If someone walked in off the street and asked one of your front line staff about the difference between your credit union and other financial institutions, what would be the answer? Could he or she talk about all of the different products and services designed to meet all of the differing needs within your membership? Could they talk about the democratic and cooperative nature of the credit union...about your commitment to the community...about your commitment to members?

If our staff can’t fully articulate the credit union difference, how can we expect our members – not to mention the general public – to fully appreciate the unique and wonderful nature of credit unions?

Here are some suggestions on how to use your Statement of Commitment as a staff training tool:

• Schedule regular training meetings/sessions. For instance, you can hold 30-minute staff training sessions once a month prior to opening the doors to your members.
• Have a plan for each training program. In each session focus on: (1) a specific credit union product or service, which you will have already listed in Section 1 of your Statement of Commitment; and (2) one of the other sections of your Statement of Commitment (Sections 2-6).
  For example:
  Talk for 15 minutes about your latest loan promotion, then talk for 15 minutes about Section 3 of your Statement, Governance and Democracy. Tell your staff how credit unions are democratic organizations; tell them the difference between a member and a customer; tell them about your volunteer board of directors and volunteer committees.
• Make your Statement part of staff orientation. As new employees start, make sure that they review the sections that the rest of the staff have already covered.
• Repeat and reinforce! In each training session, highlight main points from previous sessions. Or ask participants to tell you what they remember from previous sessions. Take this opportunity to also tell your staff of any changes to your services. You may also want to post the most currently discussed section of your Statement of Commitment on your staff lounge wall for the month following training.

Having a knowledgeable, well-trained staff is key to the growth and development of any credit union. With your completed Statement of Commitment, you’ll be able to educate your staff, not only on your products and services, but also on your purpose and commitment to members.

Copyright © 2009 - Credit Union National Association, Inc.