CUES RealTalk! 2023 Series Playbacks
Miss the first session? Check out the playback below.
Real Talk. Real Stories.
Don’t miss the remaining sessions of this groundbreaking online discussion series that tackles the important, but often hard-to-discuss, issues impacting women in the workforce. It's free for everyone!
JULY 19, 2023
Session 1: Proving My Worth
Navigating the Intersection of Race and Gender
Get set to be inspired by CUES’ own Jimese Harkley as she shares her experiences managing diversity along her career path and within her personal life. She will also discuss how she found confidence to be herself at work and home.
Growing up, Jimese was often told, you must work twice as hard as everyone else or you’ll never get anywhere. In her professional career, she would hear you’re not ready for leadership or a promotion—words that prompted her to develop a mindset to take charge and forge a path forward.
Jimese will explore how these words resonated with her throughout her life as she delves into the intricate interplay of gender and race. You’ll learn about the unique challenges she has faced—and the opportunities for growth and representation she found along the way. You’ll hear about:
- Building a career—standing out and finding opportunities
- Challenges those in the double diversity world face such as extreme perceptions and a higher competency threshold
- How race dynamics factor into it all
- Finding confidence along the way
The following resources were discussed in the live chat during the session:
- Article: Finding Your Place
- Article: Women In The Workforce And The Double Bind
- Article: Overtasking The Multitasker
- Women at Work Podcast Episode: We Deserve Better Than "Attagirl"
- Jimese’s Strategic Plan Spotify Playlist
August 16, 2023
Session 2: Dear CU Leaders: We’re here, but not for long.
Managing Your Career Amid Executive Indifference
Credit unions are full of emerging leaders and young professionals who are excited about the industry and believe in what it stands for. Despite this, the future of the movement may very well be on the line—due to executive indifference.
The shrinking number of credit unions combined with senior-level leaders who are on the brink of burnout and unwilling or unable to build the next generation up concerned Rachel Guyselman enough that she recently penned two open letters to the industry–Dear Fellow CU Leaders: Why There's So Much Uncertainty in This Profession and Dear CU Leaders: A Letter From the Future of the Movement.
In them, Rachel points out that many of the industry’s emerging leaders are experiencing indifference, distance, and perhaps even worse—an unwillingness to change and unwillingness to listen—from their CEOs, executive leaders, and even their boards.
Why the indifference and reluctance to change? Why are we seeing so many CEOs simply awaiting their retirement, when the credit union will likely merge due to the aforementioned indifference? And what can you do about it, to save not only your career—but also the movement?
Whether you’re an emerging leader, young professional, or a seasoned executive, you’ll walk away with great tips and ideas on ways to approach these difficult conversations that will lead to greatness.
The following resources were discussed in the live chat during the session:
- Article: Emerging Into Leadership
- Check out this article, which includes information about Local Government FCU’s program to provide resources to Florida A&M University FCU: Survival Strategies
- Article: Why And How To Put A Solid Succession Plan In Place Now
- Article: NextGen Know-How: Why You Shouldn’t Promote The Superstar Employee To Leadership
- Article: NextGen Know-How: 5 Signs You Should Not Be A Leader
- Article: NextGen Know-How: How To Write An Effective, Meaningful Performance Evaluation
- CU Today Article: Dear CU Leaders: A Letter From the Future of the Movement
- Rachel Guyselman's Next Top Credit Union Exec 2016 Profile
- For CUES Unlimited/Unlimited+ Members: Check out the Harvard ManageMentor course, Managing Your Boss, for tips on building a strong relationship and opening the line for clear communication and feedback.
- Learn more about CUES Emerge, the industry’s premier emerging leader program that combines online learning, peer collaboration and an exciting competition component.
- Many resources on the list from our fantastic host, Laurie Maddalena. You can find all of her content from CU Management here.
September 20, 2023
Session 3: From the Brink of Burnout
How Organizations and Leaders Can Support Working Women
Laurie discusses her personal journey of balancing the demands of career and family while dealing with feelings of not being or doing enough for anyone. We’ll discuss:
- The realities women face when aspiring to have a thriving career and personal life, and the impact the tradeoffs have on meeting your professional goals
- How leadership has evolved to help, and what still needs to be done
- Managing the balancing act that is life
The following resources were discussed in the live chat during the session:
- Blog: Baby Showers For Male Employees Promote Goodwill And Gender Equity
- Theresa Witham is a big reader. Check out her blog posts about books to read to promote diversity in your life and work.
- Be sure to check out CU Management content from Ellyn Schinke, stress/burnout management coach.
- CUES members can access the playback of Ellen Schinke’s Virtual Classroom session: Overcoming Burnout
- What steps can credit unions take to promote work-life balance and career advancement for women facing competing demands? Read more in Women In The Workforce And The Double Bind.
- Blog: CEO Sabbaticals Get Popular
- Article: Overtasking The Multitasker
- Laurie talks about modern vs. traditional leaders in this episode of the CUES Podcast: The Evolution To Modern Leadership.
- Here is the book that Laurie mentioned in the session, Firms of Endearment.
- Learn more about CUES Emerge, the industry’s premier emerging leader program that combines online learning, peer collaboration and an exciting competition component.
- Emerging leaders—accelerate your career and get to the next level! Register for CUES Advanced Management Program from Cornell University and position yourself for future success by gaining deep insights into the C-suite to better understand what their challenges are and how they think.
October 25, 2023
Special Session: A Journey of Empowerment and Excellence in Leadership
As the first female CEO at CUES, Heather brings a unique perspective on advancing women in leadership. Discover insights from her 30+ years of experience and learn how she shattered glass ceilings while staying true to her passion for people and community.
- Charting an Unconventional Path: Heather's journey to the CEO position at CUES highlights the value of unconventional career paths and seizing opportunities.
- Embracing Adaptive Leadership: Learn the importance of adapting your leadership style throughout your career and harnessing the power of feedback for personal and professional growth.
- Mastering Modern Leadership Challenges: Gain invaluable insights on how credit unions and leaders can effectively navigate the evolving landscape of workplace flexibility in the post-pandemic era.
The following resources were discussed in the live chat during the session:
- Check out Advancing Women from CU Management magazine for more insights and inspiration for women in credit unions.
- Five credit union CEOs tell the story of their climb to the top in The Leader Ladder.
- CUES has partnered with Harvard ManageMentor®, an online resource program, which includes more than 40 topics addressing these critical management issues and more. Each online topic includes the practical advice and tools you need to succeed. Learn more here.
- CUES members have access to two mentoring guides, one for staff and one for board directors. You can find these member benefits in your myCUES Dashboard.
- Article: Overtasking the Multitasker
- Laurie talks about having it all without doing it all in this article. Hint it involves “no”.
- Article: Women in the Workforce and The Double Bind
- The CUES Emerge program is another great way to develop your career and it will return in 2024. Watch cuesemerge.com for more information.
- CUES Advanced Management Program with Cornell is an excellent way to grow in your career, especially if you aspire to the c-suite.
- Harvard ManageMentor has a class on Ethics at Work.
- Find more from CUES CEO Heather McKissick here.
- Laurie is a frequent contributor to CUES CU Management magazine. Find all her content here.
November 15, 2023
Session 4: How We Got Here: Lessons From the Firsts
Inspiring Stories from Female CEOs
Gain insights and wisdom from trailblazing women who became the first female CEOs at their respective credit unions. These pioneering leaders will share their journeys, shedding light on the challenges they faced, the strategies they employed to overcome obstacles, and the invaluable lessons they learned along the way.
The following resources were discussed in the live chat during the session:
- Read Advancing Women from CU Management magazine for more insights and inspiration for women in credit unions.
- Check out the profile of CUES first female CEO, Heather McKissick.
- Take a look at the Advancing Women features of all our panelists:
- Read more about Tansley Stearns’ path to becoming CEO.
- Laurie is a frequent contributor to CUES CU Management magazine. Find all her content here.
- DDJ Myers sponsors CUES’ Advancing Women publication. Here are some thoughts from CEO Deedee Myers’ for women who want be CEO.
- CUES Members: Harvard ManageMentor is a benefit of your membership. It includes a course on Goal Setting.
- Discover ideas from Libby Calderon of Envisant and EarthMover Credit Union about how far we’ve come with advancing women and what CUs can still do.
- Article: Effective CEO Networking
- Blog: Sponsorship, Not Mentorship, Key To Advancing Women Of Color In The Workplace
- Podcast: Developing People And Careers In A Hybrid Work World
- Video: How To Become A Change Leader Instead Of A Change Manager
- Video: Level-Setting Expectations For Yourself And Others
- Article: Overcoming Barriers To Work-Life Balance
- Article: Pushing Back Against The Ambition Penalty
- Article: Supporting Women Through Every Life Stage
- Tansley and Tonita met at CUES CEO Institute. Learn more about the program here.
- CUES Members: Be sure to register for CUES Virtual Classroom: Stress Better and Avoid Burnout, happening December 5.
- Available only to CUES Members: Discover the different types of mentoring relations, offers best practices for both mentors and mentees and includes valuable worksheets and documents for managing a productive mentorship. You can download the guide from the “Exclusive Member Resources” tab in your myCUES Dashboard.
RealTalk! Series Playback Archive
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