... Let's Paws!
We're a long way from through, but have covered a lot of ground. Hopefully there have been some insights and a few "ah-ha" moments for members and staff.
We have looked at the fact that credit unions were created to answer a real financial need among working men and women [ Chapter 1, 2, 5]; that credit unions are not banks, but many members don't know it [Chapter 3, 4,]; that to succeed, every business has to create a sustainable difference [Chapter 11,]; that the potential benefits of a credit union are limited only by the imagination [Chapter 12, 13, 14] and commitment of board, staff, and member volunteers [Chapter 16, 18, 19]; that there is a unicorn lurking inside every credit union [Chapter 6], and the members want you to discover it! [Chapter 10, 17].
Over the last 2 years, there has been a growing belief that SECU is no longer looking for that unicorn, doesn't know where to look, doesn't know how to look, or simply no longer cares to look.... that's what "this discussion" is about. And, in case you may have missed the point entirely, each member-owner of a credit union does have the right to discuss, to ask, and to question the direction, the performance and the leadership of their credit union. Credit unions are member-owned and purposefully democratic. That idea of democracy - if you haven't noticed - still offends "some folks"...
😻 But, here is the paws that refreshes! Tomorrow we're gonna touch the "third rail" of tax preparation services. Apparently employees don't want that member service back, that might be short-sighted thinking. Branch employees, in particular, may have hopefully begun to realize that their future opportunities with SECU are narrowing and perhaps headed for extinction. So before we jump back into the we/they "commentary squabbles", read this and remember ...
✅ You can preach mission and vision all you want, but where
the rubber meets the road is with the front line staff. You must have the right
folks, with the right heart... [here's one]
... so the "cat's out of the bag": "The Difference" is not " People Helping People". It's "The People Who Are Helping People"!
