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Maria Artuso: What have I learned during the pandemic?

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Maria Artuso MBA(FS) Class of 2015

As I reflect on the past year, I would be remiss if I did not share that the personal development and professional gains, I have experienced would not have been possible, if not for a global crisis.

The Covid19 pandemic was a pivotal moment for our global society.  Overnight, the structure of community services, healthcare, education, and business experienced an unprecedented disruption. Our collective courage was tested as we focused our energies for a quick response.  We were facing the unknown, recognizing that our situation required us to develop new skill sets quickly.  As a leader and member of my community, I challenged myself to choose compassion, resilience and to become a better person.

Reflecting on the beginning of March 2020, my team and I were still on the heels of widespread robberies taking place around our community.  Regrettably, members of my team were involved in a traumatic robbery in January. Personally, and professionally, we were still working through a rollercoaster of emotions when Covid19 was officially deemed a pandemic by the World Health Organization.   Within a week of our robbery, my husband was involved in a similar robbery involving the same gang and community setting.   We were all experiencing a high level of angst.

There is never enough preparation to help you through these moments of truth. I admit that I was unprepared for the raw feeling of helplessness and vulnerability that came as a response to these experiences. The inability to provide the why, the how, the what, that would come next was foreign to me.  I pride myself on being able to make sound decisions, backed up by facts and details, and being able to connect the dots for people even when I do not have all the details, or when events seem far fetched or intangible.

For me, the year 2020 came with no rule books.  I recognized that I lived and worked within complexity and uncertainty. That prompted me to see that being human, bringing my true self to work and home, and genuinely sharing what I was going through allowed me, as never before, to connect more authentically with my peers, my colleagues, my work family, my immediate family, and my husband. This was a time when differences were set aside, biases were minimized and the purity of one’s health and wellness became top priority.

Moving into a full fledge pandemic with many unknowns, tested our resolve to accept there were more questions than answers and to avoid panic and misunderstandings. This was an opportunity to be creative in how we came together as a family, a community, and a nation.  Supporting each other as social distancing protocols were introduced, acknowledging fear, and then moving to actively seek solutions was what kept us focused on the task at hand.  Without question, we are in this together.

When I think about these past months, I am proud of the resilience and courage demonstrated by my colleagues, my peers, my family.   We continue to band together, with common goals and a united front to take on the challenge that continues to face our global world.  Regardless of the new norm that we often hear and talk about today, I know we have the capacity and determination to successfully navigate what lies ahead.

What have I learned in 2020 when it comes to work life and togetherness? For starters, never take others for granted – appreciate family, colleagues and those who cross our paths. Do not sweat the small stuff and be grateful for the life that has been given. Stay connected and foster support systems for the benefit of our mental health and wellness.  Belonging and keeping in contact using virtual technology is critical for our well-being. I have learned to be more patient and compassionate with myself and others. I have accepted that there will be difficult, and even more uncomfortable conversations, which will be necessary to advance our understanding of one another.

Above all, I have learned that humour is essential.  Focus and enjoy the little things in life that make us smile and laugh.  Kindness and respect, compassion and happiness will see us through the most difficult of times.

Let us forge ahead together – because we are stronger together.

Maria Artuso: Managing Through Change

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“Change management in the workplace is the leading factor in supporting people through adoption and engagement while change occurs and is undertaken. Change management is a set of steps that are followed on a particular project or initiative. It really is a three-pronged approach:  people need to understand the change, buy into the change, and then have the change reinforced to actually change behaviour.”

Maria Artuso MBA(FS) 2015, Community Manager at RBC Royal Bank

 

Maria Artuso MBA(FS) Class of 2015

Managing through change has become the new norm. As a leader, it is important to understand a number of parameters, including why change is occurring at such an extreme pace, how individuals feel about the change and how they cope with the change. Change at this point is inevitable.  Gone are the days where we reminisce about how things were done years ago. Some individuals thrive in an agile environment, where change can be viewed as exhilarating and super exciting, and personally challenging. Others struggle with the reality that the constant is change, not being able to stay put, and always needing to reinvent themselves and learn new things.

I have been working in the financial services industry for the past 21 years, and have had the privilege of working with leaders who have been phenomenal in terms of working through change, and being respectful of how people will adapt, endure, and overcome the constant of change. When I first started in the industry, I was in my late teens and found it very interesting how some colleagues would say “this is the way we do it here”; “we’ve done it like this for years”; “if it’s not broke don’t fix it”. I remember being taken aback at how it felt to be working within an inflexible and policy-stricken working environment.

In school and at home, my generation was encouraged to “shoot for the stars”; “you can be whatever you put your mind to”; “don’t ever settle for second best”. What I was learning in school and experiencing at work was quite different. What I did not realize or really endorse at the time was that while change management is not an easy philosophy, it is a critical component of organizational transformation. How employees respond to change, let alone, how they overcome this new norm, is vitally important to the viability and sustainability of an organization’s success.  Both the leader and employee play extremely important roles.

As I continued to work in the banking industry, and furthered my education, it became clearer to me that how people felt within the working world was very different than in the educational system. I began to think about how great the workplace could be and would be if we continued to push the envelope, consider everyone’s thoughts and opinions vs. just those of the loudest contributors.  We could  never rest on our laurels.

Change management in the workplace is the leading factor in supporting people through adoption and engagement while change occurs and is undertaken. Change management is a set of steps that are followed on a particular project or initiative. It really is a three-pronged approach:  people need to understand the change, buy into the change, and then have the change reinforced to change behaviour. Change management matters. It needs to occur one person at a time. Change can be very costly if managed improperly.  The good news is that effective management of change increases success overall.

As a new leader, I learned about ADKAR, a model used to understand how people process change: Awareness of the need for change, Desire to participate in and support the change, Knowledge on how to change, Ability to implement required skills and behaviours, and Reinforcement to sustain the change. The truth is, leading employees through organizational change, whether big or small, requires empathy, trust, care, and a growth mindset in order to move forward. Organizations cannot change their culture unless individual employees change their behavior—and changing behavior is not easy; it is actually hard.

Sometimes a leader’s admission of vulnerability helps others recognize and address their ability to process change. You cannot force people to change – you can only help them want to. It is so important for people to understand the why behind the change, the impact it will have on them, and what’s important them. It is vital to acknowledge that there are opportunities for individuals to provide input and feedback.  This will empower individuals to buy-in and feel good about their contribution to the change. In so doing, leaders generate a winning culture by engaging and exciting the people responsible for delivering change. It is important to celebrate successes and quick wins and generously and publicly acknowledge those who demonstrate the leadership behaviours that make a strategy succeed.  Asking team members to share their experiences will encourage the growth mindset required to ensure that change continues to take place at a pace that is commendable in our organizations.

I truly believe that the behaviours of change of management will allow us to never be stuck in old ways. Instead, it will create a flexible and agile collaborative team capable of pivoting in a timely manner, generating the environment where great things will happen because we allowed ourselves to try something new.

Maria Artuso MBA(FS) 2015, Community Manager at RBC Royal Bank, was recently named one of Ottawa’s Top 40 under 40 business professionals. A successful, highly motivated business leader with a track record of success in the fields of operational effectiveness, retail banking, commercial banking, and leadership, Maria is dedicated to giving back to her community, believing that her volunteerism enhances her job performance and life experiences. Maria has graciously agreed to be a repeat contributor on CEGE Connection.

 

From the CEGE Connection Archives first Published May 5, 2020

Maria Artuso: Managing Through Change

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“Change management in the workplace is the leading factor in supporting people through adoption and engagement while change occurs and is undertaken. Change management is a set of steps that are followed on a particular project or initiative. It really is a three-pronged approach:  people need to understand the change, buy into the change, and then have the change reinforced to actually change behaviour.”

Maria Artuso MBA(FS) 2015, Community Manager at RBC Royal Bank

 

Maria Artuso MBA(FS) Class of 2015

Managing through change has become the new norm. As a leader, it is important to understand a number of parameters, including why change is occurring at such an extreme pace, how individuals feel about the change and how they cope with the change. Change at this point is inevitable.  Gone are the days where we reminisce about how things were done years ago. Some individuals thrive in an agile environment, where change can be viewed as exhilarating and super exciting, and personally challenging. Others struggle with the reality that the constant is change, not being able to stay put, and always needing to reinvent themselves and learn new things.

I have been working in the financial services industry for the past 21 years, and have had the privilege of working with leaders who have been phenomenal in terms of working through change, and being respectful of how people will adapt, endure, and overcome the constant of change. When I first started in the industry, I was in my late teens and found it very interesting how some colleagues would say “this is the way we do it here”; “we’ve done it like this for years”; “if it’s not broke don’t fix it”. I remember being taken aback at how it felt to be working within an inflexible and policy-stricken working environment.

In school and at home, my generation was encouraged to “shoot for the stars”; “you can be whatever you put your mind to”; “don’t ever settle for second best”. What I was learning in school and experiencing at work was quite different. What I did not realize or really endorse at the time was that while change management is not an easy philosophy, it is a critical component of organizational transformation. How employees respond to change, let alone, how they overcome this new norm, is vitally important to the viability and sustainability of an organization’s success.  Both the leader and employee play extremely important roles.

As I continued to work in the banking industry, and furthered my education, it became clearer to me that how people felt within the working world was very different than in the educational system. I began to think about how great the workplace could be and would be if we continued to push the envelope, consider everyone’s thoughts and opinions vs. just those of the loudest contributors.  We could  never rest on our laurels.

Change management in the workplace is the leading factor in supporting people through adoption and engagement while change occurs and is undertaken. Change management is a set of steps that are followed on a particular project or initiative. It really is a three-pronged approach:  people need to understand the change, buy into the change, and then have the change reinforced to change behaviour. Change management matters. It needs to occur one person at a time. Change can be very costly if managed improperly.  The good news is that effective management of change increases success overall.

As a new leader, I learned about ADKAR, a model used to understand how people process change: Awareness of the need for change, Desire to participate in and support the change, Knowledge on how to change, Ability to implement required skills and behaviours, and Reinforcement to sustain the change. The truth is, leading employees through organizational change, whether big or small, requires empathy, trust, care, and a growth mindset in order to move forward. Organizations cannot change their culture unless individual employees change their behavior—and changing behavior is not easy; it is actually hard.

Sometimes a leader’s admission of vulnerability helps others recognize and address their ability to process change. You cannot force people to change – you can only help them want to. It is so important for people to understand the why behind the change, the impact it will have on them, and what’s important them. It is vital to acknowledge that there are opportunities for individuals to provide input and feedback.  This will empower individuals to buy-in and feel good about their contribution to the change. In so doing, leaders generate a winning culture by engaging and exciting the people responsible for delivering change. It is important to celebrate successes and quick wins and generously and publicly acknowledge those who demonstrate the leadership behaviours that make a strategy succeed.  Asking team members to share their experiences will encourage the growth mindset required to ensure that change continues to take place at a pace that is commendable in our organizations.

I truly believe that the behaviours of change of management will allow us to never be stuck in old ways. Instead, it will create a flexible and agile collaborative team capable of pivoting in a timely manner, generating the environment where great things will happen because we allowed ourselves to try something new.

Maria Artuso MBA(FS) 2015, Community Manager at RBC Royal Bank, was recently named one of Ottawa’s Top 40 under 40 business professionals. A successful, highly motivated business leader with a track record of success in the fields of operational effectiveness, retail banking, commercial banking, and leadership, Maria is dedicated to giving back to her community, believing that her volunteerism enhances her job performance and life experiences. Maria has graciously agreed to be a repeat contributor on CEGE Connection.

Maria Artuso: Resiliency and Perseverance

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“Continuous learning is my way of “paying it forward” –  igniting in others the desire to always be better, do better.  I reflect on the many individuals who provided me opportunities to teach and share experiences within a classroom setting, entrusting me to lead, create, develop new strategies, and contribute in ways that were personally rewarding and eye-opening.”

Maria Artuso MBA(FS) Class of 2015

 

Maria Artuso MBA(FS) Class of 2015

Maria Artuso MBA(FS) Class of 2015

 

If you have the personal drive to succeed – you can make anything happen.

I will be celebrating 20 years with my employer in June! Considering I had absolutely no desire or interest in banking or the financial industry, I see my journey as one of many experiences, with variety and generality vs. specialization as being the spice of life. I have had the great fortune of mentors who cared deeply about my career aspirations. I have held a variety of roles over my tenure, each move leading me into more senior roles.  Looking back, I find it amazing, yet very rewarding, how one can adapt to increasing responsibility, face gender differences as a result of the evolving financial industry and societal expectations and have the unceasing need to change/adapt/pivot/execute.

I love the world we are in, albeit uncomfortable at times. I appreciate the mantra of “fail fast” as this gives us permission to have experiences, realizing that not everything will come together perfectly.  It is okay to make mistakes if we learn from them.  Sometimes we need to be satisfied at 80% vs. 100% completion. Being someone who is risk-aware, self-aware, and change-friendly, I have always felt the need to try new things, with calculated risk of course (this is not shocking!).  I have an internal ‘firecracker’ that truly does not settle for second best.

My time at DAL, although overwhelming at first, considering I did not have an undergraduate degree when I applied, was a life-changing experience that is forever implanted in my memory bank. Complete strangers, who I now call friends, taught me that settling in life is not an option, and the broader world provides experiences that are sometimes not even a thought, but can certainly become a memory.  I was encouraged to take risks, to stretch personal and professional growth, and challenge the status quo for the betterment of all those around me.

Lifelong and Continuous Learning

I was raised in a family where my parents did not have the educational opportunities that I have experienced. As new immigrants to Canada, my parents chose work out of the sheer need to survive and raise their children.  They experienced many firsts in a new country that did not offer many familiarities.  Their resiliency and perseverance instilled within me a personal desire and commitment to continue to learn and fuel my yearning for knowledge.  In turn, I am dedicated to give back to local community organizations and peers within my organization.

Continuous learning is my way of “paying it forward” –  igniting in others the desire to always be better, do better.  I reflect on the many individuals who provided me opportunities to teach and share experiences within a classroom setting, entrusting me to lead, create, develop new strategies, and contribute in ways that were personally rewarding and eye-opening.  I am very fortunate to be in a place that fosters life-long learning.  I take nothing for granted.

What is my next journey? Time management skills and working at a higher capacity was a legacy of my years with Dalhousie and certainly a foundation for what I am proud of today. I went on to achieve the Fellowship of CSI and am seriously contemplating my PhD over the next couple of years. Higher education stretches us and creates a strategic mindset that influences our thought processes and reasoning abilities.  I now approach scenarios thoughtfully with an interdisciplinary perspective, open to a variety of bias’s and filtering information to come up with the most comparable results and outcomes. I appreciated Dalhousie’s open and respectful environment that generated meaningful discussions.  I am proud to have leveraged the outcomes of my MBA(FS) years in my day-to-day professional career.

How do you integrate creativity in a structured environment?

Working in a highly regulated, policy driven, client focused, for-profit organization may, for some, feel like an environment where once ideas are “fully baked,” they are shared like a gift, wrapped in a box with a bow, and accepted without question.  My belief is that in today’s working environment, organizations seek out individuals who offer creative suggestions and engage with co-workers to work together to make things better.  You need to be open to an environment that fosters dialogue, challenges one’s thoughts respectfully, and leaves no possibility or opportunity to chance. I believe that flexibility allows for fresh possibilities.  The key is to be open to providing candid, authentic feedback.   Encouraging others to have a voice makes a real and significant difference in shaping a path forward—particularly as the financial services industry continues to undergo accelerated transformation.  Rapid change is the new normal.  To adapt and thrive within a complex and unpredictable environment, we must continue to get the support and give the support.  Creativity is built upon perseverance.  Resiliency is the outcome of our commitment to bring our best to the responsibilities given to each of us.

Maria Artuso MBA(FS) 2015, Manager, Financial Planning at RBC Royal Bank, was recently named one of Ottawa’s Top 40 under 40 business professionals.  She looks forward to beginning her new role in April 2018 as Director, Business Enablement and Performance within RBC Insurance. A successful, highly motivated business leader with a track record of success in the fields of operational effectiveness, retail banking, commercial banking, and leadership, Maria is dedicated to giving back to her community, believing that her volunteerism enhances her job performance and life experiences. Maria has graciously agreed to be a repeat contributor on CFAME Connection.