The following is an excerpt of a guest opinion originally published by the Credit Union Times.
It’s a great time for U. S. credit unions. What about the rest of the world? How are credit unions doing in other nations, and why should we care?
Paying attention to what’s happening with credit unions in other parts of the world is about more than being altruistic members of the movement. Learning “outside the castle” fosters creativity and innovation, which are two essential components to strategic planning.
Inside your teams, there are those individuals with natural gifts for collaboration, those with a natural curiosity about the world and your credit union’s place in it. You know who they are. Challenge these shining stars to learn as much as they can about their international counterparts. Encourage them to get involved in the global credit union movement. It’s the kind of professional development that will yield an untold return on investment, not only for the progress of your own people, but for the advancement of the entire universal movement.
I recently had the outstanding opportunity to meet with leaders of the Asian Confederation of Credit Unions in Bangkok, Thailand. Over the five-day work session, two truths materialized. First, more women leaders are necessary for the continued success of the movement. Second, access to technology is universally important to the success of credit unions and their members.
I’ll explore each of these two truths in upcoming blog posts this week and next.