Making virtual connections

In this blog, we sit down with DaJuan L. and Ayesha B., two crew members who are on Vanguard’s Human Resources (HR) Inclusion and Engagement Team. They recently established a new friendship and working relationship in our virtual environment. This is their story:

How did you come to meet?

DaJuan: Ayesha and I met through the HR Inclusion and Engagement Team. In this group, we pitched the idea of scheduling coffee chats with someone in HR who you may not know well. The hope was for this concept to extend beyond our team, to all of HR. Given that I am a newer member of the team, Ayesha and I thought it would be a great idea for us to connect to learn more about each other.

Ayesha: I have been leading HR’s Inclusion & Engagement team for just over a year. DaJuan was highly recommended as someone who is passionate about diversity, inclusion and belonging, so we invited him to join our initiative! Our team focuses on many elements of inclusion, including creating an environment for authenticity and fostering connections. Recently, we wanted to look for ways for people to connect in a virtual environment due to the pandemic. This led to the creation of the #coffeeconnect, #teatime or #nocaffeinerequired hashtags, which encouraged HR crew to connect with someone new. Given our shared passion for diversity and inclusion, I was excited to get to know DaJuan better.

What has made you a good pair? What have you learned from one another?

DaJuan: I would say our common passion for inclusion coupled with our different work and life experiences made us a great pair to connect. I greatly benefited from learning about Ayesha’s career prior to Vanguard, what brought her to Vanguard and what sets the company apart from other firms. I was also able to understand the role the team plays in reinforcing inclusion within HR. Ayesha was able to learn about my experiences at Vanguard as well given that I have grown up here at Vanguard. Candidly, thirty minutes was not enough time for us to chat. In my opinion, we were just scratching the surface on the range of topics that we could have expand upon. I look forward to connecting with Ayesha again in the near future.

Ayesha: Ditto to what DaJuan wrote. While I continued to learn additional Vanguard jargon from him, I also appreciated his genuine passion for emerging leaders at Vanguard and setting them up for success. I admire that.

What has the Inclusion and Engagement Team done to encourage new connections among crew?

DaJuan: It has socialized coffee chats through internal communications as well as creating other avenues for crew to engage with each other. Working remotely has impacted our natural methods of connecting. We believe by curating ways for people to connect, we can lessen the impact of not seeing each other in the workplace and foster networking.

Ayesha: We have encouraged #coffeeconnect chats for new people to meet one another HR events with HR Executive Team members on a quarterly basis for those new to the firm, a #HRfromhome campaign where people posted photos of their new offices during COVID, as well as fireside chats with topics including mental health, family responsibilities, and more.

More about the authors:

DaJuan is an Emerging Leader Development Program Manager in Charlotte, North Carolina and has been with Vanguard for five years. While in undergrad, he decided that he would pursue a career in Academia. With the goal of becoming a college professor, DaJuan wanted to experience Corporate America first to gain real world application and to identify what his domain of interest would be. After searching for opportunities, he came across VADP (Vanguard Accelerated Development Development, predecessor to ELDP) and applied. With little experience in investing, DaJuan was nervous about what to expect but he says once he arrived on the Charlotte campus, he was smitten by Vanguard’s culture. Although he envisioned staying with the company for a short period of time before pursuing a doctorate degree, he’s expressed he now has no desire to leave.

Ayesha is the Head of Workforce Planning in Malvern, Pennsylvania and has been with Vanguard for three years. After graduating from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, she spent roughly seventeen years in the hospitality industry working in Boston and New York City with a focus on finance and accounting, revenue analysis and sales, and marketing analytics. The latter half of Ayesha’s career in hospitality was spent working from her home office once she moved to Malvern after marrying her husband, who is a long-tenured Vanguard professional. Through her husband, she had heard positive things about the culture at Vanguard and specifically about the opportunities for rotations within various areas. Ayesha joined Vanguard as Finance Director, supporting the Office of the General Counsel, roughly three years ago, where she was able to bring her technical Financial Planning and Analysis skills into a new industry while learning the ropes of the Vanguard business. After almost 2 years, Ayesha accepted her current role on the Human Resources Strategic Workforce Planning team, where she enjoys a strong collaborative spirit.

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A look back on Hispanic Heritage Month

October 21, 2020/in Culture, Diversity & inclusion all age 16, born, born in philadelphia, culture, department head, family, first latina, heritage, hispanic, hispanic heritage, hispanic women, home, illeana c, jennifer f, latina, lynnette d, puerto, puerto rican, puerto rico, sheyla c /by mfield

A look back on Hispanic Heritage Month

Last week concluded Hispanic Heritage month. Like many companies, Vanguard has had to get creative about how we celebrate and honor the cultures and contributions of Hispanic and Latino crew members while we continue to operate virtually.

This year, the Hispanic Organization for Leadership Advancement (HOLA) and the Women’s Initiative for Leadership Success (WILS) – two of our crew (employee) resource groups – interviewed a few of our phenomenal Hispanic women leaders. We talked about their backgrounds and the impact of their culture on their personal and professional lives. Here is what they had to say:

What does your Hispanic heritage mean to you?

Being Latina, to me, is about putting family first, exuding a warm spirit, and the richness of our food and music. Growing up Puerto Rican, I learned that, for us, everyone is family, which is why my abuela (grandmother) taught me to always cook more food for dinner than your immediate family could ever eat, just in case unexpected guests came to our home! It is a tradition that I still follow today. My neighbors love it! Thankfully, they all love Puerto Rican food!

For me, speaking Spanish has never been a fundamental part of my identity. Since English happened to be the first language for both of my parents, they have frequently said that they tend to “think” in English more than they do in Spanish. Therefore, when I was growing up, we mainly spoke English at home. People are often surprised when I say I don’t speak fluent Spanish. Some folks have even said that I’m not “really” Latina because I’m not fully bilingual. I beg to differ. I’m proud to have grown up very culturally Puerto Rican, with most, if not all, of the traditions that have been passed down through my Puerto Rican family. – Illeana C., Enterprise Sales CRM Senior Program Manager

What were the most inspiring values you gained growing up?

Community and togetherness. There is no “I” without “Us”. I was raised by many family members who came together to help pave my way. At age six, my aunt and extended family played a critical role in my life at a time my parents didn’t have the means to provide for me. When my family moved to the U.S. we counted on the support of another Colombian family, as well as close friends, who made every effort to make us feel safe and at home. “Family” in our culture is not limited to immediate biological ties. A sense of community is prevalent in what motivates us to do more for others. We typically speak less in terms of “success” and more in terms of “happiness,” “wholeness,” and “togetherness.”

During my years in the U.S., I have been fortunate to meet and build relationships with people from many other Latin and Spanish countries, and in the process, I have been able to learn about, experience, and appreciate the similarities and also nuances of what Hispanic heritage means for different people. Our traditions, regardless of country of origin or descent, always have components of bringing people together, growing together, and advancing together. The things that make me happy are tied to my Hispanic identity: family, savory foods, Caribbean rhythms, traditions and festivities, and celebrating and helping others. – Sheyla C., Global Product Plan Manager

Are there any Hispanic women who have inspired you and what impact have they had on you?

There are many women I’ve admired for paving the way after facing challenges that would have made many others quit, such as Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina astronaut in space, Rita Moreno, the only Latina with a PEGOT (Peabody, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony), Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina to serve on the Supreme Court, and Celia Cruz who made a name for herself in a mostly male-dominated salsa world. However, the main woman who has consistently inspired me has been my maternal grandmother. She is the most resourceful person I know.

After coming to the US with only a fifth grade education, she managed to work full time as a seamstress for a designer, maintain an alterations business on the side, and cook Colombian tamales on the weekends and holidays to bring in additional income. She had side hustles before the term was identified! With no formal guidance, she knew saving was important for the future, so instead of buying clothes, she tended to make them and dreamed of buying a multi-family house. After accumulating enough cash for a down payment, she and my grandfather bought the home they currently live in and eventually were able to buy the home next door as a rental property. As I got older, I was encouraged to not pay anyone’s mortgage other than my own. These homes have funded my grandparents’ retirement for decades and will eventually pass on wealth to my mother and uncle. My grandmother’s foresight to push against my grandfather’s belief that “real estate in New York is not a good investment” changed the trajectory of my family’s experience. I’m forever grateful to her ambition for a better life. – Lynnette D., Americas Internal Sales Support and Client Services Manager

How have you been able to share or celebrate your culture with others at work?

I became part of a community who embraced and celebrated the Hispanic culture when I joined HOLA. A few years ago, I was even able to meet Soledad O’Brien, a woman who was always an inspiration to me, through an event I helped plan! When I saw how welcoming the broader Vanguard community was to her, I felt more comfortable speaking to different aspects of my background. Through multiple HOLA engagements, I learned that Hispanics are less likely to have formal mentorships in comparison to their Caucasian peers. With this newfound knowledge in hand, I asked my department head to help me gain these types of relationships. My department head, who also has a diverse background, supported me from a place of compassion and understanding and to this day, we still talk about all things diversity and inclusion. The mentors I gained have shaped my career and confidence. One of my mentors, a Hispanic senior leader, understood my unique experiences and knew how to guide me through difficult times. Other mentors embraced my heritage and were curious to learn about my background. Bringing my culture to work was not something I thought I’d ever do, but now, I feel comfortable sharing my unique perspectives on topics and explaining how my heritage plays a part in that view. Now more than ever, I feel a responsibility to share. After spending time with my HOLA colleagues, I bring my full, authentic self to work. If it wasn’t for me sharing my heritage, I would not be in the place I am now. – Jennifer F., Retail Strategic Support Project Manager

More about the authors:

Illeana C.

“I was born in Philadelphia. My family is from Puerto Rico. I call myself a Phila-Rican! My dad was also born in Philadelphia and my mom was born in Puerto Rico. She came to Philadelphia when she was 5 years old.”

Sheyla C.

“I was born in Colombia and lived there until age 16. My city of birth is Bucaramanga, which is a located along the edge of the Andes Mountain range. The city is known as the “City of Parks,” there are plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy due to its geographic location. At around the age 6 I moved to the city of Barranquilla, along the Atlantic coast, until age 16, and travelled every year to Bucaramanga to spend time with my family.”

Lynnette D.

“Both of my sets of grandparents moved with my parents from Cali, Colombia to Queens, NY in the early 70s (separately). My parents met in high school and after a story that is deemed for a screenplay someday, were married in the early 80s. I was born in Houston, Texas because my dad’s family had moved there, but when I was six weeks old, my parents and I moved back to Queens to where my mom’s family still lived.”

Jennifer F.

“My mother is from Venezuela and my father is from Peru. They both left their respective countries within days of each other to attend college in the U.S. and met here. I am a first generation American, and was born with multiple citizenships (fun fact).”

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National Coming Out Day 2020

October 7, 2020/in Diversity & inclusion anxiety, conversations, crew, decide, demonstrate, job, leaders, lgbtq, open, parents, people, place, point, point in time, process, professionally, stress, support, time, work /by jortega

National Coming Out Day 2020

What does it really mean to “come out”? To “be out”?

I first came out to one friend during sophomore year in college and then, one by one, a few more. By winter break, I was ready to come out to my parents. At the time, I saw the conversations with them as “fully coming out” – the point in time that would mean I’m out. The preparation for these initial coming out conversations were months (and probably years) in the making with stress and anxiety from the unknowns and the ugly “what if” scenarios I played out in my head.

Over the next few years, and with those milestones behind me, coming out became a bit easier each time. That all changed when I got my first full-time job and was forced to decide if I would be out professionally. I found myself stricken by the same feelings of stress, anxiety, and unhealthy “what ifs” from a couple years before.

To bring you in a bit more, not coming out takes its toll as well – trying to avoid talking about life outside of work, being conscious of pronouns – it’s all taxing. That reality, combined with the fact that people who know someone who is LGBTQ+ are far more likely to support equality under the law, helped me decide to be out at work. A huge thanks to members of Vanguard’s Out Professional Engagement Network (OPEN) who demonstrate allyship by posting the OPEN logo in their workspace and including it on their internal profile– these subtle signals can make all the difference in someone’s journey.

Fast forward to today and I’ve come out to family, friends, classmates, acquaintances and even strangers. I’ve come out to individuals and to groups, to my leaders and to my crew, to my colleagues and to my clients. I’ve come out thousands of times and I realize now that coming out to my parents wasn’t the end of the process, but just the beginning. No matter how many times I’ve come out, whether the experiences were good, bad, or indifferent, the stress that comes with coming out, even if just for a moment, hasn’t fully gone away. It’s a reminder that for others in our lives, our coming out is a distinct point in time with a before, during, and after; but for us, it’s a lifelong, often stressful process that hopefully gets better over time.

I’m grateful for the support I’ve received and am proud to participate in National Coming Out Day (NCOD) in honor of the millions of LGBTQ+ people who cannot come out for fear of losing their job, their housing, their personal relationships, their freedom, or their lives. I am thankful for Vanguard, our leaders, and the crew who demonstrate a commitment to the LGBTQ+ community, and I encourage all of us to continue to make Vanguard not only a safe place to come out, but also a great place to come out, and a supportive place to work.

-Dan S.

If you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out our Data & Analytics and Information Technology & Security career opportunities.

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Managing it all while working from home with small children

July 8, 2020/in Culture, Diversity & inclusion alone, children, home, home with small children, learned, liz, liz waldron, look, parents, rashanda, rashanda perryman, same time, shared, small children, theresa, theresa westwood, tiffany, tiffany haley, time, work /by marcin

Managing it all while working from home with small children

Everyone sees the perfect parents on social media. They create schedules, bake banana bread, and plan creative activities for their children every day. But that might not look like your household. Vanguard’s Women’s Initiative for Leadership Success (WILS), an employee resource group, sponsored a virtual chat to discuss the realities of working from home with small children as part of its “Managing it All” series. Panelists included Theresa Westwood, a department head in Vanguard’s Financial Advisor Services, Tiffany Haley, Principal and Senior Human Resources Business Partner, Rashanda Perryman, Program Officer of Vanguard Community Stewardship, and Liz Waldron, Head of Digital and Marketing in Europe.

Here are some of the tips they shared:

You’re not alone in this. What I learned fairly early on was that despite what I was seeing on Pinterest and Instagram, this is not going to be the moment when I become the best ever version of myself – not as a wife, mother, a friend, etc. I made all of these plans – set up a fancy home school in the living room, build a family command center complete with a whiteboard, and finally make those meal plans – but literally none of this is happening, and it’s ok. You know why? There’s a pandemic. It’s hard out here. They make it look so easy on Instagram, but that’s just not my life. I had to set a better standard for myself.
— Tiffany

In my home, we practice “I need a minute” moments. Everyone from adults to children can call a time-out and take a breather…alone. To collect themselves, to go to a quiet space, to play alone – whatever they need – and we all have learned to respect that time each of us needs. Even my four year old has learned what it means “to need a minute.”
— Rashanda

Don’t compare yourself to others. Comparison often leads to discontentment at the best of times – but now it can be even worse. Live your own story and know that your best is good enough. Your children’s mental health and happiness is more important than doing that extra piece of work. Focus on achieving the key things, like numeracy and literacy, and don’t stress about the rest. Accept that perfection is impossible and learn to let go.
— Liz

I’d offer the guidance to just be kind to yourself and try to stick to a routine. It’s not possible to be a full-time parent/teacher and full-time worker and be 100% at both at all times. What I’ve found that works for me is to try to keep the kids on a schedule. We get up and eat breakfast at the same time we normally would, start and end school around the same time, etc. And, I block chunks of time early in the day before meetings, at lunch, or where I can to help them with homework and to engage with them. On weekends, I try to spend as much time as possible with them and be present. It’s hard to juggle it all, and every day isn’t a good day, but we’re all doing our best during this time.
— Theresa

Tiffany Haley

Rashanda Perryman

Liz Waldron

Theresa Westwood

For those without children, the group discussed how they could support those trying to work from home with small children amid the pandemic. Tips shared include checking in with their employees with children, providing flexibility to get work done at the time and in a way that worked for their schedule, and showing empathy during this difficult time.

Theresa shared, “I feel fortunate to work for a company that has offered a lot of flexibility and benefits to allow me to still achieve my personal goals and to be there for my family.”

Further, Rashanda chimed in, “We’re all struggling to figure out what this new normal means. I think there’s an opportunity in this situation for us all to show empathy to each other, whether we are parents or not.”

Interested in reading more from the WILS Managing it All series? Click here for the first installment.

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Personal Advisor Services establishes essential partnerships with Vanguard’s Crew Resource Groups

As a Personal Advisor Services talent attraction lead, I was excited to coordinate the first event in partnership with two of Vanguard’s crew resource groups (CRGs), the Vanguard Black Professional Network (VBPN) and Hispanic/Latino Organization for Leadership and Advancement (HOLA). The virtual event took place across our three domestic locations; Pennsylvania, Arizona, and North Carolina. During the hour long session, advisors and managers, who are also members of the CRGs, supported as panelists. The purpose of the event was to introduce Personal Advisor Services (PAS) as a career path to members of VBPN and HOLA who were eager to learn more. The desired outcome was to establish a formal mentorship program for crew, in which they will be paired with an advisor in the same CRG, creating a commonality as the foundation for the relationship.

I approached VBPN and HOLA in 2019 with the idea of hosting an event together after discussing the idea with our Diversity and Inclusion team. I worked closely with the CRG talent attraction leads, Dionne M. from VBPN and Lynnette D. from HOLA. Both women were a pleasure to partner with, and I enjoyed getting to know them on a more personal level during our many thirty-minute checkpoints.

March 18th was set to be the first event across the sites, but as COVID-19 became more prominent in our communities, Vanguard quickly shifted to a work from home environment. We had over 170+ crew registered for the event, and I was determined to not let them down. Just two months later, we reorganized the event to a virtual environment, with even more sign-ups than the first time!

Vanguard’s PAS and CRG Event

The event brought forth dozens of questions submitted by attendees and candid responses from the PAS panelists. I was so appreciative of the transparent answers which addressed minorities in the industry and demystifying bias in the advisor role. Additional topics of discussion included a day in the life of an advisor, the skills and experience necessary to become an advisor, and the Certified Financial Planner certificate process. Attendees provided positive feedback on the event, expressing, “I enjoyed hearing about the experiences of crew members in PAS as well as what Vanguard is looking for in new advisors. Also, I enjoyed hearing members of the CRGs speak to the importance of creating more diversityat Vanguard.”

The most rewarding part of this experience was the parity created between VBPN, HOLA, and PAS crew. With recent events across country, we can recognize the biases and injustice that still exists. During this event, we created a space for crew to bring their authentic selves and be equally represented at Vanguard, a true testament that our organization is focused on creating a diverse and inclusive environment – something that has felt distant in present-day society. PAS is committed to strengthening our partnerships with the crew resource groups at Vanguard and I look forward to similar events in the months to come.

-Janae F.

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A voyage of discovery

June 17, 2020/in Culture, Diversity & inclusion d&i, diversity, diversity and inclusion, employee, employee resource, europe, european, group, inclusion, journey, knew, learn, learning, open, resource, role, role in inclusion, team, work, world /by kkilgarriff

A voyage of discovery

My inclusion journey at Vanguard began about three years ago when I was working in marketing. The European business was in the process of setting up a local branch of the employee resource group, Out Professional Engagement Network (OPEN), and one of my friends on my team, Alice, encouraged me to get involved. I jumped at the chance because, while I think of myself as forward-thinking and educated, I also knew there was so much more I could learn.

And my goodness, I have learnt a lot. I moved into Human Resources in 2018 to take up my current job as Learning and Development Manager for Europe in the U.K. and, in this role, I get to dive a lot deeper into the world of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I). I’ve since helped to set up a group dedicated to mental health awareness, which has proven to be very timely, given where we are today. Additionally, I also chair our European Diversity and Inclusion Council, which helps to ensure all of our work on this topic is consistent.

It’s been a steep learning curve for me. But although I have picked up many new skills and D&I terminology, what I have really found is something I knew all along: that the world is a much better place if we are curious to learn about others and respectful of each other’s differences. That’s a mantra that I hope I have passed on to my children as well as those that I lead, both formally and informally.

Thinking about today’s unique circumstances, inclusion has never been more important. Often, it’s the small things that count. I’m fortunate to have a comfortable house and a lovely family to help me through lockdown, but I always try to remember that others may not be so lucky. So I’ve made a point of reaching out to people that I miss from the office who may be struggling. It only takes a few minutes to have a quick video exchange and it can brighten my day and, hopefully, theirs.

It’s also been an honour to be part of the team that has re-shaped Vanguard’s course for crew, Your Role in Inclusion, for a virtual world. It’s a great example of how combining different perspectives can create a better outcome.

By the time this is published, I will have facilitated the first pilot session alongside my friend Cathy, who is the chair of OPEN Europe and has put such a lot of positive energy into our D&I work in Europe. She deserves a lot of credit for role-modelling inclusion in her daily work.

I often muse that, with London being one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, D&I is a different challenge here compared with the U.S. The past couple of months have brought out the best in the UK population, but they have also reminded us that there is still tension lurking below the surface. We all have further to go on our D&I journey, and I’m looking forward to taking the next steps as I continue to work with our employee resource groups in Europe to roll out the global Your Role in Inclusion virtual sessions more broadly.

—James B.

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Managing it all while working from home

June 3, 2020/in Culture, Diversity & inclusion all amber, amber c, best practices, home, laura, laura s, members, panel, principal, shared, time, vanguard, virtual, virtual panel, wils, wils members, work, work from home, working, working from home /by fanwar

Managing it all while working from home

In the month of May, the Women’s Initiative for Leadership Success (WILS) crew resource group coordinated two internal webcasts focused on working from home featuring female leaders from across Vanguard. I had the opportunity to facilitate the first virtual panel discussion with Amber Czonstka, Principal of Institutional Large Market Sales, and Laura Symon Browne, Principal of Broker Dealer Strategic Sales, both of whom have worked from home offices for several years. These two fantastic leaders shared their insights and best practices with nearly 1,200 Vanguard crew members from around the globe and talked about how life and work are different now during the pandemic.

While I was nervous to facilitate an event with so many coworkers eager for advice (wifi don’t fail me now!), supporting WILS members is very important to me as a program lead for Vanguard’s retail division. I also know how challenging the shift to work from home has been for many, myself included.

Since mid-March, my husband and I have both been working from home. During the day, we barricade ourselves in our shared workspace – a spare bedroom in the attic. We feel very lucky that we have assistance during the day with our two-year-old daughter and three-year-old son, who get the run of the rest of the house. At first, my children hated us being home without having access to us all day. Now that we have a loose routine, we all look forward to lunch together and I can check in on them throughout the day without triggering a meltdown. I shared with the virtual panel attendees that it has been much harder for me to focus now that life isn’t “compartmentalized” into work and home. As I’m sitting in virtual meetings, I might be thinking about the laundry piling up. As I’m eating dinner with my family, I might be tempted to send a few work emails. The way that I’ve combatted the distraction is by taking a little extra time in the morning to do the house chores worrying me and making really strong to-do lists for the workday so that I know what I need to accomplish before I leave “the attic.”

Amber also talked to the panelists about the importance of “preserving the morning commute” and taking that time to get active or do something for yourself. This really resonated for me. When I begin my day by going for a long walk with the dog, I’m just much more grounded. I also find that I’m more productive if I get out of the sweatpants and put on a blouse and jeans at a minimum. It boosts my confidence, makes me feel like I am dressed for my day, and separates the week from the weekend.

Laura had great advice for those who are trying to maintain and deepen team connection remotely during this very challenging time. She emphasized how critical communication is when working from home, and shared that she supports her teams by encouraging cross-sharing about the frustrations, challenges and concerns everyone is facing.

Laura S. with her work from home companions

Amber C. in her home workspace

Speaking with the panelists personally following the event, here is what they had to share:

Amber C: As I talked with Laura, Danielle, and our WILS members, the power of community became clear – particularly during a time like this. It might feel like we are all facing different challenges, from caring for young children while working, to worrying about family members on the front lines, to professionally advocating for ourselves in a virtual working environment. But there are members of our tribe who are dealing with similar issues. Sharing best practices, ideas, and stories with each other and creating a safe space to be vulnerable makes us all stronger, healthier, and more productive. The WILS network matters now more than ever; we can learn so much from one another.

Laura S.: The opportunity to connect with my female and male colleagues across Vanguard who are facing many of the same issues was special. It’s a reassuring feeling that we have each other’s back during these times, and that we’ll all emerge stronger and more convicted in our passion for investors as a result of this.

I’m looking forward to this two part series expanding in the future as we all support one another during this unprecedented time!
—Danielle C.

Stay tuned for a recap on the second panel focused specifically on parents managing small children and work from the home. It features Theresa Westwood, a department head in Vanguard’s Financial Advisor Services, Tiffany Haley, Principal and Senior Human Resources Business Partner, Rashanda Perryman, Program Officer of Vanguard Community Stewardship, and Liz Waldron, Head of Digital and Marketing in Europe.

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VetsConnect celebrates Memorial Day

May 27, 2020/in Diversity & inclusion, In the community began, congress, covid-19, died, fallen, fallen soldiers, flags, meaning, memorial, military, national, new meaning, poppies, remembrance, remembrances, serving, soldiers, time, weekend, workers /by deepikasharma

VetsConnect celebrates Memorial Day

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them.”

The history of remembrances for fallen soldiers dates back to the post-Civil War era. Americans began to hold springtime tributes to fallen soldiers, decorating their graves with flowers.

Throughout the years, these remembrances began to take on new meaning, and new traditions came about.

In 1920, the National American Legion adopted red poppies as their official symbol of remembrance.
In 1968, Congress moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May to create a three-day weekend.
In 2000, Congress declared that a National Moment of Remembrance take place every Memorial Day at 3:00 p.m.

This year, Memorial Day will take on an even deeper meaning. Because of restrictions mandated by the COVID-19 pandemic, public graveside gatherings and parades are canceled. Flags now fly half-staff every day to remember those who have died of COVID-19. Poppies are now virtual instead of given in person.

But the opportunity to mark Memorial Day is as important as ever. We encourage you to find ways to connect with friends, family, current military members, and veterans. Reflect on the sacrifice made by fallen warriors and their families. Discover new ways to encourage those who are serving and have served.

Virtual remembrances

Vanguard’s VetsConnect members recently shared their thoughts on the importance of Memorial Day, those they are remembering, and the importance of all who serve in these challenging times today.

“I think about how important it is to celebrate all those who’ve served in the military, those currently serving, and military families who serve, too. It reminds me that we should be taking a little time each day to say thank you to all of those in uniform. I would also like to honor those serving during these challenging times: The health care workers, the first responders, the postal service, the grocery store workers, and all those who work in jobs that support the food supply.” –Andrew B.

“My Dad and I put flags on all our family gravesites the weekend before Memorial Day—our own small tradition of remembrance. This year Memorial Day has new meaning, including all of the front-line workers who are taking risks every day.” –Shari G.

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Reduce the effects of social distancing by reinforcing Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

As individuals work remotely and adjust to workdays without in-person face time with peers and colleagues, we anticipate that we will all feel the effects of social distancing.

Like you, the Diversity & Inclusion team at Vanguard is experiencing this first hand, and we’ve been asking ourselves:

How can I feel a sense of belonging during this period of social distancing (which can feel very exclusive and disconnected)?
How do I stay connected to my work and my colleagues?

We have 6 suggestions to consider for living the Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) principles with your teams.

1. Establish a positive mindset.

While you are setting the course aligned to your company’s mission and providing parameters for your team, it’s important to amplify a silver lining. You can acknowledge that adjusting to change can be difficult, but remember (and remind your team) that there are many advantages to working remotely.

Studies show that employees who telework report lower stress levels (granted, that may take a while in our current environment) and higher productivity. Promoting your and your colleagues’ health and safety should be top of mind.

2. Enable connections to happen.

The best way to ensure that connections happen between you and your team is to be authentic. Weave personal, relatable themes into your everyday interactions and encourage your team to do so, as well.

Creating belonging for individuals who are working on a partial or fully virtual team requires a leader to enable moments for employees to connect digitally on a personal level. Reserve and devote explicit social time each week for your entire team to gather, check-in, and continue to get to know each other “outside of work.” This ensures that the interpersonal connections that normally occur face-to-face each day will continue to happen in a virtual environment. It is those interpersonal, social connections that will help promote inclusion and minimize feelings of isolation.

Allow each team member to voice his or her feelings. This is important not only for more established team, but also for those who have a new member joining the team or company. A weekly video session can really make a difference. These can be distinct, separate events, or perhaps it can be time devoted during recurring staff meetings. Your team can decide what schedule works best.

3. Champion inclusion and flexibility.

Our current circumstances will most likely impact you and your team(s) differently. Some may have children, elders, or other family and friends who need different levels of attention and support during this time. Asking everyone to be candid about their unique situations can promote empathy among the team.

If possible, provide opportunities for your team to flex their work time as needed, so they can balance their work and life commitments. Depending upon the team’s work, role, and need for collaboration, encourage your team to leverage their diversity to help solve for any concerns. Remember and reinforce that the diversity on your team is an advantage, and share helpful resources when you find them. A few examples for working parents:

A Working Parents’ Guide to Handling the Unexpected

How to Work from Home with Kids Around

4. Recognize, recognize, recognize.

Consider how you may need to approach employee recognition differently. Some research suggests that remote workers feel they receive less recognition than non-remote workers. When we interact with our teams in person, we tend to share praise and compliments after meetings and when we pass each other in the halls. Remote workers have fewer chances to receive this kind of informal feedback. Find the opportunities, whether directly or on a team video chat, to recognize a job well done. This can go a long way toward building a sense of belonging, for both an individual and the team.

5. Make sure everyone on your team receives critical information.

Each day, pause to consider who on your team may not have the latest information they may need to do their work. Vanguard is a highly relational organization, and normally, a considerable amount of information exchange happens in person, before or after meetings. What normally occurs in a sidebar conversation in the hallway or at someone’s workstation will now likely occur on the telephone or via video conference. If your company is similar, invite everyone impacted to join by phone or chat so that everyone is given the same opportunity to learn and participate. If this isn’t possible, ensure there is a method to collect information that needs to be shared with everyone afterward.

6. Exercise emotional intelligence.

Consider the Emotional Intelligence (EQ) at play for you and members of your team. Mature emotional intelligence skills will put you and your team(s) at an advantage during this time, as well as when things return to normal. The strongest leaders understand how to help others manage their emotions, and how to use their own emotional awareness to navigate, build, and maintain positive relationships.

If EQ is a new concept to you, or you simply need to refresh your understanding and familiarity with it, spending a few minutes reading an overview of EQ will be helpful in integrating the DIB principles.

One example of EQ is how you acknowledge and control your own emotional response(s). You have the ability to control strong emotions by not acting on raw feelings or impulse. Instead, consider sitting with uncomfortable feelings and giving yourself time to decide how to alleviate or reduce them. This discipline develops self-confidence, and also allows time to reflect on potential solutions to a situation or problem.

Suppressing an immediate reaction based upon an initial, emotionally charged state helps lead to better decision-making outcomes. As everyone adjusts to our new work environment, you or your team may have periods of unexpected fear, anxiety, uncertainty, or frustration. Understanding how to control emotional responses will be important.

Another example of EQ is your ability to empathize with the individuals on your team, which will go a long way to developing deeper relationships with them. Empathy is the ability to recognize how and why people feel the way they do, and it allows us to anticipate how our actions and behaviors influence others. Empathy skills enhance our relationships, both with each other and ourselves. Ultimately, self-confidence increases, and a sense of belonging grows.

Most importantly, make sure you are hearing from all of the individuals on your team. Sometimes when working virtually, it can be easy for some employees to “hide” and not speak up, and you may have to do more in the way of initiating communication from them. Leverage tools, like going around the virtual room, to ensure you hear from everyone. Call someone’s name if they haven’t spoken up, and if this isn’t appropriate given your team dynamic(s), make sure you follow-up individually with anyone who exhibits this behavior or behavioral preference. If someone is quiet, we caution you not to assume that they are okay and feel connected to the team.

Thank you for devoting time and hard work to bring the Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging principles to life! We wish you all the best in your journey.

—Rosaleena M. and Chris H.

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Vanguard celebrates MLK and Black History Month through service

In the U.S., crew members celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life, legacy, and commitment to volunteerism by participating in community projects and activities throughout the winter. As Black History Month comes to an end, we have asked crew in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Arizona to reflect and share their personal experiences attending Martin Luther King, Jr. Days of Service events. Here’s what they had to say:

For as long as I can remember, receiving quality education has been a priority in my household. I spent countless hours at my parents’ dining room table working on homework. Even now, my mom regularly tries to convince my 4-year-old son to work on spelling games at the same table. I feel very fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to work with the West Philadelphia Action for Early Learning (AFEL) to help instill this imperative into the children of that community. The organization has two main goals: kindergarten readiness and reading on grade level by the third grade. My colleagues and I were able to support these goals by preparing resource bags for use in classrooms and reading to some of the children from local schools. Beyond the crew that were able to attend, crew from across Vanguard donated over 250 books to help children build their home libraries.

The specific group that supported AFEL is the Vanguard Black Professional Network (VBPN), which is committed to increasing engagement of black crew members and supporting the increased representation of black crew in leadership positions. Having the opportunity to serve with aligned crew in a community that may produce the future of Vanguard leadership was truly a humbling experience.

— Josh C.

VBPN sponsored two MLK Days of Service events in North Carolina at Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina and Classroom Central. Second Harvest is responsible for supplying food throughout a 19-county region of North and South Carolina through a network of over 700 emergency pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and programs for low-income children and seniors. Crew members took time out of their Saturday to help inspect and sort donated food items for distribution to those partner agencies. Classroom Central equips students in need by collecting and distributing free school supplies to their teachers. Eleven Vanguard crew members assisted the organization by die cutting shapes and organizing the overflow of school supplies in the warehouse.

— Ebony B. and Sabrina B.

As a North Caroline VBPN site lead, giving back is extremely important to me. It’s such a rewarding and humbling experience. I’ve been with Vanguard for 21 years and our commitment to our community has never wavered. It is an amazing differentiator, and providing Days of Service so crew can work together to help others is so empowering. As we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Black History Month, this resonates with me even more. His commitment to service and helping others was powerful and a major driver in the movement. To be able to not only serve, but honor him and his sacrifice, is humbling. To me, this is what our purpose is about; loving and helping others, and extending your hand to pull others up. That is what service is really about.

— Kenya H.

I am a helper by nature and have enjoyed volunteering for many organizations and causes since childhood. I recently had the opportunity to coordinate an MLK Days of Service volunteer event on behalf of VBPN at Feed My Starving Children (FMSC). FMSC is a non-profit organization that assists in providing rice, soy, dried vegetables, and vitamins and minerals to needy children locally and internationally. Through donations and the efforts of volunteers, FMSC is able to ensure the food is packaged and expedited to hungry kids. On the day of our volunteer event, I was immediately impressed with the FMSC staff. We were warmly greeted and provided with instructions to prepare us for the day.

I appreciated that the FMSC staff emphasized a hygienic environment to ensure the children were not exposed to germs, and we watched a video that included detailed instructions for each food prep station. The staff kept the event light by teaching us fun chants to say when each prep station was able to completely fill a box with food packages. The staff shared with the volunteers that it costs $88.00 to feed one needy child, ALL year! As a parent of two teenagers, that resonated with me. On average, it costs my family more than $88.00 per week in meals. During our volunteer session, we were able to fill 192 boxes with food packages, which will feed 113 children in Thailand and provide 41,472 meals!

When I volunteer, I feel that I benefit from the experience in so many ways. I get to share in the experience with fellow crew and members in our community that also volunteer their time. Volunteering helps me appreciate how fortunate we are and reminds me that by simply providing our time, we are making an impact. A thank you note I once received after donating my time included an impactful quote that sums up my volunteer journey:

“Help one another. There’s no time like the present
and no present like your time.” —James Durst

— Veronica A.

Making virtual connections

In this blog, we sit down with DaJuan L. and Ayesha B., two crew members who are on Vanguard’s Human Resources (HR) Inclusion and Engagement Team. They recently established a new friendship and working relationship in our virtual environment. This is their story:

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Last week concluded Hispanic Heritage month. Like many companies, Vanguard has had to get creative about how we celebrate and honor the cultures and contributions of Hispanic and Latino crew members while we continue to operate virtually.

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