What a world, huh? Sometimes it's a crazy, insane, unresponsive, ludicrous world, but hey, it's our world. The decisions you and I make today will stick around in this world for months or years to come. Some decisions are so permanent, they will be engraved into our future off-spring for eons. So, all of my credit union friends are saying, "but what does this have to do with me or my credit union?"
Good question and one worthy of the asking. As crazy as the world may seem today there is a great rainbow of opportunity that you and I see whether there's rain or sunshine. That rainbow began forming in American in 1909 in the State of Massachusetts. In our industry, most all of us have adopted the phrase "People helping People." I would pose the question today, "Is your credit union really helping people?"
I worked on the other side of the fence for more than 15 years. Yes, at a bank, probably just as many of you did. Not only did I work at a bank, but I also served on a state board where I actively helped fight the family I now call my own in the credit union world. I knew 15 years ago the exact same thing that I know today.....bank's aren't looking for opportunities to help people, but they are looking for opportunities to pad the pocket of the stockholder. For years I kept telling my wife that I just didn't feel like I truly helped anyone, but in many cases I probably hurt them more than anything. In the back of my mind, and all of my coworkers, we knew the drive would be to month-end and how much business we put on the books.
When I go home at night now I frequently tell my wife that I absolutely love my job, and I get such a reward from actually helping people every single day. I seriously considered leaving the financial world to pursue a career in medicine so that I could achieve that inner feeling of helping save or change a life. But hey credit union peers, you and I can do just that. We can choose to save a life of financial woe, change or rehabilitate a life scared and marred by a financial breakdown, or medicate a temporary illness due to unexpected turns in life. When we as financial doctors begin to look at a different approach to what the meaning of "people helping people" really means to us as individuals, then will we see the true value of our profession or calling.
I am constantly looking for that rainbow of hope that I can provide to an individual or a struggling family. I'm so thankful that my mindset isn't ever resting upon the thought of a group of stuffy, old, fat, rich, stockholders sitting around a large oblong table with their greedy goody bag opened wide waiting for me to fill it with unworthy earnings at the cost of a family or life. We have an obligation to continue the drive that started in 1909 and keep that engine running at full steam ahead. Forget about record earnings, and forget about trying to become the thing we hate the most.......A BANK! Be what credit unions were meant to be and everything else will fall into place.
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6 comments:
Hi D,
This is a great start to your blog. Indeed, this is the time for credit unions to shine. In your opinion, how can credit unions best help their members in these current times while also increasing the strength of the institution?
-Morriss Partee
CEO, EverythingCU.com
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I have been waiting for another CEO to post a message such as yours!
Great first post. Welcome to the revolution!
Congratulations on your new blog!
Congratulations on your first post! It will be great to have your perspective in the blogsphere.
In my last job, I was spoiled. I worked for the Montana CU Network (first as a marketing consultant for CUs, then as the Dir. of PR/Comm for the league) and every day I heard many amazing stories about what credit unions were doing in their communities and for individual members. Everything from city-wide volunteer efforts to single staff members driving to members' homes to pick up deposits or drop off cash to them. What I didn't see as much of was the ability to tell those stories. Maybe I'm just tainted (in a positive way) from that experience, but I still believe that more credit unions are serving their purpose than not. I do believe there remains a huge struggle with telling that story in a meaningful way. Credit unions are in a state right now where they're presented with a captive audience interested in hearing some positive news from credit unions. I hope we'll see some of those good news stories shared more candidly than ever; not just to convince external publics of our value, but maybe to convince some of the insiders, too.
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