Onsite: Embracing change at the 2015 Carolinas Credit Union League Annual Meeting

There seems to be a common theme at the 2015 Carolinas Credit Union League Annual Meeting, and that theme is “change”.

The morning kicked off with a quote from C.S. Lewis:
“It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for a bird to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.”

Speaking to credit union executives from North and South Carolina on Monday, CUNA President and CEO Jim Nussle laid out his vision for the future and what advocacy should look like for the credit union movement. A man who admits that “advocacy has been my life,” Nussle challenged that different times will require a different strategy. While many would look at the passing of a CUNA-backed bill as a success, Nussle believes that it does not mean much if we are not growing as an industry. In his words, “winning equals growing.”

According to Nussle, one reason that many trade associations are struggling is that they get caught up worrying about themselves and not focusing on the people that they represent.  Advocacy is good for business and the power of advocacy lies in telling our members stories and focusing on results. Nussle’s focus going forward is to look at the value of that advocacy and what CUNA is providing for its members. He wants to remove barriers that prevent credit unions from providing for their members, create awareness to let the credit union message be known and to make sure that credit union service is excellent, by examining what credit unions do well and what needs to change.

Nussle also said that it is important for credit unions to not overlook small victories, to get involved at events like Hike the Hill and GAC and to look no further than your members to help create change. There may only be 6,400 credit unions CEOs nationwide, but those CEOs represent 78 million credit union members, whose voice is a lot stronger.

Earlier in the morning, Karen McCullough looked at the changing landscape of credit union membership, and millennials affect on credit unions.

She said that millennials look a lot different than older members, but they are always connected and are getting smarter as a result. Business processes, social values, technology, sustainability and generational differences are also changing as a result of Gen Y. McCullough quoted The Profit’s  Marcus Lemonis as saying “Success is always a moving target.. Anyone who thinks that they have arrived is kidding themselves.  In order to succeed today you have to understand innovation, technology, the new customer and be open to change”

One bit of advice that McCullough had for change was to not make it gradual. In order to not drag out the negativity of change, she encouraged credit unions to make changes soon and make them fast. Her formula for change is to relate, repeat, and reframe. By buying in to change, you will be open to learning, listening and trying new ideas. Make change something you want to do and then love it, own it and embrace it.

John Pettit

John Pettit

John Pettit is the Managing Editor for CUInsight.com. Through news, community, press, jobs and events, he keeps credit unions digitally informed throughout the day. Web: www.cuinsight.com Details