Solid Organizational Steps to Support ‘Good’ Growth
Position your credit union to achieve its goals using clear and manageable workplace methodologies.
Carolyn Reeves​, MS, SPHR, CUDE, ACC
One of the great things about credit unions is their philosophy of growing for good reasons. Credit unions sometimes put forth a growth strategy so they can, for example:
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Be poised to develop team members and the organization overall.
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Add more value for members.
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Do more good in their community.
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Having a healthy organization is an essential part of any growth strategy. However, sometimes organizational development undertakings can seem overwhelming. Fortunately, breaking down these efforts into several actionable steps can bring clarity and ease.
This article will provide examples of how organizational development in support of growth can be done well. In each example, we’ll thoughtfully apply best practices grounded in research and experience.
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First we’ll look at establishing alignment with the mission and improving operational processes. Then we’ll consider a process for equipping leaders for the future.
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ESTABLISHING MISSION ALIGNMENT AND IMPROVING OPERATIONAL PROCESSES
If you want to shape your culture and enhance employee engagement to thrive in a high-growth environment, you'll want to align your team with your mission. This will, in turn, drive performance, and improve daily interactions among team members and with members. Prioritizing culture and operations can ease pressures and boost productivity, setting the foundation for successful growth.​​​​
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Let’s break this effort down into four key steps:​​
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​​​​​Assess: Do a comprehensive audit to gauge the alignment and misalignment between the expectations of leaders and the experiences of team members. This typically is done by gathering data through surveys, observations, interviews, or focus groups.
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Align: Involve leaders and the team in developing an action plan for the needed changes. For some organizations, this means realigning performance metrics; for others, this means improving operational procedures. Build a concrete road map to close the gaps.
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Execute: Integrate the plan into leadership practices and daily operations by conducting coaching sessions for leaders and interactive workshops for team members. These sessions must ensure leaders and team members understand the changes and how best they can implement them.
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Sustain: Ensure the longevity of changes through continuous monitoring and reinforcement. Lay out a plan for ongoing evaluation, accountability, and support, then adapt it as needed. Be sure to keep your focus on achieving the desired outcomes.
​​Some key items may help you.
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Data collection report: This compiles the data gathered from surveys, observations, interviews, or focus groups.
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Alignment report: This describes the alignment or misalignment between leadership expectations and team experiences.
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Change action plan: This is the result of leaders and team members working together to address any gaps that have been identified.
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Implementation roadmap: Details are important in this document that lays down the change action plan.
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Leadership coaching sessions: Leaders will often benefit from coaching on how to support action plan implementation.
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Team workshop: Team members will often embrace changes better with supportive training.
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Accountability solutions: As the adage goes, what we measure gets done. How will you measure success with your efforts? Write it down and then describe how everyone will be held accountable for achieving the key metrics.
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Monitoring tools: Plan for the tools you’ll need to continuously monitor your organization’s progress on the changes.
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Sustainability strategies: Plan how you will sustain the changes over time.
​​​​​​EQUIPPING LEADERS FOR THE FUTURE
By ensuring leadership continuity, succession planning supports the growth of an organization that’s already made sure its culture and operations align with its mission. To set leaders up for success, first evaluate the roles you have, then assess the people you have in each role and finally, make strategic talent decisions. This helps ensure the right leaders are ready to step into critical roles as needed.​​
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Taking this one piece at a time, let’s consider a four-step process: assess, review, develop, and advance.​​
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​​Assess: Identify key leadership roles critical to the credit union’s success. Gather relevant metrics and data to evaluate current performance and potential. Build detailed profiles for roles, highlighting strengths, development areas, and growth opportunities.
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Review: Establish a cadence for reviewing your leadership talent and evaluate your leaders’ readiness for potential opportunities. Make sure these reviews are ongoing to ensure that talent continues to be aligned with organizational needs and strategic goals.
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Develop: Create and activate targeted development plans. These plans should focus on enhancing skills and competencies necessary for their current and future roles, preparing leaders for both lateral and upward movement within the organization.
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Advance: Make informed leadership decisions based on the development plans and talent reviews. This includes decisions for lateral role changes and upward promotions, ensuring the right individuals are positioned to take on increased responsibilities and drive the credit union’s success.
​​​​Once again, some key documents may help you:
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Leadership framework: Leverage job architecture, and detail measurable and observable behaviors.
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Leadership profiles: Develop profile templates for various leadership levels, outlining key competencies and expectations.
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Leader development plan: Design a structured outline for leader development, including goals, activities, and evaluation criteria.
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Continuity review cadence: Establish and document a regular schedule for continuity reviews, and document and refine your decision-making processes.
Remember, building a healthy workplace is something you can do sustainably, whether on your own or with the help of an experienced outside consultant. Breaking your efforts down into steps can create clarity and ease. Your growing organization, its members, and the larger community will reap the benefits of your efforts.
Carolyn Reeves, MS, SPHR, ACC, CUDE, is a workplace consultant and leadership coach who partners with leaders to build high-performing teams and positive cultures. With over 20 years of talent development experience—including 16 years in a senior position at a $30 billion credit union—she provides practical, real-world guidance, always focused on what drives lasting success: people.