I love Google. I mean capital L to the O to the V to the E, love Google! It is easy to use, inventive, free…and it reminds me that I am not alone. I know that is kind of a bold statement to say about a search engine, but it is true on so many levels.
For example, I know that when I have an issue with Excel or I hit a wall with Photoshop someone out there has shared the same frustrating issue, posted their problem online, and gotten the answer. All I have to do is Google it and BOOM – me and FrustratedBen369 are GFFs (Google Friends Forever).
Credit Unions are all about connecting. We share ATMs. We share branches. We have our own shared day of celebration. We take sharing and connecting to a whole new level.
Take a minute to think of the times you have emailed a peer with a question and gotten not only an answer but a detailed how-to and samples. That is just what Credit Unions do!
It is in this spirit that we implemented an Employee Exchange Program in the Fall of last year. Each quarter we select an employee (through a nomination process) to visit a partnering Credit Union. The employee shadows someone in a similar position for a day. They share processes, network, and gain insight.
Three employees have participated so far and they each returned with the same feeling:
“It is refreshing to know you are not alone in some of the issues you face every day.” - Jose Armenta, Employee Exchange Participant
We are so often stuck in our own world. Only I have ever dealt with this issue. No one understands what I am going through. When we open ourselves up to the Credit Union Connection, it doesn’t take long to realize that we are not alone and that there are others out there just like us, dealing with the same issues and experiencing the same set-backs.
Finding host Credit Unions has been as simple as reaching out. Credit Unions have opened their doors without hesitation – real-life proof of the Credit Union Connection. Can you imagine a Wells Fargo teller being invited to shadow and share with a Bank of America teller? Really? That thought alone is worthy of a Twilight Zone episode.
Sharing and connecting is part of what makes Credit Unions different from other financial institutions. That difference is something we should embrace and strengthen whenever possible.
So, the next time you are working on a project and you hit a wall, reach out to your Credit Union friends. One of them has been there, done that, and is willing to share (samples and all)!
