Career Growth Lessons from Monique Little, People & Culture Leader | Career Advice for Women in Business and Tech

2B Bolder Podcast – Episode 54
Featuring Monique Little

Episode Title: #54 Career Podcast Featuring Monique Little, a Chief People and Administrative Officer who believes the foundation to success is having a growth mindset.

Host: Mary Killelea
Guest: Monique Little



Mary Killelea: Hi there, my name is Mary Killelea, welcome to the 2B Bolder podcast, providing career insights for the next generation of women in business and Tech. 2B Bolder was created out of my love for technology and marketing, my desire to bring together like-minded women, and my hope to be a great role model and source of inspiration for my two girls and other young women like you, encouraging you guys to show up and to be bolder, and to know that anything you guys dream of, it's totally possible, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the conversation.

Thanks for tuning in today, we are joined by Chief people and administrative officer at First Tech Federal Credit Union, Monique Little. Monique works in the financial services industry, building engaged and high performing teams and delivering business results. She is skilled in management, leadership, succession planning, organization design, and talent development. Monique has led key organizational activities including Human Resources, training and development, corporate Communications, philanthropic activities, corporate real estate, deposit and payment services, fraud prevention, and a wide range of banking operations and shared services. Monique is a graduate of Oregon State University, received her HR certification from Portland State, lives in Oregon with her husband and two children, she is a big Oregon State Beavers fan and loves going down to all the sporting events, enjoys tennis and spending time with friends. Monique, thank you so much for being here.

Monique Little: Thanks for the invitation, Mary. It's great to be with you today.

Mary Killelea: Okay, so as the chief people and administrative officer, you have a huge amount of responsibility, Human Resources, Learning and Organizational Development, Corporate Communications, Community and Philanthropic Engagement, Real Estate Planning, Workplace Services, Deposit Payments and Fraud Operations, Record Management, and Administrative Support Services, wow, that is so much, one, how do you do it, and two, what do you love best about your role?

Monique Little: Well, it is, it is a long list, and I'm gifted with a tremendous leadership team that gets to help me with that, but it's really a dynamic role to be in. I mean, obviously with so many different functions, right, there's lots of variety, and I think the thing that I have found that's so exciting is that I have the opportunity to do something different every day. You know, today I might deal with one topic, tomorrow it might be something else, but from that variety comes an opportunity to learn all the time. So every day, I know I really feel like I get to learn something new, and that's exciting. It makes work exciting.

Mary Killelea: That's very cool. When you look at your career journey, you know, and what led you here to all the various roles, is there anything that you can say best prepares you for where you are now?

Monique Little: Well, I think the thing as I reflect back is having a growth mindset. I started my career in human resources, and you know, as you rattled off that list of things that I have the opportunity to work with today, and the different disciplines that you know I spend my time working in, it's required a lot of learning. There have been a lot of learning curves throughout my career, and so I think that's been a big piece of it, that growth mindset. And I think the other part that's been really valuable to me is, you know, really making a concerted effort to develop my skills as a manager and leader, and so that's been a really important part, I think, of my journey, of the opportunities that have been given to me throughout my career, is learning how to be a good manager and learning how to be a good leader, because they're two different things, but they're both really important, they are two different things.

Mary Killelea: Are all good managers leaders?

Monique Little: No.

Mary Killelea: Good, right!

Monique Little: Really understanding, you know, the difference, and understanding, I think the other part of that, Mary, is having self-awareness. You know, sometimes it's really hard to look in the mirror and realize what you're good at and where you have gaps and opportunities to improve, and so that was another thing I think that was a gift to me early in my career, is having managers and leaders who were willing to give me feedback and, you know, help me look in the mirror and learn about my strengths, but also learn where I needed to grow, and that's really made a difference, and you got, you got to keep doing it too. You know, be willing to sort of be vulnerable and continue to learn about yourself and have that self-awareness, because throughout your career, things change, and the Dynamics change, and you have to adapt to that.

Mary Killelea: Yeah. Totally agree, and being receptive to feedback is key. For listeners wanting to have a similar career as you, and maybe not take on everything as you, but is there a recommended career path or strategy?

Monique Little: Wow, well, I never would have imagined myself, you know, in the role that I'm in today and doing some of the things I'm doing. I think it goes back to that growth mindset and being willing to learn. I think it's also about risk-taking and being willing to raise your hand and try some new things throughout your career, and you know, and that really, I will attribute, you know, some of the opportunities that I have had to being in a situation where I had an opportunity to raise my hand, and I did it, and you know, I was given the chance to try something, and then you've got to actually be successful in doing it, right, but, but I think that's been really key. So I would say, you know, that growth mindset, but also being willing to stretch yourself and take some of those risks and raise your hand, maybe even in times that you don't think I check all the boxes and have the ability and the experiences to do it, do it anyway.

Mary Killelea: Right, great advice. As business women, we always need to be growing, like you've mentioned. What are some of your go-to resources for staying relevant, yeah, and it's really important to stay relevant?

Monique Little: Yeah, that’s really important to stay relevant. I think one of the things that I did early on in my career, and that I've continued to do, is, you know, find those professional groups, those organizations, associations, that are going to provide education, provide information, but also be a network to you. I've always had one or more professional groups that I've belonged to since, you know, the first couple of years that I started in HR, and you know, now those have evolved to other types of groups, so I think that's been really important. And then with that growth, be willing to, you know, read and continue to learn. I subscribe to a lot of the, you know, trade online trade Publications, and I'm embarrassed to admit, but the Wall Street still gets delivered to my house every day, and I know I could read it online, but again, those are, you know, some of the things that you've just got to make the time to do to make sure that you kind of have an understanding of the landscape, and more importantly, within your role, to have context, because you can know about your organization and the discipline that you're in and the work that's going on in your company, but it's even better if you have context and you have a sense of what's going on outside of your organization.

Mary Killelea: How do you make tough decisions and not damage your company culture?

Monique Little: Wow, that's important, and that's a tough question. I think, Mary, that really communication, it comes down to communication, and it's, it's two-way communication. So I think first and foremost, when you're making those tough decisions, it's inviting others to the table to offer insight, to offer input and perspective, and you may still make the same decision, but at least they got to be part of the journey, and you know, it helps bring people along. And then I think the other thing about the decision making that I have found is being able to articulate to Folks, at the end of the day, the decision, but why I made it and what's in it for them, again, so that you can bring them along. And I think, you know, I've had the opportunity to be part of some transformational initiatives throughout my career, mergers and Acquisitions, and you know, wholesale changes in, you know, a technology platform that is really disruptive, a change in, you know, CEO, you know, all, all of those kinds of things that can really change the culture, and sometimes not in a good way, right, it could be very damaging. And I think the constant thread for me has been that communication and being very planful, being very purposeful, and bringing people along, because people just, they want to be part of it and they want to understand why. And so I think that, for me, has been an important lesson to learn throughout my career, and I keep that close in the decision-making, is, you know, have I brought in all the right stakeholders, have listened, and then how do I message that decision after it's been made.

Mary Killelea: And that's so important to think all those elements through, and many of us that are listening, including myself, you know, we don't create company culture, we adapt to it, or we play our role within it. What is it like to be the driver of culture shaping?

Monique Little: Well, I actually, I'm, I'm going to respectfully disagree with you, because I think, you know, I can be a shepherd and I can be an influencer, but at the end of the day, everybody affects the culture, and every leader in the organization is a keeper of the culture and an influencer of that culture. So I really believe that, you know, my role is to empower and help those people, because they're going to make the biggest impact, they touch their people day in and day out. You know, I mean, we have 1,600 employees in our organization, and they're geographically spread throughout multiple States. I can't reach each and every one of those people, but what I can do is I can influence, and I can support, and I can foster the relationship with all those leaders that touch those people each and every day.

Mary Killelea: Throughout your career, how have you pushed through self-doubt or pushed through discomfort to achieve something that had a positive outcome?

Monique Little: Oh, I've had a lot of those moments, both self-doubt and the discomfort that comes with, with the risk-taking piece. I guess a lot of it has been about the support system that I have, helped, you know, pull people into my, my circle, if you will. You know, some of those are professional people, some of those are, you know, I have former CEOs that I've worked for throughout my career that I still have a relationship with, and they're kind of go-to people when, you know, I just, I need a little pickup and maybe some reinforcement. It's my family, you know, it's, it's my friend group. So I tap into that support system anytime that I'm, you know, maybe navigating something really challenging, where I'm just not sure, where I'm feeling uncomfortable, where I'm having those, you know, I'm second guessing myself, to help me through, you know, those times. And I think we all need that, you know, we all need that safe space where we can process and we can work through, you know, big changes, and that's the challenge, I think, that I've discovered when you get into, you know, executive leadership, is you kind of can't show that all the time, right, because, you know, they're looking to you, they're looking to you to lead by example, they're looking to see how you react, how you respond in a, in a particular situation, and you know, you kind of need to have it together, but we are all human, and we need to process. And so, you know, finding a space and the people that can be in that space with you and help you through those moments makes a huge difference.

Mary Killelea: So every business is different and has specific skills, you know, that correlate to their needs. But when you look at core personal skills, what do you look for in particular?

Monique Little: Well, I'm going back to, I think, a term that I've used a lot, which is the growth mindset, right. I, you know, I think it's just a really important thing for somebody to bring if you're coming into an organization like ours that's constantly changing, it's evolving, it's growing quickly, there's a lot, it's high energy. Growth mindset, you know. And then I think that demonstrated energy and engagement, to me, makes a difference. You know, I've discovered something, you know, over the last year or two, that, you know, we've, we've talked a lot about, you know, the value of diversity in the workplace, and, you know, bringing people that have these different experiences and backgrounds and lived experiences and perspectives. And in our organization, you know, we're using the language culture ad, because, you know, we used to say culture fit all the time, and it's like, you know, the fitting in part is really not about diversity, but the culture ad is about, you know, how are you going to add and enhance what we have. And so I think anybody that's coming in with that growth mindset and that just that engagement that wants to get engaged and be in the game, I think it's going to be a tremendous culture ad, and they're going to bring all of those experiences to bear that's going to make the organization better.

Mary Killelea: So you built a successful career, what drives you, what gets you out of bed?

Monique Little: Oh God, you know, it's two things, really. It, it is the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the people that I get to work with, you know. I mean, there is nothing more rewarding than watching, you know, somebody just excel in their career and get opportunities and be recognized. You know, just last week, I had a, a member of my team that I had the opportunity to actually hire about seven years ago, and he came into the organization, you know, a little bit green, but, you know, a young manager into the HR team, and he just got recognized with a VP promotion last week. And, you know, I know that there were a lot of people that had a part in that, but to think that I probably played a little bit of a part in that too, you know, it was so exciting and so rewarding. And I think the other piece, on the other side, is that, you know, the success that I have been able to realize in my career has afforded my family the opportunity to thrive and grow in ways that I hadn't imagined, right. I mean, it's created experiences that I can share with my family, and so, you know, the personal side has been rewarding as a result of some of the choices and the opportunities that my career has presented to me.

Mary Killelea: I imagine there's been roadblocks to potentially advancing your careers over the years. How did you navigate roadblocks or challenging situations that you didn't expect?

Monique Little: Yeah, well, I would like to think of them as speed bumps, you know, because, you know, the good news is I've navigated them because I'm here now. And as I look back, you know, I worked through them in one way or another. Again, a lot of that was going back to that circle, that network, that support group, to get through those challenging times. Some of it was also being brave enough to have the hard conversations, you know. And as a woman and as a mom, you know, I think back about the turning point in my career where I had a lot of opportunity to excel, but I was also ready to start a family, and those two things just didn't seem like they could coexist. And so I, you know, had to sort of suck up all my nerves and go in and talk to the CEO and say, you know, this is what's happening, you know, in my life, and I'm 110 percent committed, I'm excited about this work that I'm doing, but I need to find a way to make this all work, and can you help me. And, you know, the good news is he's like, absolutely, because I don't want you to leave. So, you know, let's chart a course that, you know, where it can be a win-win. And I've had several of those times in my career where I had to have that conversation, and, you know, thankfully, I was able to come out of those conversations and find a path forward that worked.

Mary Killelea: That's great. If you were starting out in HR today, is there anything that you would do differently?

Monique Little: Nothing major. I mean, I'm almost embarrassed to say that I really feel so fortunate, the way that my career unfolded and the opportunities that people saw in me and then gave me. You know, I think the thing that I have counseled others over the years, I've had the benefit of, you know, having interns and working with a lot of young people coming out of college, and, you know, it's don't get too focused too quickly. You know, in the field of Human Resources in particular, you know, there's compensation and benefits, there's employee relations, there's recruiting and, you know, staffing and talent and, you know, development. There are a lot of aspects, and if you jump in and just do one and master one but not expose yourself to the others, I think you're going to short change yourself. So that would be my, my counsel, is, you know, cross train, be, be open to continuous learning, and, you know, don't get too focused too quickly.

Mary Killelea: Yeah, that's great advice. And that's kind of the approach I've taken, is trying multiple roles within marketing, and when you're on the outside and you step inside to a corporation, there's just so many opportunities within the area of your core interest that you don't know, that you know, you never know unless you try or familiarize yourself with that segment of the business.

Monique Little: And even if you decide to focus, you know, at the end of the day, you're going to be better at that discipline because you've had, you know, that perspective, that context outside.
Mary Killelea: Yeah, absolutely. When you reflect back on your career, what are you most proud of?

Monique Little: I would have to say it's being able to see that I made a difference, whether it was with a person, you know, a team, and being part of some, some pretty exciting, you know, initiatives throughout my career where I actually got to contribute, you know, to the end results, or I got to lead the initiative. So, you know, it, it's been those, the accumulation of those wins that I reflect back, and I'm, I'm really proud of that I got to make a difference in some way, shape, or form.

Mary Killelea: That's awesome. What are your, let's say, three top tips that you might give women on networking?

Monique Little: Oh, I love to network. You know, people that know me know that I'm just, you know, I'm a people person at the core, and I love to make connections, and, you know, I've even introduced three couples who are now happily married, so, you know, so networking.

Mary Killelea: You're good at it.

Monique Little: I think it's a ton of fun, but, you know, I think it's starting where you're comfortable, right. I, you know, and it could be, you know, networking on a personal level with, you know, with an interest group that you have, you know, tennis friends or whatever that is, but, but start to build those skills, you know, in that safe space where you're comfortable and something that you're passionate about. So I think that's the first step. And then, you know, I also think it's, it's build on it, build on the people that you make connections with to introduce new connections. I love the sort of the Kevin Bacon thing where it's like, you know, somebody who knows somebody. I love doing that. I love trying to find a way to jump off of a connection that I have made to build a new one from that, and because it's, it's a little bit easier to do than just, sort of going blind and cold calling somebody or, you know, starting from scratch. And I think the third tip I would say, Mary, is your network needs care and feeding. If you're going to have a network, then give it some care and feeding. You know, I will text, well, you know, before covid, I would schedule lunch dates or a coffee connect with people, different people in my network, and, you know, it could be people from my past in my career, it could be people that work in the industry, but it's take the time to do some outreach today. I shoot an email off to somebody whom I haven't talked to, I might pick up the phone and call them, but you've got to give some care and feeding to that network, because you never know when you're going to need to tap into it.

Mary Killelea: I think so many people get busy with busy work that they don't carve out time for what you're talking about.
Monique Little: Yeah, I actually put stuff on my calendar, you know, and I wouldn't say that I'm the person who, you know, blocks out every single week, but I make sure that every month there is a time that's been carved out, again, for that coffee connect, to, you know, make a phone call or, or do a zoom call with, you know, somebody that I haven't spoken with in a while, send a couple of emails off, you know, maybe go into LinkedIn and, you know, shoot some notes off to some folks in my extended network. So you've just got to be really purposeful about it.

Mary Killelea: Right, totally agree. What does to be bolder mean to you?

Monique Little: Oh, you know what, I love the 2B Bolder, I just love that, I love how you came up with that. I think it's, well, I think it's risk-taking. To be bolder is definitely about risk-taking. I think it's about finding the things that you can do to be more courageous, right. Again, it could be, I'm gonna expand that safe circle. It could be, you know, I'm going to, you know, take this class in an area that is totally outside of what I do today, just to learn something new, right. It could be raising your hand and trying something new in your job. I think it can show up in a lot of ways, but it's coming up with, you know, what are the things that I can do today that are going to stretch me and help me become a more courageous person, help me to be bolder.

Mary Killelea: Love it. Let's talk for a minute about the HR certification that you took and what you learned from that and how valuable that was to the trajectory of your career?

Monique Little: Oh, I'm glad you're asking that question, because I think, you know, today there are a lot of programs at universities that actually focus on human resources, but, you know, in the early days of my career, when I was in college, we won't talk about when that was, you know, they just didn't have those programs. And so when I started my career, I found the certification program at Portland State in particular, and, you know, while learning on the job is great, and, you know, learning from people is great, again, I think it's that different perspective. You know, there's the academic knowledge and there's the practical, and so it was invaluable to me that I made that decision right out of the gate when I started in HR. And I was actually working over an hour outside of Portland at the time, and for a company, and I, you know, I said to my boss that, you know, hey, I know I really love HR, I was brand new into the field, I said, I really don't have a lot of academic experience, and I'd really like to learn more, so I want to enroll in this program. And thankfully they supported it, but I had to drive up, like, every night and go through the certification program. But what I learned from other practitioners in the field and then from experts who were teaching the course, and how I could bring that back, actually launched my career in HR. I mean, because I actually was able to add value early on in my career that I wouldn't otherwise have been able to contribute had I just started the job and then not gone that extra step. And then, of course, I ended up getting, you know, certified through the society for human resource management later on in my HR career, and once again, you know, it, that was a point to be able to bring back this perspective outside of my company and, you know, some academic knowledge and then be able to take that and do something with it. So it was incredibly helpful.

Mary Killelea: And then what drove you to shift into more the operational. What was the draw there?

Monique Little: Well, that was after, you know, having spent a lot of time, again, really focusing on leadership and management, and, well, I admittedly, you know, was not an expert in areas of operations, you know, how to prevent fraud, payment operations, all these banking operations. I mean, I've worked around it my whole career in financial services. But what I was confident in is that I could bring the leadership and manager and management aspect, and that I could hire the right people, but that I could develop and set people up for success to really help the operations excel. And I think I've been able to do some of that, you know, because of the great people that I've, that I've brought in along the way to work alongside and that I can learn from in the process. And now, you know, I know enough to be dangerous, but I'm certainly not an expert yet.

Mary Killelea: Monique, how could someone get a hold of you?
Monique Little: People are welcome to reach out on LinkedIn, because I love building connections. I love to hear messages on LinkedIn, give me a friend invitation.

Mary Killelea: Thank you so much, Monique.

Monique Little: Thanks, Mary, take care.

Mary Killelea: Thanks for listening to the episode today. It was really fun chatting with my guest. If you liked our show, please like it and share it with your friends. If you want to learn what we're up to, please go check out our website at 2bbolder.com, that's the number 2, little b, bolder.com.