The July 23, 2021 issue of The Standard includes the third annual salute to women in the New England insurance industry. The issue features many women who are in leadership positions at local agencies, associations and carriers. The past year and a half has presented many challenges due to the pandemic, however, several women that The Standard spoke to reflected on the lessons learned (so far) and how women’s roles may change in the next 10 years.
What were some of the biggest career challenges you have faced?
Like so many working parents, balancing the demands of raising a family with professional development made for some difficult years of trade-offs and sleepless nights, trying to juggle work, home and higher education.
What lessons can be learned from the pandemic?
Most people need the stimulation and collaboration that working alongside others provides to move the needle from good to great. I didn’t realize how much this was true until we returned to the office and resumed in-person meetings and impromptu conversations that professional relationships are built on. This may be an unpopular idea to some in positions categorized as individual contributors, but silos are never conducive to professional development, the organization they support or the industry more broadly.
Business leaders have come to realize, however, that they can achieve things in many different ways, and there is room for flexibility in how they go about running their business.
Most importantly, many who were resistant to technology pre-pandemic were forced out of their comfort zones to continue operations remotely. Hopefully this serves as a wake-up call, and we continue to explore and adopt technologies more proactively and thoughtfully going forward.
Read the full article, featuring Lisa Grover, VP of Marketing at SIAA, published July 23, 2021 in The Standard. Reprinted with permission from The Standard, Copyright 2021, Standard Publishing Corporation, Boston, MA. All rights reserved.