Have you ever....

Tried to talk to your family and friends about what it's like to work in a credit union? To work in our industry? To volunteer in our movement?

I have.

It didn't go well. My family just can't understand what it is about working in credit unions that is so, well... Rewarding. They don't understand why I go in early and come home late. They don't understand: MEMBERS FIRST.

Now, this may be my lack of explanatory props, however the one response I got was kind of nice:

"We're still not entirely sure we get it, but you're passionate about it. Is everyone in credit unions this passionate?"

I wanted to tell them yes. Yes we are! And for the most part, I would say that we are. But there are one or two who have lost the way. Don't you think? Now, I don't want to become preachy. This is not a Sunday morning sermon. But you know that man or woman who sits two desks down who is just not interested anymore? The person for whom this is 'just a job'? How do we engage them? How do we enthuse them?

My response was to send a member of my team to become a DE. Three weeks later she left. So that was the wrong way to go. Or was it? Is the lesson that you can only engage people who want to be engaged? Are we trying to walk into an empty room with some people?

Maybe.

Does that mean we should give up? Well, no. But the easiest thing to do, the quickest solution. Just ask that person. Ask them what they think. How they feel. And what they want.

You'll soon find whether this person wants to be a CU Hero like so many of you out there. If that person doesn't want to be next in line for the credit union mantle, stop and think... what now? Sadly, for that, I have no answer. However, lets find people who want to be in our industry, want to be passionate and let's engage and enthuse them.

And hopefully, if we're lucky... When they get asked "if everyone in credit unions is this passionate", they can say unequivocally.... YES.