3 ways to thrive during times of change

Every credit union we partner with is experiencing change right now.

Technology has changed the pace we work. Social media has changed our communication style. Competition for our time and attention has changed. Change is a part of our lives and a big part of our member’s lives too.

As a credit union leader you can help your team prioritize what’s important so they pay attention to what matters when they are experiencing change.

Here are three ways to thrive during times of change:

1. Understand emotions –we often don’t talk about ‘feelings’ at work however fear is a common emotion related to change. Fear of not knowing, changing members, new technology, industry and regulatory change. People may also be so excited about change and not know where to begin. Acknowledge the emotion and allow others to share it with you and build action plans to pay attention to what matters.
2. Communicate expectations – be specific with new responsibilities or roles, members or products. Don’t be scared of over communicating during a time of massive change and accelerate your 1:1 meetings with team members – they will appreciate your openness and availability.
3. Create environment – create an open conversation and be approachable to answer questions, manage emotions and build trust. Create positive language with the change so that people hear you say words like ‘challenge’ instead of problem or ‘opportunity’ instead of issue. Words are powerful during times of change, be careful with your language palette.

If you want your team to thrive during times of change, pay attention to their emotions and environment and communicate actively. Invest in additional development and training if required, share resources for more information and remember, you don’t have time to do everything, only time to do what matters.

Help your team understand where to direct their attention today.