):
Well, and it means getting out of your comfort zone. A lot of times we get into a space where this is where I'm comfortable. I know the people around me. And in order to develop these skills and those relationships, it really does force you to get out. I can't wait to hear what you say about networking, because I know when I'm at a large event and there are 600 people in the room, I'm standing outside saying, I'm like, okay, deep breath, I can do this. And it's literally like you're plunging into an ocean, a sea of people and just so that'll, that'll be a fantastic thing to hear. I cannot wait.
Beth Jarecki (36:36):
I have to tell you, Patti, I feel exactly the same way. So you could hide in the bathroom or you could make a goal and say, I'm going to speak to three new people, and you just go for it. So we'll definitely talk about that because I think a lot of people feel like that when they're walking into a room full of people, how do you approach it? And the insurance industry is a big conference world, so you have to prepare for that.
Margaret Milkint (37:06):
And it's true. And I think there's a way to demystify it. And this is back to your own mindset, just have a bit of fun with it and think, you know what? Everybody else may be a little bit nervous, so maybe you and I are buddies at this conference, and we work the room together. We want to make the connections together. We support each other. There's a lot of different ways to be actionable about it and to make it easy and to make it a little bit of fun, I think, to find the joy, making it a little bit of a game to really understand people want to, they want to learn about you. They want to know, what do you like to eat? What do you like to cook? What books have you been reading? What do you like to do? All of those things as simple as I really like your your outfit, or gosh, that's a great necklace. I mean, that's fun. I can't even tell you all how many times I've opened up a conversation while those are great shoes. Great shoes. And you know what I agree. Tell everybody a little bit of something about you and it's fun.
Beth Jarecki (38:19):
It calms people down.
Patti Harman (38:21):
It does. Yes.
Margaret Milkint (38:22):
One of my favorite stories is the Monica story. I have to tell this story. So I'm in a conference, a sea of probably a thousand plus at the back of the room, and I'm standing next to this woman and I see her name tag and all of a sudden it says, Monica. And I looked at her and I said, Monica, my daughter's name is Monica. It's so nice to meet you. Well, that Monica is one of the three Monicas I know in the world, and she happens to be Monica Ngan, who is the CEO of Swiss Re Americas. So how about that? That's my Monica story. It's as simple as making a connection. And she always asks me about my Monica. And my Monica always asks me about CEO, Monica, isn't that good?
Patti Harman (39:06):
Wow. You're right. It's the simplest things. I met someone ever chicken and waffles at a reception, and that was my opening line. Oh, I never thought of eating chicken and waffles together and we were off. No, you're right. It's often just the simplest things. So we're kind of getting to the end of our time here, but I was wondering if you could talk about what role does mentoring play in helping individuals reach the C-suite and how can men and women find mentors who will help to guide them in their careers? Margaret, would you mind answering that question for our audience?
Margaret Milkint (39:45):
Oh, absolutely. I think mentoring is so critical. Back to what Beth said, this is grassroots. This is one person at a time, one moment at a time. And I want to demystify mentoring because mentoring doesn't have to be a heavy formal structured process. It doesn't. I love micro mentoring and frankly, I do it all the time. I might be on a plane sitting next to someone who I know is prepping for an interview. I know it. I can take those few minutes on the plane and be the green room for that person, help them get comfortable for their interview. That's a micro mentoring moment. You take it, you seize it and you learn from it. You can do the same thing with networking. Networking can be micro networking as well, but I do think you have to be intentional about it. And I think you have to be open to the moments, the moments of learning, the moments where maybe you least expect it on the airplane, on the train at a reception.
(40:52)
You might never know, but you have to be open to those opportunities in the moment. So that's one thing. But I do think that back to intentionality. If you know you want to grow or nurture yourself in a particular area because you are the CEO of you, a really great thing to do is to form your own personal advisory board. That is your many board of directors. Those are the people in your world who are going to help you to lift, to grow, to shine, and they're going to give you the tough love. They're going to give you the candor, they're going to give you the support. It can be somebody from the insurance industry. It can be outside of industry. It could be someone in your community, someone you volunteer with. It could be a family member, it could be a former professor. It's a group of people that know you and want to help you get to that next level.
(41:55)
And it's a living, breathing thing. So more to come and we'll talk about personal advisory boards. Great way to do it. And there's some groups right now that Beth and I are both very, very active in the ISC group, which is a global network for women. We have a program called Aspire, where emerging leaders are paired and work with experienced executive females, lifting as we climb, giving advice, having collaboration, learning in a safe place, psychological safety is a thing, and creating safe environments for learning and for vulnerability. We operate with trust, we operate with grace and care and nurturing is a big thing that we do. Another group that's very active is Million Women Mentor STEM Connector. We have an insurance initiative there. And right now we have a program going on called Day of Giving. And Day of Giving is a great way to pull in mentoring, build the brand of insurance, keep doing this work of inclusion. And mentoring is a big part of it because when we go out into a grade school or a high school and we talk about be an actuary, be an underwriter, join claims, what about insurance? And our big mantra is insurance is stem insurance is stem. So we want all those STEM girls to come to insurance. So there's just a few actionable ways, Patti, that we're out there and we are always hungry for more.
Patti Harman (43:38):
Wow, I can't wait to hear what all you're going to share at WIL. That'll be really exciting. We have covered so much in the last half hour, but is there anything that I haven't asked you that you think our audience should know about thriving in this new work environment? Beth, I'll start with you on this one.
Beth Jarecki (44:00):
Well, I think being the CEO of you is super important. And I love if you put that together with, have an advisory board and build a communications program for yourself. CEOs have communications programs. So think about what do you want to treat, what do you want to say? Who are you going to say it to? So build your own plan. So if you're the CEO of you, think about all the things that entails and that will set you up for success for sure. But just that everyone remembers that there are opportunities. Thought leadership is not just for the most senior, the CEOs. There's definitely opportunities. And your voice is important. I'm hearing it from the communications departments. We want to see a diverse group. We want to hear a diverse group of voices. So your voice, people want to hear it. So get out there and communicate.
Patti Harman (44:52):
Margaret, any closing words? And then we're going to take a couple of questions from our audience too.
Margaret Milkint (44:57):
I love what you said, Beth, and what I will add to that is step into your own superpower and embrace it and enjoy it and grow with it. No one has all the answers, but together we're going to win together. We're going to grow. So the modern leader is the humanistic, is the leader who leads with head and heart, with care and trust and empathy and absolutely powerful, authentic communication skills. But what that authenticity is, is uniquely yours. What works for Margaret might not work for Beth. What works for Patti might not work for Margaret. We're not clones, we're not robots to be able to bring our true selves to everything we do. That's the gift. So I'm saying step into that gift, step into that superpower, enjoy it. Don't be afraid to have some fun with it. And it's practice. It's not perfect. None of us is perfect. Humility, I think is one of the greatest and most attractive gifts we all have.
Patti Harman (46:11):
Wow, great. Your comments kind of lead into one of the first questions we have in our Q&A. And that is that the comment was, it's very refreshing to hear this from leaders talking about being authentic. And this aligns with the HBR article and the new executive presence. Authenticity has become much more sought, a much more sought after trait in executive presence. What other traits do you think are important in professional development and insurance? And I'll start, maybe Margaret, that's a good one for you. I'm not sure. Or Beth, if you want to take that one,
Beth Jarecki (46:52):
Margaret.
Patti Harman (46:54):
Okay.
Margaret Milkint (46:55):
Well, thank you to whoever made that comment. And I can't tell you how happy I am that we are talking about authenticity because for so many years, people felt like they had to be one way in the workplace, and then they could be their true self in their home or in their community. Now we're seeing the rise of the modern leader, the rise of the holistic leader, and we're not going to go back. And I love that we're not going back. So I think some of the things that go along with authenticity is transparency, being honest, being humble, being able to ask for help. And that creates trust. It creates community. It's the stickiness. It's the stickiness and culture of an organization. So I would say to partner that with all of those components of transparency and positivity and honesty, and doing it with candor, it doesn't have to be sugarcoated. Doing it with kindness, though I have never heard more times people talking about kindness and sense of humor. What's most important, Margaret? Well, it's kindness and a sense of humor. I want someone kind on my team. I want someone with a sense of humor. We like to laugh. I can't tell you in all my years of working in insurance that that's the joy for me of the pandemic during this. I've like, I never thought I'd see this and I'm seeing it and it's here to stay.
Patti Harman (48:48):
That is so great. You both talked about the different qualities that we need to hone and develop. And one of our other questions is how can we communicate that we possess those qualities on paper, whether it's like your resume or on your LinkedIn profile without sounding like you're just trying to throw out other keywords.
Beth Jarecki (49:17):
I can help with that one.
Patti Harman (49:18):
Okay.
Beth Jarecki (49:21):
And this is part of being the CEO of yourself. I think just like we said, to do a virtual check-in, do some inventory on yourself and look at what's out there in the world. How are you being presented to the world? And one of those things is definitely your social media profiles. So look at your photo. Is your photo professional? Is your LinkedIn up to date? Very often executives let it go and they don't update it. And when you're about to go into a meeting, the first thing I do is when I have a meeting scheduled, I look at the LinkedIn, I said, okay, let's look, who is this person? Who am I going to be speaking with? So your LinkedIn is very important, and you have to tell your story. You have to think about what is your story. So you are the CEO, this is your story.
(50:14)
How did you get to this point? What are you interested in? What do you enjoy doing? What value do you bring? It's more than just, I am a title at this company, but what do you do there? And there's a great little place where you can add a descriptor, where you could talk about some of your skills and some of the things you enjoy doing and some of the things that you aspire to do in the future. So don't worry about bragging or having it and listen, have it sound authentic to you, not like AI and some keywords and tell your story. Yeah, absolutely. I love story. And one of the things, and share it with someone, don't do it on your own. Write out your story and share it with a colleague. Share it with a friend, with family and say, what do you think about this? And they'll see you in a different way. Well, they'll say, well, you're really great at this. Why don't you add this point or that and craft it? It's really an important communication to have your descriptor really tell who you are.
Margaret Milkint (51:15):
I love that. And I'd love to add on to the storytelling, because storytelling is so important. So I think we all have special stories. We all do. And you want to think about when someone, if you want to demonstrate that you are transparent or that you are agile or that you know how to face adversity, think about the story. Think about that time when you looked that adversity right in the eye and you got to the other side and you won. Think about how you want to tell that story and have your repertoire of stories. It's so great to be able to do that. And I think then it doesn't feel like you're bragging. You're patting yourself on the back. You're only telling your own stories. And your own stories are so positive and people, we all learn from stories. My favorite story that I love to tell any chance I get Patti, is the I and we Story.
(52:18)
So there was a time when I was not selected to handle a really important search and my heart was broken. And the CEO who sat on the board called me the next day and he said, I'm going to take you out to breakfast and I'm going to tell you why you didn't get selected, which was so kind of him, so kind. So we have this breakfast and he said, Margaret, the reason that you didn't get selected is because you never said I one time in your presentation, all you said was we, you said we. So I knew you, but no one else on the board knew you. No one knew that you were going to give us your heart and soul because you never said so. What I learned is there is power in saying I. And we, and I am a weak person and I'm sure many of you are weak people, but you know what? Sometimes you have to use that. Give permission to yourself to say, I will get the job done for you. I can do this. I'm confident. I'm ready. The power of "The I." One of my favorite life lessons. And to that wonderful mentor, that CEO I will be forever grateful and I will keep telling this story any chance I get.
Patti Harman (53:49):
So thank you so much for joining us today, Margaret and Beth, and sharing a little bit about the skill sets executives need to develop and hone to succeed in today's environment. Thank you to our audience as well. If you'd like to hear more from Beth and Margaret, please plan to join us at the Women in Insurance Leadership Conference in Boca Raton, Florida on June 26th. You can find more details at our website at dig-in.com, and we hope you'll come back for next month's Transformation Forum when we talk about climate change, weather, and what's expected with a forecasted overactive hurricane season. Thank you so much and enjoy the rest of your afternoon.
Beth Jarecki (54:30):
Thanks, Patti.
Margaret Milkint (54:31):
Thanks so much, Patti.
