By Ray Birch
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—It's time to “operationalize” diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts within the credit union, says Lynn Heckler, explaining that means DEI must be integrated within all of the organization’s processes and procedures.
Heckler, executive vice president and chief talent officer at PSCU, also believes it’s no longer enough for an organization to take a stand against racism. Instead, she said, it must go a step further and become “anti-racist.”
“You can’t just put a diversity program in place,” said Heckler. “I'm saying it has to be in everything that you do—you have to operationalize it. Our DEI program at PSCU is a roadmap embedded in our business strategy. It is part of everything we do—we don't have separate teams doing separate DEI initiatives, and then we have a business plan. All of this is together.”
That includes teaching and educating PSCU leaders on DEI.
“As we know, DEI should be driven from the top down,” said Heckler, adding that is the case at PSCU. “We have to have inclusive leaders. This is so much more than just holding the next diversity equity and inclusion event, if you will. It's making sure the business unit you run is really accelerating the development of underrepresented groups and giving them more opportunities.”
Examining Bias Mitigation
Heckler said a credit union must be willing to closely examine all of their internal and external business processes.
“Look at the experiences your processes are delivering and make sure they are bias-mitigated,” she said. “Maybe that is not exactly the right term, but you need to ensure your processes not only are not discriminating against people, but that you are being anti-racist. Simply taking a stand against racism is no longer enough, we have to go the next step and be anti-racist, and ensure all of our processes and procedures are anti-racist. The only way to do that is to take a very thorough look at your processes and deliver training where it’s needed.
“Look at your business processes and make sure that you're changing them and pulling out processes that could have explicit or implicit bias in them,” continued Heckler. “Where we first started was by looking at our talent processes—anything that touches an employee as it relates to hiring, training promotion, and succession planning. Those talent processes have a very big impact on whether you are going to have a diverse workforce and leadership team.”
‘Uncharted Territory’
Heckler acknowledged the country is headed into “uncharted territory.”
“While we don’t have all the answers we have outlined some steps our organization is planning to take,” explained Heckler. “I would call this an evolutionary process, because as we learn more we can adjust and change course.”
PSCU is partnering with the African American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC) on DEI efforts and is part of the DEI Collective that has been formed by a number of organizations.
“We were one of the first organizations to sign on with the Collective,” said Heckler. “PSCU has had a relationship with the AACUC for many years, and has worked with the organization on several initiatives and events, including their Commitment to Change Conversation Series, a five-part virtual event for which we are the title sponsor.”
Industry Wide Commitment
The series is part of the AACUC’s industry-wide Commitment to Change: Credit Unions Unite Against Racism initiative, which focuses on unification, education, conversations, and investments that can help move the credit union movement into a future where diversity, equity and inclusion can thrive. PSCU recently pledged to financially support the AACUC’s efforts and provide additional in-kind donations.
CUToday.info had extensive coverage of each day of the five-part series that can be found by searching “Commitment to Change.”
“PSCU’s relationship with the AACUC also proved integral in another way,” according to Heckler. “After making initial position statements to our employees with regard to racial injustice, it was clear to our leadership team that we needed to create a space for our employees to collaboratively engage on the subject, and provide a platform for their voices to be heard.”
With this in mind, PSCU partnered with AACUC President and CEO Renée Sattiewhite for the CUSO’s company-wide Commitment to Change webinars in June, in collaboration with Sankofa, PSCU’s African American employee resource group.
“Nearly 600 employees attended the webinars, which were offered as hour-long presentations over two days,” said Heckler. “Our employees took a genuine interest in addressing topics like systemic racism and unconscious bias, with an opportunity to raise questions to a panel of speakers in an open format. It also gave us an opportunity to explore what we, as an organization, can do better when it comes to strengthening diversity and inclusion, including in the areas of leadership development and recruiting.”
The Greatest Asset
Heckler emphasized PSCU is built on inclusion and a belief that its employees are its greatest asset.
“Not certain employees, but every employee,” she said. “The strength of our support for one another has been clear over the last few months. I encourage everyone to actively take part in the conversation and look for ways to stay informed and engaged. I know there are times when we may feel unsure about how we can help, but I think one of the simplest things that we can do is to be willing to listen—with true empathy—and learn. I know the conversations may not always be easy, but they are truly necessary in order for us to find a way to heal and move forward.”