Newsroom

Credit union executives and board members heard big ideas from four big thinkers during Thursday's Annual Conference in Seattle then took a deep dive into each topic with hands-on workshops led by the keynoters.

Hero effect

Heroes are "extraordinary people who choose not be ordinary," Kevin Brown, professional speaker/motivational storyteller at Kevin Brown Enterprises LLC, told conference attendees Thursday. He added that "ordinary is a choice."

The thinking that heroes are ordinary people who do extraordinary things is backwards, Brown said. This way of thinking only sets people up to be ordinary most of the time. He defines a hero as those who show up every single day of their life as the best version of themselves.

He presented attendees to his workshop with four things heroes do:

1. Help people – with no strings attached. Everybody is content to be "a choice" but you want to be "the choice," Brown said. He explained that this is what happens when you truly help someone.
2. Create an exceptional experience for the people they serve. "Nobody notices normal," he said.
3. Take responsibility.
4. Live and work with optimism.

Strategic execution

Deedee Myers, CEO at DDJ Myers, talked to Annual Conference attendees about the missing link in strategic execution: the development of mid-level leadership talent. She covered some struggles in execution, including organizational blockages and contractions, top-down dissemination no longer being viable, competing goals or organizing principles, and blindsiding or unanticipated collateral damage.

When talking about the missing link, she said that "making a difference or wanting to be needed is not generation specific" and that only "42 percent feel accomplishment, partnership and joy at work." Therefore, she added, developing mid-level leaders must be a strategic priority.

"Organizations with an aligned focus on people development and short and long-term strategic scenarios are better able to keep pace with the market changes and, in some instances, stay ahead of the learning curve," she said.

During her workshop, Myers covered eight characteristics of strategically oriented mid-level leaders, the responsibility of the board and senior leadership team in modeling empowerment and strategic accountability, why developing talent needs to be a strategic priority, and the environment required to prioritize the development of strategically oriented leaders.

Preparing for change

Pete Hilger, CEO and president at Allied Solutions, talked about how credit unions need to prepare for the future and discussed yesterday's members versus future members, the changing competitive landscape and four areas of risk credit unions should monitor.

Hilger pointed out that "46 percent of consumers now interact via digital, skipping physical channels altogether, up from 27 percent in 2012." He also noted that "63 percent of consumers want product and service recommendations and are willing to share personal data to get it."

Among the four risks credit unions should look out for: shrinking lending opportunities, losses and charge-offs, changing relationships and loss of non-interest income.

Hilger's workshop took a closer look at the questions credit unions should be asking now to help them prepare for the future.

Generational challenge

Dennis Dollar, former NCUA chair and principal partner at Dollar Associates LLC, talked about a board member's duties what an effective board does to make the best use of its time and how they guide their credit unions.

He said board directors recognize the importance of recruiting and retaining CEO talent and the changes in benefits, tax laws and marketplace demands in this area. However, he added that directors need to recognize the importance of developing the next generation of credit union volunteers that understand the philosophy as not-for-profit, member-owned cooperatives.

He also talked about ways to strengthen current board members, such as continuing education, fiduciary-specific training, board member evaluations and self-evaluations. His workshop, sponsored by BFB Gallagher, explored these concepts and how credit union boards can work as effectively as possible.

These same themes were presented to Annual Conference attendees during a live speech from NAFCU President and CEO Dan Berger Wednesday in a message that championed credit unions' competitiveness in today's marketplace.

NAFCU's 51st Annual Conference and Solutions Expo, which concludes today, is sponsored by NAFCU Services Corporation Preferred Partner Strategic Resource Management. For up-to-the-minute coverage, download the conference app, sponsored by CUNA Mutual Group, and follow #NAFCUAnnual on Twitter.