We’re Never Really Done
Many people have asked me recently “what has been your biggest takeaway from this competition?” The experience of being a Next Top Credit Union Exec finalist has taught me many things. For example, I learned the true meaning of this contest, which is the camaraderie, idea sharing, and support that comes from a shared experience such as this competition.
Throughout the last few months, Alexia, Devin, Jay, Josh and I have chatted over email and discussed our mutual passion for this industry and our individual credit unions. My biggest takeaway from this competition came from just that. We are all on a course of professional and personal development for which there isn’t a final destination.
Through defining and developing our organizational culture at Members First Credit Union, I have realized that we are never going to be done with this “project.” As the environment changes, we will need to adapt to those changes. Moreover, true perfection can never be reached because there is always room for improvement.
Over the past year, I and my team at Members First have defined our culture and our identity as an organization, mapped out our gameplan with the elements of our culture standards and definition of our purpose, developed our team, and collaborated with other credit unions. We’ve achieved great results this year including being on track to experience the highest profitability we’ve had in over ten years. But the really important work has just begun.
A successful organizational culture is made up of the people in your credit union, both employees and members, and it is a living element of your credit union’s strategic plan. The really meaningful work comes from bringing this “culture” to life every day so it is a consistent experience for our members. Our team is focused on sharing the values that we have created together.
A well-developed team may have a winning record, but that doesn’t mean it takes time off from practicing, honing its skills, and looking toward the future. We are going to continue to set the bar higher for ourselves, continue to learn, and continue to serve our members better than they would be served anywhere else. We’re in it for the entire season; not just today’s game.
Thank you to CUES and to Currency Marketing for offering this program, and allowing us the opportunity to share our successes with the credit union world. I look forward to making some new lifelong friends in Las Vegas next week, and am excited about participating in this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Amanda
