3 minutes
From the editor
What have you done for your professional or personal development lately?
I have been studying Google Analytics, but I know there is more I could be doing for my development. My goal (set last year) to block time on my calendar (cumanagement.com/1120develop) and spend at least two hours per month on my development fell by the wayside, I regret to admit. But I am not giving up. It was a good goal, but my implementation ideas were, perhaps, not the most practical. I’m working on it!
If you need inspiration for taking the time to learn, this issue has got you covered.
For example, I am inspired by CUES member LeJuan George, CUBDP, senior business development officer at $6.5 billion Redstone Federal Credit Union, Huntsville, Alabama.
“While my current role has a fair number of managerial duties, my career aspirations are to transition completely into a management role. That’s because my passion is bringing out the best in people—something that managers and leaders need to know how to do well,” he writes in “Aspiring Manager Aided by Harvard ManageMentor.” “In December 2020, I started using Harvard ManageMentor, a benefit of my CUES Unlimited+ membership. I knew right away that this was how I wanted to continue learning the ‘human’ skills of management and leadership.”
Inspired by George, I want to select one or two courses to complete each month going forward. With more than 40 great options (everything from budgeting and decision-making to leading people, managing your boss, stress management, writing skills and so much more!), deciding where to start is tough. But I will complete at least one course in June. Who’s with me?
After reading George’s story, jump to “Inclusive Climates Rely on Psychological Safety” to read about the inaugural offering of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Cornell Certificate Program. We invited attendees to share their top takeaways from the online course that ran from February through April. Here are a few:
“One of my top takeaways is how important it is to ensure that we create a climate for team members to get to know each other and acknowledge the differences among us. It is also important to create opportunities for each team member to provide their opinions, insights and ideas to develop and maintain an environment of inclusion and belonging,” says CUES member Jeanne Gervin, MBA, SPHR, VP/human resources at University Credit Union, Los Angeles.
“The eCornell program was relevant and insightful, answering questions that I had not even thought of in this space,” says CUES member Dale Morris, branch/regional manager at Seattle Credit Union. “Being made aware of the perceptions, and their various impacts on an organization, really allowed for me to look more intentionally at how I interact with our team.”
“My greatest takeaway was regarding inclusion and all of the different situations that people can potentially feel excluded in the workplace. I took away action plans that can immediately make a difference in diversity and inclusion in our organization,” says Tonja Wheatley, VP/CU solutions/membership at the California/Nevada CU League, Ontario, California.
“I took away a great number of things from the eCornell DEI course experience. It helped me increase and expand my self-awareness and taught me a number of ways to promote inclusive behaviors in group settings,” says CUES member Samantha Amburgey, CIO at Michigan State University Federal Credit Union, East Lansing, Michigan. “With the number of video conference meetings we have currently, this has been very beneficial to support and maintain the health of our interpersonal relationships.”
Read more in the full article.
P.S. The online Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Cornell Certificate Program will return in August. Register today.
