MADISON, Wis.-From CUES' perspective, 2010 strategic planning sessions should go "back to the future."
Barb Kachelski, CUES SVP and COO, shared that credit unions need to get back to their roots and emphasize the CU difference. "It's getting back to sharing a message of why credit unions were formed," she said. "The economic situation makes that original premise resonate with members, the media, and even legislature. This is a strategy credit unions need to make sure they are continuing to carry out. Or if they have strayed from this focus, make a new effort to get back at it."
To effectively promote what separates credit unions from banks, CUs need to examine the credit union from internal and external perspectives, Kachelski insisted. Looking outside the walls of the CU, credit unions should pay attention to the needs of their members and position products and services around those needs, she said. Internally, it's building a positive culture that understands the CU difference and helps deliver that message to members daily. "The key here is that you are building a culture by rewarding the right things," Kachelski said, referring to insights shared during a recent CUES meeting. "You need to examine the credit union's investment in compensation and training."
Kachelski emphasized that the culture of the credit union cannot be driven by just the CEO, as those efforts can be wasted when the CEO departs. "You are building a culture rather than a cult. A cult requites the same leader to remain, and what a credit union needs to do is build a culture of leaders."
For info: www.cues.org
