A Conversation with: Susan Herschell
The Profiles in Leaderships series features conversations with organizational leadership experts to discuss important lessons they have learned and what “Hiring for Good” means to them. This series helps us better understand the role leadership plays in positive transformations and growth for people, organizations, and the world we live in.
This episode features a conversation with Susan Herschell RHU, CSFS, Benefits Advisor, Heffernan Insurance Brokers. Susan helps companies to protect their employees - so their team can focus on their business, increase employee morale, and attract top talent. Supporting midsized and large organizations she helps to manage risk in health plan costs, while designing, implementing, and servicing employee benefits programs.
Susan’s Contact Information: Susan is active on LinkedIn and you can connect with her at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanherschell/ | email: susanh@heffins.com | Phone: 503-419-5814 | Website www.heffins.com
“Even if we’re doing something we absolutely love, there are going to be days where you just don’t want to pull on your boots and get it done… So, I think looking at individuals that have a growth mindset is really important. People that can say, ‘Hey, yes, this is difficult, it’s challenging, but I’m going to look at this as a glass half full, and I’m going to find a solution,’ you know, really good problem solvers instead of that victim mentality.”
Transcript:
Suzanne Hanifin: Well, hello. I'm Suzanne Hanifin with Acumen Executive Search, and I have the lovely Susan Herschell from Heffernan Insurance Brokers. As a benefits consultant, Susan works with organizations both large and small on everything around benefit plans. She has seen how benefits can help recruit and retain employees and how corporate benefits can meet the needs and goals of an organization. Thank you, Susan, for joining me today. Is there anything you want to add to that introduction?
Susan Herschell: No, thank you, Suzanne. That pretty much sums it up. Thank you so much for having me today.
Suzanne Hanifin: Oh, absolutely. I'm really excited to have you here because you do talk and see so many organizations and how leadership works and how it doesn’t work. But really, let’s kind of start with you, because I think as we grow and we mature into our businesses, we can look back and find informative leadership experiences, whether it’s through a mentor or a situation that you have grown. Can you share any of those with us today?
Susan Herschell: Yeah, no, I’d be happy to. You know, my early career, I spent about 16 years in an organization that really had a leadership that embodied the true meaning of leadership. It's really where I learned, as an individual contributor, what true leadership meant. And I think, you know, why that was, it was a place where you really felt like you a the individual mattered, and the work that you did was really regularly recognized on an everyday basis. And there was just this tremendous amount of mutual respect between the leadership team and all the employees. I always felt like they had my back, and anytime I had a personal challenge or just something going on with the work that I was doing, I felt fully supported. And I think great leaders demonstrate that trait to really support their teams and really just rise everybody up at the same time.
You know, my old boss used to do this thing every week where he’d walk through the office and check in with every single person. You know, whether you were the front desk receptionist, a middle manager, or somebody that was in their first month on the job, he’d make that point. There were 120 employees at this company, and every week he’d make a point to walk through and touch base with everybody. There was no agenda; it was just simply to check in. How are you doing? How's your day? How's your family? And I think people really appreciated that. They really felt like they mattered, and they weren't just a number in this big company. So, you know, we all looked up to him in a respectful way, and I don’t think that's common in most organizations. You know, I work with a lot of businesses and companies and organizations, and I don’t often see that. And you know, this is just one simple, free thing that any leader can do. You don’t need a PhD, you don’t need years and years of experience; it’s just really about people and connecting with your employees.
Suzanne Hanifin: Isn’t it interesting? Sometimes the simplest gesture, if it’s heartfelt...I mean, people see through when it’s not.
Susan Herschell: Agree, one hundred percent.
Suzanne Hanifin: It’s important to state as well that touching base means a lot to people.
Susan Herschell: Yeah, I think so.
Suzanne Hanifin: What an important lesson to learn. We’re all part of an organization; it’s not just one person. And so, with that, you bring values that are important to you into your work and also how you work. What type of values come out with you daily in leadership?
Susan Herschell: Yeah, that’s a really good question. I have a very long list, Suzanne, but I’ll highlight a few that I think are top of mind for me. One of the things that I try to carry with me everywhere I go in all my relationships, whether it’s personal or business and in my leadership role within my own team, is to have empathy. Really put yourself in that other person’s shoes and feel what they’re feeling. Now, this is easier said than done. You know, as humans, we’re not hardwired this way. I mean, this takes some intentional work to say, “I really want to listen to this person’s problems, the challenges that they’re facing.”
And I think doing that, you can then be a resource and support, and I think that’s crucial in every leadership role. You know, I think leaders also can’t be afraid to get their hands dirty. I think so many leaders feel like they’re at the top and they’re the ones sort of directing everybody what to do. But, you know, especially in smaller organizations, emergencies happen. Critical situations come up, client needs arise, there are urgencies, emergencies, all these things. And I think the leaders that get in there and do the work and not feel like, “I’m too good for this” or “this is beneath us,” really demonstrate to their teams true leadership. And think really having this “we’re all in this together” mentality is really what makes a strong leader in my opinion.
And then I also think gratitude is really important. So many of us are working through our day, we’re very narrowly focused on our desks, we’re going 100 miles a minute, we’re super busy, we have no time. And I think it’s important as leaders to raise our heads up and look around at the people that are doing all the work and helping make our organizations grow and really appreciate them. You know, tell them that we see you, the work that you’re doing, and really show that you value them. And I think employees really, again, another free, easy, simple thing to do that really grows strong teams, and it’s going to make your people want to work for you because they’re going to trust you and believe in you and really follow your path. So, I think those are important.
Also, keeping commitments, you know, doing what you say you’re going to do. I think so many times leaders want to have all the answers and they want to please everybody, and we’re going to do this, that, and the other thing, and then the year goes by and nothing’s really been done. And I think they need to be real about the expectations too, because sometimes we want to overpromise things because it sounds good and it feels good at the time. But you have to have a reality check—well, maybe this isn’t feasible right now. And I think if you’re honest with your people about what is practical and what can and can’t get done, I think it’s okay to say, “No, we can’t prioritize that right now.” I think people would rather hear that than you try to push something through and it’s clunky and doesn’t work and really kind of falls flat and leaves people feeling kind of not really good about their work situation. So, I think if you break it down to those three things, that’s really what I think a great leader formula embodies.
Suzanne Hanifin: Yeah, absolutely. And it goes back to what we were talking about at first, just that walk around and how “thank you” can be and how appreciated people feel when they’re called out and say, “Hey, you did a great job on this.” Yeah, absolutely.
Susan Herschell: Goes a long way, yeah.
Suzanne Hanifin: For me, yeah.
Susan Herschell: Yeah, I have an employee that I wrote a kind of gratitude letter to, and it was very simple, and it was very heartfelt, and it was very honest. And she has it hung up in her office, which I think is just so lovely and sweet. I mean, I thought she’d read it and put it in the recycling, but no, she has it posted up on a board, and it meant a lot to her. And at the time when I was writing it, I just thought, “This is just the right thing to do. She’s been working really hard, and we’ve been working on—it’s been a hard year—and just wanted to say thank you.” And it just, it goes a long way.
Suzanne Hanifin: Yeah. So, when you are hiring or when you’ve seen a really strong and solid leader hire, what type of characteristics do you look for in employees?
Susan Herschell: Yeah, that’s a really great question too. I think, you know, obviously, you got to look at their skill set and their capabilities, and are they the right fit for the job in terms of their experience? But I think what kind of goes beyond that is looking at what I like to look for because, you know, work is hard, there’s a lot of obstacles. Even if we’re doing something we absolutely love, there are going to be days where you just don’t want to pull on your boots and get it done, right? So, I think looking at individuals that have a growth mindset is really important. People that can say, “Hey, yes, this is difficult, it’s challenging, but I’m going to look at this as a glass half full, and I’m going to find a solution,” you know, really good problem solvers instead of that victim mentality. “This is too hard. I can’t do this. This is too stressful. I don’t have enough time.” You know, all these negative self-talk that we give each other or ourselves, right? We’re all sometimes guilty of it. But I think those that have that growth mindset can really look outside You know, there's always going to be leadership directives, regulatory constraints, and unexpected curveballs, right? Those are just going to happen, and they're often outside of our control. So really being able to push through that and persevere is crucial. Those bound by negative thoughts or a "can't-do" attitude are like toxic mold in the workplace, unfortunately. So I think when we're looking at hires, it's important that they're able to have that growth mindset, and I think that really benefits the team as a whole.
Suzanne Hanifin: Yeah, and you talked about that internal narrative we all go through. I'll say this, and I think women particularly do this, and I can only speak as a woman. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?
Susan Herschell: It's going to be okay. It's going to be fine. I think just keeping perspective and, again, going back to that gratitude, looking at what you do have. You've got so much time on your side. Sometimes greatness takes a long time, right? It can feel like you want results instantaneously. We are an instant-results society, and when you set your goals and don't meet them right away, it can make you feel bad. But sometimes, it is a slow and steady walk to get where you need to get. So I think just keeping that positive mindset and visualizing your eye on the prize—whether that's a year from now, five, ten, fifteen, twenty—you will get there if you believe in yourself. So I think that's advice I would give any 20-something, including my own self, if I could look back.
Suzanne Hanifin: Yeah, absolutely. And you come from a very interesting perspective because you are working with so many different organizations, and you've seen how benefits, which again are not mandatory in a lot of cases but important to an organization. What are you seeing, and what advice would you give a growing organization regarding the benefits, and whether it's attracting or retaining, or part of their mission of who they are?
Susan Herschell: Yeah, no, that's—you know, I think there's certain things, right, that are basic table stakes. You got to provide good quality health insurance, the medical sides of things. But when you're looking beyond that, right, looking at how to make my workplace best in class, how to have my employees promote us as an organization, right, to have that net promoter score. So that's what we're all achieving. And I think it's important to understand what your employees need and what they're asking for. So, you know, we often encourage employers to survey their employees. I mean, it can be a basic SurveyMonkey or just an informal Q&A, kind of whatever works within the confines of your culture. But really ask them, you know, what are your needs? What's going on in your life right now? How can we make your life easier? Because everybody has barriers, whether it's child care at home, elder parents that we talked about before the call, there's all sorts of things going on in people's worlds. And if you work for an organization that you feel like has your back, and that you can do that through benefits and perks and flexible hours and, you know, what have you, you can get really creative. But I think it really starts with understanding your employees and what their needs are, and you got to ask the question. You got to have the conversation.
Suzanne Hanifin: Well, and it ties back to that very first thing that you said about empathy. Empathy shows up in many different ways, and caring and gratitude show up in many different ways. So a lot of people look at the benefits as a tool versus, like what you just said, what is important to them, right? And that's a whole different mindset. So I have to ask this, Susan. You know, this is a podcast about Hiring For Good. So what does hiring for good mean to you?
Susan Herschell: Yeah, I think, you know, this was an interesting one to answer. I think, you know, whether you're a nonprofit providing housing and shelter for the community or a big for-profit corporation providing services or technology or products, you know, we're all striving towards a better community, right? A better country, a better planet. You know, finding people whose values align with your mission is critical. I think that's going to help organizations and leaders maintain stability and longevity in the workplace if we're all rowing in the same direction and believe that we're truly helping our community, our society, our planet. That makes all that hard work and those stressful days, because they will be there—you know, there's no antidote for that. There's going to be times when the work is hard, and if you don't believe in the work that you're doing organizationally, it's not necessarily going to be a good fit. And I think you talk about hiring for fit. You know, I hear that you mention that a lot, Suzanne, in the work that you do. And I think that's important not to be overlooked. You know, it's not just about the technical skills or the years of experience or the resume. It's, does this person really believe in the work that we do and the mission that we are on? Because if not, they're not going to do their best work, likely not going to be there very long, or worse, spread that negativity throughout the workplace. And, you know, that's the biggest risk when you hire the wrong person. You know, it's one thing to hire them, and then they're gone, right? You know, that's not great either because that costs an organization money too. But to hire them and have them hang on and take that seat up and just, you know, spread their bad attitude throughout the workplace is actually what I see as the biggest risk for hiring the wrong person.
Suzanne Hanifin: Oh, you are speaking my love language right there. It's all about fit, isn't it? Again, you can teach people certain skills, but if, like you said, if there's not that alignment, it doesn't last long. Absolutely. Well, I tell you, Susan, the one thing I forgot to share in your introduction is that you can also help organizations do self-insurance, which again is not, you know, usually an organization has to be of the right size. I really appreciate your insights today, because I do think leaders need to shift that mindset that benefits are no longer a tool. It needs to be what is important to get that hiring for good. Absolutely, yeah. So thank you again, Susan, with Heffernan Insurance. All of her contact information is below. Thank you.
Susan Herschell: Thank you, Suzanne. It was a pleasure.