Cross-department communication is key to success

We’ve all worked on group projects at various points in our lives. Whether you love collaborative work or not, you’ve probably figured out that communicating with your team members is what makes or breaks any project.

It’s no secret that group work can cause a few headaches if communication breaks down. Even so, the result of a well-coordinated team effort— a project coming together to be greater than the sum of its parts —makes the risk well worth the reward.

We emphasize the importance of communication in team projects, and even in larger-scale departmental collaboration. So, if credit union operations is one of the largest collaborative efforts that can be undertaken, why aren’t more of us focusing on communication across all aspects of our organizations?

It’s all interconnected

The decisions made in one department can be felt throughout all the others in some way, shape or form. Thinking about an entire credit union holistically might be daunting, but it’s important to step back now and then to consider the bigger picture:

The different departments of a credit union are more than just isolated business functions. They’re groups of professionals, individuals all working towards the same goal of providing the best possible experience for members.

In that sense, all of us, members included, are part of the same project. By changing how we think to reflect this shared goal, we can start to better appreciate the contributions of each department to the larger effort.

Engagement begets communication

Fostering an environment where your staff can appreciate each other’s roles starts with them feeling appreciated in their own position. Every employee is a valuable asset to their credit union, and publicly recognizing this is an essential part of creating a positive workplace culture.

Improving the relationship each employee has with your credit union yields a number of benefits, including their engagement with the overall success of the credit union itself. Because of this, they’re more likely to value and collaborate effectively with colleagues outside their own departments.

Creating a forward-thinking culture

Implementing a healthy, consistent means of cross-department communication may seem like a cumbersome task. And to be fair, it certainly can be. Those first few steps towards change are often the hardest, but when tactfully implemented, can start your organization on a momentous path.