Who’s your BS director?

It’s a requirement of every organization. They’re among the most important roles, ensuring all operations proceed smoothly!

Wait, why do you keep looking at me like that? What is it? BS? You know what it means. Oh, you’re thinking of that meaning. No wonder you’re so flustered!

BS is short for better systems. Because what else would it represent?

Imagine a BS Director. What would that look like? It’s no explicit role. They address auditing and accounting. They manage vendor relationships. It is even in their playbook to interact with members. They’re busy bees, learning as they go, continually developing BS for each action. They’re full of BS, and all they want to do is share it with others!

Good thing your credit union has no bad systems. Oh, but you do. Even if your member experience appears smooth as a glassy sea, there is some aspect where the waves pick up. It could be anywhere. Don’t worry, though. Your BS Director will help point them out, and suggest paths which navigate back to calmer waters.

And it doesn’t just have to be on the member-facing side. Maybe it’s way too much work getting that darn copy machine fixed. Or a certain regular action needs high-level approval, which wastes everyone’s time. It could be anything. BS Directors love variety.

Of course, as important as the BS Director is, they can’t do it alone. In fact, when did I ever say they were a single person? Your BS Director is every staff member (and sometimes even your members)! I know for a fact that many members of your team have great ideas. I’d bet some are sitting right now with suggestions which have never seen an executive retreat PowerPoint slide. BS Directors, everywhere you look! So why is it that we all don’t have BS oozing out of our very entities?

We don’t welcome it. Or, we let it be shared, then ignore it. At least where it doesn’t affect us or the bottom line of our organization. Maybe it was just inconvenient to bother at the time. Though, I’m sure no credit unions have ever passed on a good suggestion.

How do we ensure BS Directors in any role are respected and followed? By adopting a humble mindset: “Great ideas can and do come from all places. I’m open and eager to empower an environment of sharing!” Where your members feel welcomed to share how something would be better (and then see it adopted), it creates a tighter community. When your staff knows their feedback is taken seriously (they are the ones actually doing the work day to day!), you get those suggestions eagerly.

Can any of you remember a workplace where you feared repercussions for suggesting a better strategy? Or where the “best ideas” were from the boss, and the boss alone? Since most of us can, it’s our natural state. Your credit union needs to actively change that perception before people (members included) will be comfortable sharing. Let this article be your first BS Director. From here, in the words of Captain Planet, “the power is yours!”

TL;DR: Your members and staff have great ideas, but it takes a conscious shift to make people ok to sharing (and receiving).