Diversity Exchange

Valuing Differences

I recently read an article by Randall Boe, the General Counsel for AOL, called “The Value of Inclusiveness.” He made the critical point that people, “who value diversity actively embrace differences.”

Embrace, not accept or tolerate or accommodate.

There is a world of opportunity in that simple notion—and it captures what I love most about my role as global chief diversity officer for Aon, namely the opportunity to explore new places, new cultures, new people, new ways of thinking and doing. Last month I had the opportunity of a lifetime to visit Sub-Sahara Africa for the semi-annual Country Managers meeting. I thank Anton Roux, our chief executive in Africa, for inviting me.

I expected—and looked forward to—seeing a world far different from the one I live in (Nashville) or work in (Chicago, primarily). I expected to see poverty amidst rapidly rising wealth in a continent filled with untapped natural resources. What I didn’t expect, and what I will remember more than the contrast of Mozambique’s poverty and Cape Town’s vineyards, is the unbelievable determination, courage, and humanity of my colleagues there.

In the land of plenty called America, we who have so much have found much about which to complain.

Like travel restrictions to save money.

Or lack of administrative support to make us more efficient.

And most common of all, IT problems—like getting kicked off line while working remotely.

In Africa, I listened to stories by Louis Veloso, head of Angola, who had T&D forms faxed to him, drove 30 minutes to a client to get signed, drove 30 minutes back, and faxed to corporate—because it was faster than emailing the document in a country where internet access can’t come close to keeping up with the country’s explosive growth.

And I heard Joe Onsando, head of Kenya, explain why his country’s political strife kept him from hosting the Country Managers meeting as was planned originally. Instead, he told us of the personal risk his employees took during the worst of times to come to work and keep the office up and running to serve our clients.

And I heard Susan Mutangadura, our newest country manager, talk of the issues she must deal with in Zimbabwe where the 1000% inflation rate means paychecks are worthless by the time our employees receive them, insufficient to buy gas to get to work or food to put on the table for their families.

To my colleagues in Africa, I salute you. Thank you for opening my eyes in a way that a life in the land of plenty never could.

Corbette Doyle
Chief Diversity Officer

WINk - April 15, 2008

William H. Frey II, a neuroscientist and biochemist who wrote the book, Crying: The Mystery of Tears, conducted a study which showed that men cry an average of 1.4 times a month and that women cry about 5.3 times a month.  Why are women prone to crying nearly 4 times that of men?  Research indicates that prolactin is the culprit.  Prolactin, a stress hormone released via tears, is found to be residing in women’s bodies at a higher concentration and also found to be involved in the synthesis of breast milk. 

The upside for women:  According to Nomi Kaim in the article, Tearful Serenity: Crying Away the Stress, “emotional tears” in both genders contain 25% more proteins than those tears we secrete on a regular basis that are blinked away or tears from an irritant in the eye.  These proteins are actually the prolactin hormones that have been built up to very high levels due to stress.  So, just as sweat is a secretion of stress due to an adrenaline surge, so are the “emotional tears” a healthy release of toxic stress levels. 

The downside for women:  In the workplace, a woman crying in front of a supervisor and/or colleagues can be perceived as a sign of weakness, even if performance suggests otherwise. 

What to do?  Elizabeth Pace, author of the forthcoming book, The X and Y of Buy: Why Gender Matters in Sales and Marketing, suggests the following exercises.  First, concentrate on breathing and particularly the exhale which is known to relieve stress and lower blood pressure.  If you have water near you, drink some.  Your body can not both drink and cry simultaneously. Tears are controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system and as Nomi Kaim points out, that system can only operate when there is nothing taking priority in the body.  If you don’t find yourself with a glass of water, Elizabeth suggests looking up and to the left, activating the left side of the brain, the hub for analytical thinking.  (Emotions are processed on the right side of the brain.)  Elizabeth goes on to point out that one of the best tactics for suppressing emotions is silence.  If you find yourself in a highly-charged situation, excuse yourself, recompose and think before you speak.  If it is not possible to leave, remain silent until you can discuss the situation without producing the “emotional tears” during the conversation.

For further inquiries about WIN, please contact:
Denise Berger
Managing Director, WIN Global Chair
310-606-4145
denise_berger@ars.aon.com

Do You Know Your Strengths?

"You are braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think"  --- Christopher Robin in "Pooh's Grand Adventure:  The Search for Christopher Robin."

Not sure if you have ever read any of Marcus Buckingham's books (First, Break All the Rules; Then, Discover Your Strengths; Now, Put Your Strengths to Work), but I've read the most recent one Now, Put Your Strengths to Work and saw him speak at a local Society of Human Resources Management lunch meeting.  He's a dynamic, powerful speaker.   See my notes below and if anyone is interested in the material, I'll gladly share.   

Personally, I do agree with his theory on "strengths" -- which is that we need a paradigm shift to start focusing on our strengths so that we can go from good to great, rather than focusing on our weaknesses/development opportunities where we would go from very bad to just bad.  Marcus was on an Oprah show last Friday, April 18.  The Oprah Show contacted Marcus last April.  He and his crew came to Chicago, filmed a three hour Workshop and then coached the participants - talented women from all walks of life - over the following five months.  The workshop participants shared their stories of how they've been able to significantly increase their performance, at work and in life.

I've also learned his company helped publish a new book for parents on how to discover the strengths of your children:  Your Child's Strengths: Discover Them, Develop Them, Use Them by Jenifer Fox.  I think this is an incredible way to view yourself and your children/loved ones.  This was further validated while I watched "Dancing with the Stars" last night.  Kristi Yamaguchi, Olympic Gold Medalist, revealed that she was born with club feet!!!  I was astounded, when the hostess asked her how she overcame her disability, she politely said "Well, I had a lot of corrective surgeries as a child.  I had some obstacles to overcome, but I just focused on my strengths".  Cool.  Likely she had parents that helped her focus on her strengths too!

Here's my notes from that presentation: 

Psychologist, physicians, etc. all study what's wrong (depression, disease, etc.).  Marcus believes that thinking is flawed, its like “study what’s bad and then invert it to make it good”.   He noted Martin Seligman (former APA President) who said something like 500,000 articles on depression and only 400 or so on happiness.

Premise of the talk (and the book, and the training DVDs, that he’s selling) is that we all as individuals, need to capitalize on our strengths instead of trying to develop our weaknesses.  Here’s the tangibles I got out of it:

• Copy of book GO Put Your Strengths to Work
• “Access” online to his new “Strength Engagement Track” (taking a test)  and free electronic download of 2 videos that are in a series of 6 altogether.
• Benchmarking study on the Strength Engagement Track and high performing teams
• Nice reprint of his HBR article “What Great Managers Do”
• Information on an all girls school that is teaching “Strengths Based” curriculum (very cool)
• A copy of his powerpoint, including more data on the “high performing teams” he studied.

For my personal development, I will be reading the book and taking the Strength Engagement Track, as well as looking at the other materials.  He has very interesting, innovative ideas.  He is calling this the “Strengths Movement”.  A PBS special is coming soon.  (Made it more credible to me.)

He gave a very dynamic lecture, urging participants to be leaders in the “Strengths Movement, but also noted that the airlines are right - “put your own mask on before assisting others”.  He talked about this not only as leveraging your strengths at work, but a paradigm shift that includes using your strengths, finding and nurturing your children’s strengths, etc.   

Other things I paid attention to were how interesting this book is and how it applies to individuals and companies. 

Rebecca Drzewiecki
Aon Consulting
Human Capital - Talent Solutions
Southfield, MI  48075

WINk - March 2008

Women's International Network Newsletter

The Wall Street Journal recently cited the following statistics: "Women, overall, are substantially lagging behind men in pay. Full-time female employees earned 77% of all men's median wages. Breaking it down in terms of race - Asian-American women earned 78% of the median annual pay of white men; white women earned 73%; black women, 63%; and Hispanic women, 52%."  The difference in pay is still apparent even with 20-somethings earning 20-25% less than men at the same educational level.   

"A 'locus of control' scale measures the extent to which individuals believe that their behavior influences their circumstances."  The lower a person scores, the more they believe that they have influence over circumstances; the higher the scores, the less they believe in their influence over events.  In a study conducted in over 14 countries, representing 5 continents, women yielded higher locus of control scores than men, meaning that women - more so than men - believe that "life happens to them".  In the book, Women Don't Ask, Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever point to this research as one reason (of many) why negotiations are more complex for women and, by association, why there is a real disparity in pay in the workforce.   While women have many legacy issues with which to contend, challenging ourselves to develop spheres of influence is a step toward empowerment over our circumstances and greater gender pay equity.

The Women’s International Network (WIN) at Aon Corporation is one of several Business Networking Groups established to promote Aon’s diverse talent pool.  Our mission is simple:  to ensure effective utilization of diverse skills and talents across every level and business unit.  The strategy encompasses mentorship, professional development and networking, internally and externally. 
“Hire the Best. Build the Best. Be the Best.” - Corbette Doyle, Chief Diversity Officer

For further inquiries about WIN, please contact:
Denise Berger
Managing Director, WIN Global Chair
310-606-4145
denise_berger@ars.aon.com

Headquartered in Chicago, Aon Corporation is a leading provider of risk management services, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, human capital and management consulting, and specialty insurance underwriting.

WIN Downunder

We are excited by the launch of our WIN chapter in Australia.  Creating the chapter has been a very exciting journey and was started by a very supportive and keen CEO and Country Manager, Steve Nevett, an equally supportive and keen GM HR, Joe Marmilic, and very positive senior woman in Australia, Robyn Perkins. 

Between the three of us, we agreed the protocol and approach - one all parties were supportive of and believed would work - a national strategy, delivered locally by State committees.  We also agreed that we wanted volunteers for the committee who were committed to the success of the initiative, could demonstrate how they could contribute and equally as important, understood the value for Aon in supporting this initiative. 

Just prior to Christmas, Steve sent an email out to all staff announcing we would be forming a committee and asking interested staff to apply.  After Christmas (remembering this is a major holiday period in Australia with four days lost to public holidays), we were all a little disappointed that there had not been many expressions of interest, so Steve sent out a second email, reminding staff of what we were trying to achieve and also reminding staff of the deadline for applications.

By the time the applications closed, we had received almost 50 expressions of interest from staff at all levels across the country - 3 of these were from men who were very articulate about why Aon needed to do this.   We only wanted a national committee of about 10, so a selection process ensued.  On International Women's Day, 2008, Steve announced the successful national committee and also advised all the other applicants they were to be a part of the state committees.  The National Committee comprises 9 women and 1 man from all areas of the business and importantly from the major states.

We have been overwhelmed by the responses from those selected at both levels - the willingness to participate, to contribute the growth of the business and to their colleagues has been the main drivers for all of them.  Most of them also see this as a major opportunity for networking and for their own personal growth.  From our perspective, it is very motivational to see the enthusiasm and commitment.

The launch event and first meeting of the committee is scheduled for 31 March.  The all day workshop and meeting will be followed by a Board Room dinner where we are going to invite some of our female clients to attend and to hear our guest speaker , Jacki Johnson, CEO of Business Partners in CGU speaking on diversity and inclusion. 

We believe we have the right model, the talent and the right motivation to deliver a successful WIN initiative in Australia.  The key to our success will be the ongoing and proactive involvement of our CEO and Country Manager, and a leader from the networking group.  However, the other key element in our success will the support  and inclusion of our HR team - the three parts of the wheel working together for success.

Robyn Perkins
Principal - People Risk Solutions
Aon Consulting Pty Limited

Networking Tips

For several months Corbette, Denise and others have been asking me to write an article about networking.  As we launched the 2008 WIN activities in the Midwest, I finally have taken the time to share my learnings on networking

So what is networking?  I suppose all of us have our notions of what is means to network.  I want to share my definition.  Networking is the action of meeting others in order to give back to them.    I will briefly discuss the basic rules and give you an idea on how to get started.

Rule Number 1
Most people think networking is supposed to be all about you.  You selling, you getting opportunities, you getting exposure, networking has nothing to do with you.  Networking is about giving back.  You don’t get if you don’t give.  The best networkers give first.

Rule Number 2
Networking is built on mutual respect and trust.  You don’t get respect or trust without sincerity and a genuine desire to help others.  Poseurs need not apply.

Have a Plan
So now that you know the rules, how do you do it?  First, you need to think about your motivations for networking?  Are they personal, professional, to advance your child, to learn?  Write down your reasons to network.  Then take a look at your current network.  I attended a seminar on how to network where the instructor talked about making 12 circles of influence, written below.

     Friends           Colleagues                      College
     Neighbors      Charity                              Religious affiliations
     Family             Spouses of Friends       Professional Orgs
     Sports             Clients                              Industry

In each circle write down 10 people you know that can help you in your goal.  Make a plan to contact them.  Keeping your network alive takes time, you can’t call someone you have not spoken to in years and expect them to help you.  Think of ways to give back to these folks. 

Another visual approach I have used is to make a map, almost like a family tree of the people I know in my network.  Either way works, the point is to write it down, think about how you have given back, and keep those connections alive.

Email is the greatest gift for a networker, it takes 30 seconds to send someone a quick note to check in and ask how you can help them.

Plan your network, what do you want, why?  Where can you give back in order to grow?

Ok, so let’s say you don’t have that many names in the boxes that align with your goals.  Where do you go to meet people.  What is your goal?  Is it professional, join a group, attend a luncheon, ask your friends. 

Making Connections
Some of us are natural conversationalists, it may come easy to strike up a discussion with a stranger.  Most of us are not.  When you go to some place you don’t know anyone.  Be prepared, what are you going to say to people?  How will you start a discussion, how will you end one?  Plan your questions and elevator pitch in advance.  Decide what you want people to remember about you and be sure to make those points. 

Think about ways you can give back in advance.  There are many ways to give back, supporting a charity, inviting people to functions, referrals to others in your network, employment assistance to them or their children. 

Just do it.
Networking becomes easier and easier the more you do it.  It can be intimidating to some, but it is well worth overcoming any fears you have as it is the most effective way to get things done period.  Whether it is a personal, professional or charitable goal, networking is the way things get done.

Nadine Moore
Vice President
Aon Risk Services
Chicago, Illinois

Once again, AABNG supports the Chicago Cares Celebration of Service

In 2008,  the African American Business Networking Group (AABNG) focused on two activities in celebration of the accomplishments and goals of the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Chicago Care Celebration of Service and Martin Luther King Day)

For the second year in a row, the AABNG supported the Chicago Cares Celebration of Service. Members from Aon and Combined Insurance joined forces with more than 3,500 Chicago Cares volunteers in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Saturday, January 19th. This event represents Chicago's largest day of service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Our team served as Roadies to help ensure that the other volunteers were properly registered, provided lunch and given clear directions on project assignments. We knew that being a Roadie was not glamorous and it required an early morning wake-up (not to mention venturing out in the subzero temperatures), but that just made our efforts that much more important. The hard work of your co-workers made this record-setting event happen! More than 58 projects were completed that day by the various volunteers.

I would like to extend a special thanks to all of the AABNG team. For your patience, willingness to brave the weather and positive attitudes, you have my  deepest appreciation.

The morning ceremony was a very passionate and empowering symbol of unity and commitment that began with the Kenwood Academy Concert Choir and concluded with an eloquent speech and soulful song by the world renowned Civil Rights Activist, Reverend Walter Fauntroy. Rev. Fauntroy is best known for his coordination of the 1963 march on Washington where Dr. King delivered his I Have a Dream Speech. Today, Rev. Fauntroy is president of the National Black Leadership Rountable (NBLR), the national network vehicle of the Congressional Black Caucus that he founded in 1977.

I hope that our experience with this event will inspire you to join Chicago Cares in service throughout the year! As you may know, Chicago Cares offers more than 170 hands-on, interactive volunteer service projects each month. Visit chicagocares.org and complete a short online orientation to get started. You can then choose a project that fits your interests and schedule!

Aon has been a very strong contributor to the success and growth of Chicago Cares and our very own Patrick G. Ryan is Founder and Executive Chairman of the Chicago Cares Advisory Board. The 15th Annual Chicago Cares Serve-a-thon will be held on Saturday, June 14, 2008 and I hope to see you there.

On Monday, January 21st, several Aon locations held various events in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Combined Insurance Service Center located at 5050 N. Broadway displayed a video tribute that included a replay of the complete I Have a Dream speech to a background of some great photos of Dr. King, his family and some key events of the period. The 5050 building AABNG members partnered with the Asian Pacific Island Networking group (API) to provide a display of various African American novels and biographies while giving ice cream to celebrate the dream. Participants were asked to share their dreams in preparation for the upcoming Black History Month activities and a chance to win one of the African American Novels raffled that day. The AABNG members at the Aon Center gathered during the lunch hour to discuss what Dr. King's efforts meant to them and what steps can be taken to further the dream. The team focused on the inspiration of his message and the opportunity to make a difference at work and within the community.

Brian A. Coleman
Director
AABNG Special Events

Volunteers from Chicago Cares: Left to Right (Brian Coleman, Talethea Best, Kim Waller)

HBS Dynamic Women in Business Conference

Last weekend I was fortunate to attend, for the second time, the Harvard Business School Dynamic Women in Business Conference in Boston.  Thanks to Janet Hanson, the founder of 85 Broads, the last Saturday of every January will be a staple on my calendar. 

The conference provides timely discussions on issues that are important to women professionals in the form of keynote speeches, panel conversations in break-out sessions.  It attracts a broad array of distinguished speakers from various industries, academia and non-profits, not just HBS alumni.  This year the panels included industry specific discussions from Technology, Private Equity to Social Enterprise and Enterpreneurship and non-industry topics such as Women in Negotiations, Managing as a Woman, Working Abroad.  I wished I could be in 5 places at the same time!

Janet was the opening keynote speaker. Even though this was the fourth time I heard her tell her story, I listened with great interest and to some degree with anticipation of seeing her heal from her recent wounds.  Just like in our GNY WIN event, everyone laughed when she told the story of her working with her ex-husband across the trading desk and picking up phone calls on his behalf from his “new” girlfriends.  The crowd cheered when she opened a new chapter in her life with a new husband and brought to life 2 beautiful children.  “Not so fast” she replied.  “Wait until the end of the story” .

She then delved into her favorite subject of achieving a high ROI in this global business world.  After all, she owns a large asset management firm.  Her advice to companies was this:” invest in an undervalued asset class: women! Just like those who invested in clean energy 15-20 years ago, companies who not just hire but invest in women will reap huge benefits.”  She added that the war for talent is making smart companies truly human capital focused.  VCs and PE firms are having difficulty finding talent for their portfolio companies. 

Aon was among the few companies she specifically mentioned as partnering with 85 Broads and trailblazing in their industry with respect to women talent.  I was very proud!  Remember, 800 dynamic and talented women were listening to her speech.  I can’t imagine a better PR for our company.  In fact, I strongly think we should be one of the sponsors for this event next year.  No one from our industry was represented.  Just like the Hidden Brain Drain Task Force, we would create incredible brand awareness for our firm and industry among 400 HBS women and 400 working women every year!

“When your husband of 20 years leaves you, launch a magazine!”…..  85 Broads is coming up with a brand new maganize in April. 

After the speech, surrounded by a sea of women, Janet was courageous to talk about her struggles trying to find a new meaning in life.  Three women were in tears sharing their version of a similar story.  That moment turned into an incredible networking opportunity: one of the women pitched to Janet the idea of creating a stand-up comedy gig teaching divorced women in their 40s and 50s “how to go back into the dating game”!!! She loved the idea, and I think a new business was born…

Nilüfer Durak
Managing Director
Aon Mergers & Acquisitions Group
Boston, MA

Mom's The Word

As the global chair for Aon's Women's International Network (WIN), I was recently presented with an opportunity to join castlerockradio.com's "Mom's the Word" - a fun, intelligent, cutting-edge talk show that covers today’s pressing and important parenting issues. 

I am featured every week as the stay-at-work mom correspondent, providing advice and information relevant to the week's topic at hand.  Each show features guests including parenting experts, doctors, teachers, therapists, nutritionists, fashion experts, chefs, cultural arts experts, etiquette/manners experts, travel experts and more. 

During each show, listeners may call in or email the hosts with questions, concerns, ideas, topics, etc.  Occasionally, the show features “A View From the Cave: A Dad’s Perspective” with a guest dad commenting on and discussing the topic of the day. 

The outcome has been better than I anticipated:  not only does it allow me to hone and strengthen presentation skills (in a very different format), but it also results in another notch in Aon's branding.  I now firmly believe that external interests have a direct and very positive impact on performance at work. 

If you are interested in the show, tune in on February 13th at Noon Central to hear from Dr. Joan about romancing marriage amidst raising a family !

Denise Berger
Managing Director
Women’s International Network, Global Chair
Aon Corporation
El Segundo, CA

Coloring Outside the Lines-Point 3-Practice your Elevator Pitch

When I first started I was receiving the women's networking emails and one email contained the piece that Corbette Doyle put out on "Coloring Outside The Lines".  I have this on my wall and really try to remind myself of these 10 points to live by in my career. Recently, at lunch, I was reminded of the importance of a well rehearsed elevator pitch.  Point 3. 

Our offices are on the third floor of a three story suburban office building primarily occupied by Xerox on the 1st and 2nd floors. On the first floor we have a small deli frequented by the people in our building and the rest of the office park. The second floor of our office building houses many of the Xerox executives including the Vice President of HR, the Global Chief Diversity Officer and the President of Xerox, Ursula Burns. (Recently ranked by FORTUNE as "Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Business")

http://www.xerox.com/go/xrx/template/inv_rel_newsroom.jsp?ed_name=Ursula_Burns&app=Newsroom&format=biography&view=ExecutiveBiography

http://money.cnn.com/popups/2006/fortune/mostpowerfulwomen/27.html

At noon, I was getting my lunch at the deli and guess who walks off the elevator and into the deli? Ursula Burns.... We briefly talked about the weather and the weekend while waiting for our lunches. Once we both paid we collected our lunches and walked back towards the elevator. As we are waiting for the doors to open she turns to me and says "What's your name and who do you work for?"  I replied,  "I'm Mike Griggs and I work for Aon".  Her reply was, "I think I have heard of Aon, what is that you do again?" My reply was, "We are the leading provider of risk management consulting services, commercial insurance and reinsurance brokerage services as well as human capital, and management consulting."  Her reply was, "Wow, I didn't know that!" I mentioned that I thought that Aon currently handled some of their risk management & insurance programs. Just then the door opened and she got off the elevator and said "Hey great talking to you." "See you at lunch on Monday!"

Thanks for sharing this.. It really has helped!

Michael Griggs
Rochester, NY