Why not check out my article by clicking here?! You know you want to.
I give a very brief over view of member loyalty from a 'psychology' perspective.
Thursday, 14 March 2013
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Some sun and my iPod on Shuffle...
Good morning my CU family.
I hope you enjoyed my slightly crazy animal related post yesterday?
Anyway, today, I think my feet are back on 'terra firma' and I wanted to talk to you about the little things in life. The little things that are important to us. The little things that make us smile. That make us happy.
I was driving to work this morning, it was cold... But the sun was shinning. And then a song that I am thoroughly enjoying at the moment proceeded to play on my iPod.
Life was good.
I went into the office with smile on my face, and the day so far has been incredibly productive. On top of that, my smile seems to have been adopted by my team. They have been happy and productive too! (Although the sun and their iPods may take some credit for that too).
It's the little things, right? The little things that can completely change the complexion and outlook of your day. Whether it a song or some sunshine.
Now, lets think about our members. It's the little things for them too. The friendly greeting in the reception area. The: "have a great day" at the end of a phone call. Those little moments can really turn someone's day around and we shouldn't take that for granted. That text message telling a member their balance. That handshake after signing up a new member. All those things, regardless of how small, mean something to somebody. And who knows, that 'little thing' might turn someone's day into a positive one.
So lets not forget the little things. Lets put our members first. Lets make sure that they are happy. If we look after the little things for them, the big things will take care of themselves.
So next time you are speaking to a member, think: "They are a person too. The little things make a difference and I am going to help make that difference!".
Finally, I know what you are all thinking, I wrote 'little things' 11 times in this post. Sorry. Nonetheless, enjoy the song I enjoyed in my car this morning. SING ALONG:
I hope you enjoyed my slightly crazy animal related post yesterday?
Anyway, today, I think my feet are back on 'terra firma' and I wanted to talk to you about the little things in life. The little things that are important to us. The little things that make us smile. That make us happy.
I was driving to work this morning, it was cold... But the sun was shinning. And then a song that I am thoroughly enjoying at the moment proceeded to play on my iPod.
Life was good.
I went into the office with smile on my face, and the day so far has been incredibly productive. On top of that, my smile seems to have been adopted by my team. They have been happy and productive too! (Although the sun and their iPods may take some credit for that too).
It's the little things, right? The little things that can completely change the complexion and outlook of your day. Whether it a song or some sunshine.
Now, lets think about our members. It's the little things for them too. The friendly greeting in the reception area. The: "have a great day" at the end of a phone call. Those little moments can really turn someone's day around and we shouldn't take that for granted. That text message telling a member their balance. That handshake after signing up a new member. All those things, regardless of how small, mean something to somebody. And who knows, that 'little thing' might turn someone's day into a positive one.
So lets not forget the little things. Lets put our members first. Lets make sure that they are happy. If we look after the little things for them, the big things will take care of themselves.
So next time you are speaking to a member, think: "They are a person too. The little things make a difference and I am going to help make that difference!".
Finally, I know what you are all thinking, I wrote 'little things' 11 times in this post. Sorry. Nonetheless, enjoy the song I enjoyed in my car this morning. SING ALONG:
Tuesday, 12 March 2013
My Credit Union Zoo!
When you were a child, where was your favourite place?
The park?
The ice cream shop?
The toy store?
Mine.... Was the zoo! To be honest, I'm 24 and the zoo is still one of my favourite places. So diverse, so much fun and still a place where you can go and learn something new every time you visit! A place filled with wonder. A place filled with excitement.
Now, you're going to have to bear with me for this... But I'm going to introduce you to my 'credit union zoo'.
My credit union is diverse, fun and still a place where I learn something new every day. I'm surrounded by wonder and in an office full of excitement. And what does my credit union have over the Zoo?! They pay me to visit and if it rains, I stay dry!
Now I'm going to try and break this down a little further for you. The variety of animals in a zoo, I feel directly equate to those in my office.
You have your Orang-Utans, Giant Tortoises, Lions, and Meerkats.
Now, you're Orang-Utans; they're the strong, intelligent, quiet types. We all have these in our office, right? The people that don't speak very often, but when they do. Everyone sits up to listen (or at least should sit up!). They always have something worth saying and we should take heed of what they have to say. But these guys aren't the rockstars of the Zoo and sometimes get ignored because of that fact. But trust me, do this at your peril. You will miss out on your next 'big thing' if you ignore your Orang-Utan.
The Giant Tortoise. You already know who this one is, don't you? The person who has been in the office since the start of time. Will do things at their own pace and usually slower than what's happening around them. This doesn't mean their experience is worthless. No, no. This just means you have to work with them differently. Adapt. Be flexible. These people might need much more convincing to try something new. But when they are convinced, they will be the largest advocate for whatever project they are on. The immovable object. Just learn that you might need to slow yourself down in order to have this chap on your side.
Our Lions. Here are our rockstars. Our heroes of our zoo. These are the guys that everyone wants to see. Who's your Lion? They might be the CEO, the leader of the pride. Or they might be the teller who your members can't get enough of. All we know is that they are the main attraction. No matter where they are in the CU hierarchy.
Finally your Meerkats. These are your million miles per minute people. Always have something to do. Never stop thinking. Never stop burrowing. Always something going on. Always working hard. And definitely your team player. They'll be your first guys in the office and the last to leave. They're committed and loyal. Your Meerkats won't let you down.
Thanks for bearing with me on that one! A bit abstract for a Tuesday morning. I know! But think about it, how is your credit union like the zoo of your childhood? What can you learn each and everyday?
Which credit union animal are you? Which animals are the people around you? Don't limit yourself to the ones I listed... be creative! I just didn't have time to get through the entire zoo.
If this is your first visit to my blog, thanks for checking it out! If you have come back, then thanks for wanting more! Keep an eye out for new posts and why not sign up for email notifications? Or follow me on Twitter?
Thanks for visiting my Credit Union Zoo!
The park?
The ice cream shop?
The toy store?
Mine.... Was the zoo! To be honest, I'm 24 and the zoo is still one of my favourite places. So diverse, so much fun and still a place where you can go and learn something new every time you visit! A place filled with wonder. A place filled with excitement.
Now, you're going to have to bear with me for this... But I'm going to introduce you to my 'credit union zoo'.
My credit union is diverse, fun and still a place where I learn something new every day. I'm surrounded by wonder and in an office full of excitement. And what does my credit union have over the Zoo?! They pay me to visit and if it rains, I stay dry!
Now I'm going to try and break this down a little further for you. The variety of animals in a zoo, I feel directly equate to those in my office.
You have your Orang-Utans, Giant Tortoises, Lions, and Meerkats.
Now, you're Orang-Utans; they're the strong, intelligent, quiet types. We all have these in our office, right? The people that don't speak very often, but when they do. Everyone sits up to listen (or at least should sit up!). They always have something worth saying and we should take heed of what they have to say. But these guys aren't the rockstars of the Zoo and sometimes get ignored because of that fact. But trust me, do this at your peril. You will miss out on your next 'big thing' if you ignore your Orang-Utan.
The Giant Tortoise. You already know who this one is, don't you? The person who has been in the office since the start of time. Will do things at their own pace and usually slower than what's happening around them. This doesn't mean their experience is worthless. No, no. This just means you have to work with them differently. Adapt. Be flexible. These people might need much more convincing to try something new. But when they are convinced, they will be the largest advocate for whatever project they are on. The immovable object. Just learn that you might need to slow yourself down in order to have this chap on your side.
Our Lions. Here are our rockstars. Our heroes of our zoo. These are the guys that everyone wants to see. Who's your Lion? They might be the CEO, the leader of the pride. Or they might be the teller who your members can't get enough of. All we know is that they are the main attraction. No matter where they are in the CU hierarchy.
Finally your Meerkats. These are your million miles per minute people. Always have something to do. Never stop thinking. Never stop burrowing. Always something going on. Always working hard. And definitely your team player. They'll be your first guys in the office and the last to leave. They're committed and loyal. Your Meerkats won't let you down.
Thanks for bearing with me on that one! A bit abstract for a Tuesday morning. I know! But think about it, how is your credit union like the zoo of your childhood? What can you learn each and everyday?
Which credit union animal are you? Which animals are the people around you? Don't limit yourself to the ones I listed... be creative! I just didn't have time to get through the entire zoo.
If this is your first visit to my blog, thanks for checking it out! If you have come back, then thanks for wanting more! Keep an eye out for new posts and why not sign up for email notifications? Or follow me on Twitter?
Thanks for visiting my Credit Union Zoo!
Sunday, 10 March 2013
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.
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.
My first post to CU Think Tank.
This may not be the blog that revolutionises credit unions. Or even the blog that gives incredible insights into our industry. However, I hope that this blog will be one where you can follow my credit union journey and, out of that journey we can learn a few things together in order to make a difference for our members and for each other.
Right now in credit union land, I am working with a small team of incredible cu advocates on trying to launch a new product that can hopefully give small co-ops an opportunity to access lines of credit. It's an exiting time and I'm looking forward to getting more information to you about this. But for the moment, you'll just have to be happy with my deranged scribblings:
Right now in credit union land, I am working with a small team of incredible cu advocates on trying to launch a new product that can hopefully give small co-ops an opportunity to access lines of credit. It's an exiting time and I'm looking forward to getting more information to you about this. But for the moment, you'll just have to be happy with my deranged scribblings:
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