The Financial Brand Insights - Summer 2022

recently developed an entirely new set of solutions that extends well beyond its legacy offerings. CUNA Mutual Group’s DEI Services can help financial institutions jumpstart their DEI efforts. The program offers financial institutions the opportunity to work directly with CUNA Mutual Group’s DEI advisers to assess their current DEI efforts and guide a plan to activate or accelerate them. Built against the backdrop of CUNA Mutual Group’s own work to enhance its culture of DEI and enhanced with research on middle-market, multicultural consumers, the solutions were launched in the spring of 2022. Innovation comes from leaders who elicit the best from every single team member, leaving no person behind. Getting the best from everyone requires insight into the team. It’s been my practice to study the people on my teams the way an academic might, exercising genuine curiosity about what each person needs to be at the top of their game. Then, we work together, using our creativity to get them exactly what they need in a way that is both meaningful and sustainable. This is how inclusive leaders build confidence at the individual level, which coalesces into a collaborative force strong enough to move that immovable mountain otherwise known as the status quo. 4. Solutions Are Multidimensional In a similar fashion, an inclusive leader studies end-users before developing solutions for them. It’s the surest way to achieve relevant multidimensionality, a high value among today’s financial consumer. And, there’s a lot of work to be done in demonstrating businesses know who they are serving. Salesforce says 66% of customers expect companies to understand their unique needs, yet only 34% feel that companies generally treat them as individuals. The fastest way to achieve multidimensionality is to ensure the “students” participating in end-user research and learning represent a broad spectrum of thinkers. That’s how a bank or credit union maintains focus on the humanity and the

purpose behind its products – and ensures they are accessible to everyone who can benefit from them. Different Vantage Points Lead to New Best Practices None of these best practices is simple. Each requires effort and patience. It can be tempting to move fast or to look for quick fixes to enhance DEI. However, checking a series of DEI to-dos off a list will never create a culture of inclusion, nor generate the kind of sustainable environment that teams need to be at their best. Professionals in leadership positions are usually there because they are needle movers. And making things happen quickly has an addictive quality to it. Speed and decisiveness, while sometimes necessary, are not the competencies that nurture inclusion. In fact, they often lead to the need for rework, especially if all voices are not heard at the outset. Empathy, curiosity, modeling – these are the aptitudes of an inclusive leader. It’s important to consider that these best practices come from my perspective, which is that of a female executive in the financial sector, a person of color and a first-generation immigrant to the United States. Inclusive leadership, like many aspects of professional and personal life, is relative. There is no one perfectly correct point of view. Each leader will have different vantage points, experiences and perspectives that should govern how they develop and deploy their own best practices. ▪ About the Author Shazia Manus is SVP, Experience Capabilities, for CUNA Mutual Group. She applies a futurist view to the field of financial services, helping both the company and its partners discover new possibilities for transformation. Shazia is a two- time CEO, having led both Greater Iowa Credit Union and payments processor TMG prior to joining CUNA Mutual Group in 2017. Shazia can be reached at shazia.manus@cunamutual.com.

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THE FINANCIAL BRAND INSIGHTS SUMMER 2022

THE FINANCIAL BRAND INSIGHTS SUMMER 2022

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