Finish strong

It’s hard to believe that we’re officially in November with 2020 at our doorstep. This is the time of year when business leaders and employees alike begin to fall into holiday mode, taking much-needed time off to recharge and spend quality time with friends and family. And, while time off can be well-deserved, it’s important that while we are “on the clock,” we stay engaged, encourage our employees to do the same, and finish the year strong.

The last quarter of the year is a time when many businesses and financial institutions are striving to knock out sales goals and quotas for the year, developing strategic plans for 2020, or both. It’s important that your credit union stays focused on serving your members throughout the remaining weeks of this year, giving them the tools they need to meet their financial goals.

As the temperature continues to dip down and retail establishments across the nation stock their aisles with gift-wrapping paper and holiday decorations, here are a few things you and your leadership team can do to help your credit union finish the year strong and move into 2020 with a solid start:

Take a look back

It’s important to reflect on the progress our businesses have made over the course of the year. Meet with your analysts and product owners to review reports, sales trends, and processes. Schedule annual reviews with employees, vendors, and partners to evaluate how effective your programs have been over the past year. Like the old saying goes, “you don’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been.”

A few questions you and your leaders can ask yourselves:

  • Are we on track to meet the goals we set at the beginning of the year?
  • If not, what do we need to do to close the gap?
  • Did we solve any of the problems we identified at the beginning of the year?

Once you’re able to answer those questions, you’ll know the steps that you need to take in order to improve.

Evaluate your resources

Speaking of employees, as you’re wrapping up the year, it’s a good time to evaluate your resources—both people and technology. How have your employees performed this year? Are they engaged? Productive? Are your technology solutions efficient and compliant? When it comes to the success or failure of your current processes, both your people and technology resources should be evaluated. People should drive processes, but technology can come in to fill the gaps, providing automation and efficiencies. Evaluating your resources will give you and your stakeholders the information you need to determine if you have what you need to continue to propel your credit union forward.

Help your team stay motivated

There are hundreds of incentives and tactics leaders can deploy to help their teams stay motivated, but no one knows your staff like you do. As the year comes to a close, consider some creative ways to keep your teams motivated to sell and serve through the remainder of the year, helping your credit union to meet or surpass your goals. Since we’re in the season of thanksgiving, it’s important to make sure your staff knows how much you appreciate their efforts throughout the year. If you find that your credit union is falling short on your sales goals, you could consider introducing a holiday-themed sales contest or incentive program. Ultimately, it’s important to lead by example, showing your staff that even though the year is winding down, we all must stay engaged and focused so that we can finish the year strong.

Charlie Amato

Charlie Amato

Charlie Amato is the Chairman and Co-founder of SWBC. With 40 years of experience in all aspects of insurance operations, underwriting, and product development, Charlie is known in the business ... Web: www.swbc.com Details