The power of connectedness
I’m not sure when I realized I was old, then older, and now really old. It tends to happen when I stop and take a serious assessment of my life, my surroundings, and the ever-changing world – or when I’m noticing my musical preferences aren’t moving with the times.
When did I start listening to the “good ole days” music as a default? I used to think my parents were crazy for not listening to current music, the music I liked as a kid. Looking back at my parents and their musical tastes – wow, I just can’t. My mom loved polka and bluegrass. My dad loved elevator music. (Really? Who loves elevator music?) And they still do to this day. Me? Disco, rock, pop, soul, alternative, hard rock, metal…all the craziness that came for the 1970’s and 1980’s.
I passed along my love of music to my daughter. From her infancy, I would play a wide variety of music to expose her to all kinds of genres. And, on more than one occasion, I’d throw in my own little ditties usually made up on the spot when something interesting was happening. Dang, I wish I would have recorded the “poop rap” song. It was epic!
As she grew, I would quiz her on all things “music.” Who is the artist? What year was this song released? Name all the band members. What’s the meaning, or is it just a nice hook that makes the song great? Little did I know she would hear me loud and clear and torture me with musical quizzes of boy bands and YouTube stars for years to come.
Our love of music is one of the things that connects us. Even though our tastes are vastly different, we share a passion for music that unites us and sometimes even keeps us talking to each other. We may not agree on everything, but we do agree that music is awesome.
Finding the commonality, the connectedness, and belonging within our credit union team members is sometimes a daunting challenge. Generational, geographical, cultural, and other characteristics make it difficult to find alignment in our organizations. It can be as simple as people helping people, but your people need to fulfill that mission in a manner that’s authentic and natural for them. There’s no one way nor one right way to do something.
It’s equally true for our memberships. How do we connect with an even greater diverse group? We can’t be all things to all people, so what’s that thing we offer that 1) connects with the masses that are our members, 2) aligns to our mission, and 3) radiates the credit union love across multiple generations? Is it rates? Our products and services? The great coffee bar in the branch? I’m sure it’s something more intimate and special.
The power of connectedness can be a mighty tool for unifying our teams and members and fulfilling our mission. Ultimately, connectedness is a feeling that reminds us that we are all part of something larger than ourselves and that we are connected to each other in a meaningful way. It’s what makes our cooperatives work despite our inherent differences.
