PAYSON, Utah - Dennis Dunn runs his nine-branch Mountain High FCU out of a basement office in his home here, 15 miles away from his headquarters building. Dunn, a self-described workaholic, says it makes him–and his staff–more productive.
“My managers tell me that when I’m in their office they can’t get anything done,” Dunn kidded. “I am kind of a hands-on person. So I am always getting them to do things–try this and that. I think it would drive them nuts if I was camped out in a branch. This way I give them some leeway and I’m not looking over their shoulder.”
The decision to move to a home office wasn’t productivity based, Dunn explained. He made the change for health reasons. “Two years ago I had health problems that necessitated working from home. Once I started I realized I liked it and decided to keep it going.”
So Dunn turned his basement into an office with furniture and surroundings fit for meetings with vendors and staff. He also has all of the technology to stay in touch with the business. The CU’s phone lines, which are Internet based, run to his house. He’s also tied into Mountain High’s database and security system.
“That means if I need a report, or any kind of data, I can pull it up,” said Dunn, adding that he can also keep an eye on facilities and staff. “I don’t really do that very often. But they know I can, which is the important thing.”
Dunn feels he gets a lot more accomplished at home, often getting up at 6 a.m. and working until late in the evening. The convenience is an advantage and disadvantage. “I love my job and sometimes it’s hard to shut the office door behind me. If there’s nothing good on TV and my wife and I finish our walk, I might go down and send an e-mail or wrap up a report.”
Not Always In The Basement
Highly outgoing and a people person, Dunn is not always in the basement. He visits his branches regularly–and he can often be found on the front line.
“I work in the trenches,” Dunn told Credit Union Journal. “I’ll go out once a week and work in a department for two hours. It could be operations or the front line. I don’t teller, but I work behind the line and run the drive-up.”
Dunn says wearing a number of hats keeps him close to the needs of his employees, members, and business. But it’s also part of the CU’s “TLCS” philosophy of serving members and boosting employee morale and productivity.
“TLCS stands for tellering, lending, collecting, and sales,” Dunn said. “Everybody in our credit union does everything. Every employee handles loans, collections, and sales. If a member comes in and asks who they can see about a loan, our employees ask ‘How can I help you?’ And our incentive programs compensate employees well. At times, a rank-and-file employee will make more than a branch manager in a month.”
Dunn believes that the $59-million Mountain High FCU, whose assets have grown by an average of more than $12 million a year over the last three years, is “a completely unique model from other credit unions. It works well for us,” he said. “And we’re having fun.”
