Achievers In Motion 2013

Achieve

Our Investment

Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice and is never the result of selfishness.

~Napoleon Hill

2013 Class Of

The Achievers in Motion program is a nine-month commitment for mentors and mentees. Fifteen non-

exempt employees are selected from the applications by a formal committee.

After selection, the mentor (usually a volunteer or someone who is recommended based on their potential

to be a great mentor) and the mentee are paired based on certain criteria. From this point, the two interact

periodically and build their relationship and their AIM experience in the direction they choose.

“BlueCross prides itself on providing a variety of professional development opportunities to employees,”

says Ron Harris, Director of Workplace Diversity. “By offering inclusive mentoring programs that meet the

individual needs of the employees, we are able to engage the diverse skill sets and perspectives of our tal-

ented workforce.”

Achievers

2013 Class Of

Nicholas Barrett

Lauren Bivens

Robert Boseman

Karrie Covington

Karen Eilers

Kendra Flagg

Pati Lackey

Shawanna Mason

Kimberly McGhee

Kelley Morrison

Chanel Randolph

Robert Tonkinson

April Vroom

LaKisha Wilkerson

Duane Yoshida

Life is not

about finding

yourself… it is

about creating

yourself.

O

Overall, I’ve enjoyed my AIM experience. I’ve appreciated the chance to take various classes and to work on the group project with the other participants. I’ve also enjoyed the time with my mentor, Brenda Wynkoop. I had never met Brenda before she was assigned as my mentor, but it turned out that we had a lot of things in common. We were able to connect on a personal level right away. Over the course of the program, she and I had regular meetings where we were able to discuss my career goals and set up various shadowing opportunities. I am grateful for all of her help, and I know she will be a resource and a friend in the future.

Karrie Covington

M

My experience in the AIM mentoring program has benefited me beyond expectation. Carol Wietlake, Director of Vendor & Pharmacy Con-tracting, was a tremendous asset to me during this time. She provided me with insight that will surely prepare and position me with achieving my goals here at BlueCross. Our meetings were very candid and informative. We covered everything from life lessons to career paths and even sports. This program is one in which you get out of it what you put into it. I tried at times to challenge Carol during our meetings just to get a view as to how she would approach various scenarios. I really value her thoughts and opinions. Through this nine-month initiative I feel as though it has truly prepared me in such a way that will allow me to display my talents and to re-sharpen my skills in preparing for the next level in my career.

Thanks Carol!!

Robert Boseman

I

I have enjoyed the AIM Mentoring Program. Initially, I did-n’t know what to expect especially after finding out the mentor/mentee would be paired based on our Predictive Index results. I thought, “YIKES”. Do I really want to be with someone like myself? However, I must say this was a wonderful experience and I have en-joyed my mentor, Monica Cramer. Monica has been so great in including me in meetings, going to lunch, and providing professional and personal support. I was truly surprised how much we had in common from work ethics to ideas and similar interests. The AIM program has truly helped me over-come my fears of networking. It not only forced me to; but I learned it was actually fun and easier than I thought. This is truly my Blue!

Shawanna Mason

W

When the AIM program began, I was lost. I had very lit-tle idea of what to expect, or what I was going to do to advance my career. In regards to my employment at BlueCross, I didn’t know much about what career opportunities were available, and I didn’t know much about the company outside of the claims and customer service production areas. I was able to attend several classes, one of which was “Overview of the Enterprise,” where several managers and super-visors, from all areas of the company, came to speak briefly about their departments. I was also able to meet, one on one, with man-agers and supervisors in the legal and treasury departments. Be-cause of these various meetings, I was able to learn about positions, outside of the production areas, that I am qualified for, and about possible career paths for those positions. My most memorable experience during the AIM program was the Chairperson of the Board Luncheon. Betty DeVinney, Chairperson of the Board, talked about getting out of one’s comfort zone, and that doing so was one of the keys to her success. My comfort zone is not anywhere close to a man-agement job, but Ms. DeVinney’s advice made me reconsider whether I might get over my fears and give leadership another try.

Because of my experience in the AIM program, I have been able to develop short-term and long term goals, by defining multiple realistic career paths within BlueCross. I also established a timeline in which to achieve these goals. To say the least, it is very satisfying, and exciting, to be able to establish a realistic goal for my future.

Robert Tonkinson

I

I have had the greatest time being a part of the Achievers in Motion program this year. It was an honor to be selected and I know my career at BlueCross will be positively impacted forever because of this experience. With this program came the opportunity to start a relation-ship with my mentor, Rafielle Freeman. I am blessed to know her and honored to learn from her experiences and wisdom.

During the course of our mentor matchup, I have gone to numer-ous meetings that covered aspects from BlueCare specific to Quality Oversight that incorporated all aspects of the Enterprise. I have had the opportunity to meet several key individuals within this company and see what else we do as a company. I have only had experience within Member Benefits Administration (MBA) since I started, so I loved the opportunity to see what else is out there and break out of my bubble. Rafielle has been proactive in allowing me to shadow within her area to see the analytical side of the reports that are created and maintained and to see how quality is handled in BlueCare. She advised me on how to update and better lay-out my resume to catch the eye of prospective supervisors. Because of this help, I was able to get a promotion out of the original area I started in and I feel like my path here at BlueCross is just beginning.

Duane Yoshida

T

Kendra Flagg The AIM program has taught me a lot. The experience that stands out the most was when I explained my career goals to David Rowe and what skills sets I want to work on. David gave some very good advice on how I can improve on them, and he also gave me some books to read: Leadership and the One Minute Manger by Ken Blanchard as well as a Situational Leadership workbook. One of the things I wanted to work on was improving my leadership skills and determining what type of leader I am. Leadership and the One Minute Manger by Ken Blanchard was very informative. It not only explained the different leadership styles, but it went into detail about situational leadership and when each style was appropriate. I also learned that my leadership needs from upper management would depend on my level of knowledge and com-fort with the task at hand. This was an adjustment for me because I tend to want to be good and independent at everything; I don’t like micro-management, but the books explained that sometimes that is needed and only temporary depending on the phase you are in. To make a long story short, it was a great read, and it helped me a lot. I have already recom-mended it to some of my coworkers.

T

The day I first met my mentor, Aaron Mills, was the same day I accepted a new position as Technical Writer in the Technology Shared Services (TSS) Division. My head was in the clouds for sure, but I knew right away the job of matching me with a mentor was a job well done. It was obvious from the beginning that Aaron and I had very similar work ethics and professional styles. Being matched with someone outside my division gave me the opportunity to learn more about the insurance aspect of BlueCross. This was one of the goals I had for this experience. Aaron and I shad-owed each other in our roles, and I found this very rewarding. It was fun to share with him what it is I do and extremely educational to learn about Medicare Advantage. I joined Aaron at an overview meeting of the Stars Rating Program and found this so interesting I passed it along to the VP of TSS, as I knew it would be a great topic for his next all staff meeting. This led to the topic of “Transforming the Scores” being covered at his November TSS All Staff Meeting. I also found the scheduled classes/events put on for the men-tees were a great compliment to the overall AIM program experience: Effective Communication, Chairwomen of the Board Luncheon, and Resume Writing. My mentor has been a great support for me over the past several months. We have shared professional experiences, goals, passions, and talked a lot about the challenge of creating and maintaining a proper life balance. I feel honored to have been chosen for the AIM Program and give thanks for having this opportunity.

April Vroom

Kelley Morrison

I

I am very appreciative to have been able to participate in the 2013 AIM Mentoring Program. My mentor was Dr. Ned Giles, from the Pharmacy Management area. I work within the Quality area for BlueCare, so having a mentor in such a vastly dif-ferent area was very beneficial for me. I was able to learn processes from the Phar-macy program and compare them to those of my own area. Throughout the pro-gram, I enjoyed meeting individuals and making connections throughout the com-pany from areas I’ve never had an opportunity to interact with despite my 12 years of employment with BlueCross. I was also able to sit in on meetings with external members from pharmaceutical vendors and with student interns.

Dr. Giles is a very intelligent and knowledgeable man. He was an excellent mentor, sure to include me in the planning process of our meet-ings and establishment of goals we each wanted to achieve during this pro-gram. Our meetings have been very enjoyable, and Dr. Giles always gave sound advice both professionally and personally. I appreciate the time that Dr. Giles devoted to me and this program, and I feel certain that he will continue to be my mentor after graduation.

T

Throughout this entire experience, my mentor and I have

made an effort to learn from one another. We learned each other’s

job functions, she provided me with articles and literature, and we

completed the Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt training together. She

has helped me to learn the importance of being flexible and how or-

ganization is critical in those times you have to “bend.” I also

learned to handle issues and tasks immediately and not let them sit.

She has become a resource for me that I will have as I continue my

career at BlueCross. I gained a lot from this experience and I am glad

to have formed a relationship that will not end with the close of this

program.

Lauren Bivens

M

Kimberly McGhee My mentor is Dale Bolton and he is a great mentor. On our first meet-

ing, he asked what I wanted to do and he has made sure that I have been able to

gain more insight to the areas of the company that interest me. I have been

given opportunities in AIM that I am not sure I would have been able to

achieve without having a great mentor and willingness to participate in my

own success of the program. I have been able to gain more insight into the HR

department and I have gained valuable information about the marketing de-

partment at BlueCross. He has understood the obstacles that I

have faced this year with training and completing my master’s

degree that have limited the amount of face-to-face meetings.

He has truly been a great mentor and I believe that this profes-

sional relationship will continue in the future.

M

My experience in the AIM program is one that I feel I

will look back on in years to come and see it as one of my de-

fining moments in my career here at BlueCross. The insights

and knowledge I walk away with now from my lunches with

JD are something that will shape my future path here at Blue-

Cross. To be able to see our company through his eyes and hear

about some of the challenges we are facing and how we are go-

ing to tackle them was an eye-opening experience. I had high

expectations coming into this program and I had in my mind

what I wanted to get out of it. This experience has far sur-

passed both.

Nicholas Barrett

T

The AIM program has been an interesting skill-building experience. I began this journey with

one career interest in mind, but I now see a few ways to achieve my goals while improving a member’s

life and lifestyle on a personal level through outreach. I have more than enjoyed getting to know and

work with Maria, my mentor. Maria has set me on a course to achieve this goal and much more.

She gave me a better understanding of how other divi-

sions work outside of my own by shadowing with individuals

in both the commercial services and state-managed areas. I

also enjoyed my time getting to know and working with other

mentees during this program. It has brought me together with

co-workers that I may not have been granted the opportunity

to meet before.

LaKisha Wilkerson

We proudly present the

2013 Achievers in Motion Participants

2013 Achievers in

Motion participants

completed the program

on December 12, 2013.

The AIM Workgroup,

the mentors, and Blue-

Cross thank you for

your dedication and

participation.

“Management is doing things right...

Leadership is doing the right things.”~

Peter Drucker

Con

gratul

ation

s