Talking about DEI and doing it are not the same, NAIFA members told

By Susan Rupe

Talking about diversity, equity and inclusion and doing it are not the same, a keynote speaker said at today’s National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors DEI Symposium in Washington.

“DEI is everything from how you hire, to how you treat people to how you engage people,” said Marques Ogden, former NFL player who is now a leadership coach.

An organization’s leadership must be dedicated to establishing an inclusive environment, he said. The steps to becoming an inclusive leadership team are:

Consciousness – Take a deeper look into your own unconscious biases.
Commitment - Change starts from the top down.
Courage – create a space where everyone is safe to express their concerns.
Collaboration - Learning to accept people for who they are and what they bring to the team.

Authenticity is built through leadership, Ogden said. That authenticity is built by:

Actions: the follow-through.
Communication: transparency and consistency.
Strategies: policies and procedures.

Ogden listed several steps leadership must implement in order to promote DEI in their organizations.

Leaders must be the example. Connect with people who don’t look like you.
Identify strengths. Discover what each team member is passionate about. Encourage them to do more of what they do best.
Be consistent. Always walk the talk.

Serving underserved markets

Previous recipients of NAIFA’s Diversity Champion Award gave their perspectives on how to serve underserved markets.

“Become the narrative of change,” said Chris Gandy, president of Midwest Legacy Group. “We shy away from things that aren’t natural to us. My mom told me you can’t be all things to everybody but you can be something to somebody.”

Brian Haney, CEO of The Haney Group, said, “There is an underrepresented market in every area. Find those relationships in your community and show up as your authentic self, wanting to make connections and lift that community up.”

“Don’t just connect, engage,” said Stephen Kagawa, founder and CEO of The Pacific Bridge Companies. “Understand first and then appreciate. Appreciating means you have to learn.”

Aprilyn Chavez-Geissler of Gateway Insurance Group said, “When you find your authentic self, you are able to better direct where you are going. If you know the direction you are going, you can help people to find their direction.”

Expect to be uncomfortable at first, said Evelyn Gellar, managing director of Forest Hills Financial Group. “It requires a certain amount of courage and the recognition that there will be some discomfort.”

African American advisors show activity but not progress

The National African American Insurance Association released a study on how African American agents are faring in their careers. The result?

There is a lot of activity. But not movement and progress, said Omari Jahi Aarons, NAAIA’s executive director.

“There are key differences between what organizations say they are doing versus what they’re actually doing,” he said.

“I think most organizations have good intentions on their efforts. But this work is ongoing, it’s a forever journey. What I would like to see is for organizations and individuals to make sure their good intentions go on into actions.”

Aarons said organizations frequently will form a group and will conduct a few events in the name of diversity – such as observing Juneteenth or Black History Month. “But what we don’t do next is make sure the group has access to executive leadership, to have a seat at the table to drive the company strategy toward DEI.”

Susan Rupe is managing editor for InsuranceNewsNet. She formerly served as communications director for an insurance agents' association and was an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor. Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @INNsusan.