Resolutions every credit union executive should make

What? Not another post about New Year’s resolutions. Well, kind of. Here are some resolutions credit union executives can make, if they truly want to deliver a better member and employee experience. I’m a big believer that management style has an impact on the service that is ultimately delivered to the member.

• Get out of the ivory tower.

  • Visit some branches every month. Branches can’t be treated as islands in your empire.

  • Spend time in the call center and see how problems are resolved.

  • Participate in a business development activity, be it a call on a SEG or a member fair. Selling credit union benefits is harder than you think.

• Engage members personally.

  • Responding to emails is just not enough. Vow to shake the hands of at least 10 members a month. Fist pumping is just fine.

  • Do you have a “concierge” desk? I dare you to spend a couple hours manning it. You can learn a lot on the front line.

  • Leadership is not about the leader. It’s about those you serve (your members and your staff). Stop talking and start listening. Personally ask members and employees what makes your credit union different. You may be surprised at what you learn.

• Energize your team.

  • A leader should work hard to help a team succeed. Have you asked your team what barriers they face? Ask the question collectively and individually.

  • Leadership should be built on a platform of optimism. Sure, you can challenge ideas. While pessimists are often right, optimists are more often successful.

  • Offer five times more praise than corrective feedback.

• Zero in and focus.

  • Possibilities are unlimited, but we all live in a world of limited time. Define your “it” – your “important thing”. Let others know what your “it” is so they respect your time and priorities.

  • Make goals clear and demonstrate how they support organizational strategy. Everything you do should support the member experience, right?

  • Set milestones and look for opportunities to celebrate the achievements of teams, individuals and members.

• Exhibit balance and make it part of your culture.

  • Credit unions should be the epitome of the people business. Make your people feel valued as individuals and show how their contribution impacts your bottom line.

  • Avoid micro-managing your team and you’ll grow trust and your people will become more flexible problem solvers.

  • The pressure and pace of daily business can cause the human element to be overlooked. Happiness is elusive without balance and unhappy employees have an impact on your service culture. What makes your team happy?

• Organize an Innovation Team

  • Encourage entrepreneurial spirit to de-commoditize your credit union.

  • Build a small team of motivated “inventors” to review key aspects of your member experience. Make the team very cross functional and mentor the team, rather than simply lead the team.

  • Offering people more dynamic roles in your organization, can drive a cultural shift and lead to innovation and new thinking.

Make 2014 the year you develop a social contract between your organization and the employees. You will fuel commitment while shaping attitude and key behaviors that support your service needs and expectations.