By Dan O’Brien, talent development director – learning and professional development with RSM US LLP
Timing is everything. Having recently transitioned into the national director of talent development role at RSM, attending the national Culture, Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) Annual Leadership Summit, hosted in my local market (Baltimore), right across the street from the office, was phenomenal! It felt like a great opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of how our leaders at RSM feel about the progress made to date and how the firm’s focus on inclusion continues to play a part in the overarching talent development experience at RSM.
You see, I had always had good understanding of what the vision for the firm’s CDI strategy was, based on partnering with the CDI leadership team on a variety of different matters in the past, as well being a member of the firm’s talent community. But hearing about our collective progress first-hand from leaders and experiencing the impact of CDI in-person was something entirely different. I was completely blown away with how much I learned at the three-day summit! The level of passion, energy and commitment by all attendees was totally unique and incredibly empowering. I was filled with a sense of pride and excitement about what this group is working toward, and was struck by how much our ENGs (employee network groups) have developed a spirit of community, not only within their individual ENG teams but across the ENG community…this spirit of respect, community and appreciation is AWESOME!
The program kicked off with high-energy as we were welcomed by Tracey Walker and Rich Caturano, the national CDI leadership team, as well as Marty Brunk, the office managing partner of Baltimore. It was great to learn a little about the Baltimore market and this city’s history of celebrating as well as being challenged with diversity and inclusion issues. Marty did a great job spotlighting the city and showcasing it as a parallel to the summit.
Attendees were also introduced to the acronym IMPACT: Innovation. Management. Passion. Attitude. Client experience. Talent experience, which was a central theme and concept throughout the conference. Whether that referred to building relationships that built business or linking activation to business results, all participants were asked to think about how they make an IMPACT as individuals or as members of an ENG or even as members of RSM on a daily basis. Throughout the conference certain members of the CDI community were recognized with IMPACT awards. It was a great touch, and provided the opportunity to highlight both runners up and finalists for their noted contributions and commitment to help the firm advance and shape our vision of what CDI means at RSM. IMPACT winners were Valerie Colimon, a senior manager in our Boston office; Robert Peterkin, a manager in Charlotte; Fernando Rosario, a senior associate in Boston; Chrissy Alves, a resource director in Baltimore; Brian Holmes a principal in Chicago; and Lynn Sedwisk, a partner in our Orlando office. Congrats to all the winners!
Day 1 also offered a chance for each ENG to complete its own “report card” and through this exercise, really assess how they stack up in terms of accomplishments and areas for improvement. It was an educational session, which provided each ENG with fodder for enhancements over the coming year. The session wrapped up with a leadership panel: Leadership Unplugged! As a Gen X’er, (someone born in the 60s or 70s), when I think about unplugged anything, I’m immediately drawn back to the days of MTV Unplugged (okay, I might be showing my age here), and all those incredible shows. And this leadership panel discussion, facilitated in that same vein, did not disappoint! It was great to hear from so many of RSM’s senior level leaders supporting our CDI strategy.
RSM US LLP Managing Partner and CEO Joe Adams kicked off the session with this quote: “The importance of CDI [culture, diversity and inclusion] is never going to go away. Hopefully it becomes so embedded that it just becomes part of who we are. That will be the ultimate success.” Chief Operating Officer Bill Gorman added, “CDI isn’t about ROI in the traditional sense. It’s really about walking the talk. Are we having an impact where we are? On employee engagement? On one another’s lives? On retention? Clearly we are. This isn’t about dollars and cents; it’s more intuitive and intangible. And we’re making progress.” The leadership team did an excellent job connecting CDI to our brand promise, The Power of Being Understood®, and leadership development opportunities. I was personally moved by how many leaders were in attendance, clearly showing their support.
Day 2 picked up right where Day 1 ended, with high energy and positivity as Kimberly Ellison-Taylor, current AICPA chairman, joined us. In her role with the AICPA, Kimberly is the first minority chair, fifth female chair and youngest chair in the run of 104 chairman to date! I have had the opportunity to hear her present twice before, and every time is a treat. She is a real dynamo and an amazing role model. Kimberly is a Baltimore native and self-made leader. An incredibly motivational and inspirational leader, her presentation to the group was terrific. Three leadership points/quotes that personally stood out to me from her presentation:
- In terms of leaders getting involved and bringing others along: “You don’t have to give up your seat at the table. Just move over. There’s always room for one more.”
- Related to failure and being OK with making mistakes as that is truly when you learn the most: “It’s the absence of perfection that inspires people.”
- “We all have a race to run; it’s called life, but we’re all starting from different places. All of our different paths can get to the same place – even though we start at different places.” This was particularly inspiring knowing we all have unconscious bias and need to be sensitive that we keep this point in mind as we collaborate with others, whether that be at work, in a social setting or at home with family.
The evening closed with a stewardship event, “Build-a-Bike,” where participants collaborated with Baltimore market supporters and the United Way to build bicycles for local children in need. It was an amazing event, and seeing the looks of awe and excitement from the children as they arrived and received their gifts was truly amazing. The added bonus of their parents being so grateful proved to be particularly impactful, and I know everyone who attended felt great about making such a positive difference on these families during this holiday season.
Finally, Day 3 offered a panel of external diversity and inclusion experts from the local Baltimore business community. D&I leaders from Lockheed Martin, BGE, M&T Bank and T. Rowe Price were on hand to share what they have learned and what their business strategies are focused on in their own organizations, and how this effects their customers/clients. It was great to gain perspective from other organizations on how they’re realizing their own vision in this effort. I left the session feeling as though RSM is in a good place in its own growth and definition of what diversity and inclusion means to the overall client and talent experiences here at RSM.
As I reflect on the three day summit—all the professionals I met, all the conversations that took place, all the ideas and feedback shared—I can see just how important diversity and inclusion are to shaping the client and talent experience at RSM, and how our continued focus can play a critical part in the development of our people as we help them in their personal journeys to be first choice advisors. It all leads back to our brand promise of feeling “the power of being understood,” and what that means to each of us as individual, whether that is as a RSM client or RSM professional. I am so impressed with the conference participants and the leaders of our firm’s CDI efforts and the IMPACT they have made so far. I wish these game changers continued success, and pledge my ongoing support!
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