Keeping the focus where it should be

During difficult times organizations can take one of two courses of action. One is to focus on internal processes, budgets and actions. The other is to continue to look outward and find a way to help your stakeholders regardless of whether the action is a prudent "business" decision. That is what organizations do in the good times to be successful. The same formula can be successful in the hard times too. I feel extremely lucky that my organization, FORUM, is taking that approach. Our business plan for this year is focused entirely on ways to help our members through these difficult times. These initiatives are not about cutting expenses or doing less...they are about doing the most we can for our members. We understand that if our members thrive, the credit union will thrive as well.

And the bonus benefit of this approach is that the staff of the credit union can and have totally committed to this approach. The response has been outstanding. Not because it is a change from what we always do but because it is different than what most employees thought would be our course of action in 2009. It's all about keeping the focus where it should be.