You don’t need me to tell you that leadership in the Credit Union world can be challenging, frustrating and often exhausting. The problem is people!! Your staff and your members and let’s not forget you!
The challenge for leadership is to create a culture that encourages teamwork, collaboration, enhanced retention and strong employee branding. Generating this environment will build a better member experience.
One highly effective way to do this is through what I refer to as the Gift of GAB (Goals, Attitude, Behavior) Framework.
Net Worth vs. Self-Worth
The Gift of GAB primarily works on the basis that improving employees’ self-worth is significantly easier and more effective than improving their net worth.
In a highly cost-conscious industry, it is virtually impossible for leaders to significantly improve employee net worth. You cannot increase everyone’s salary by $10,000 and even if you could the brief improvement in morale would fade as the salary impact fades.
As a leader though, you can significantly improve employee self-worth and continue to do it each and every day in an intentional and deliberate manner.
The Gift of GAB
The Irish are famous for the Gift of GAB, which some people say is our ability to spew out voluminous torrents of words without pausing for breath! However, the Gift of GAB I wish to address today—one that will help you create an even better work environment while improving employee self-worth—is GAB as an acronym for Goals, Attitude, Behavior. In this article, we will address the power of Goals to enhance culture and employee self-worth.
Goals: Macro and Micro
Much is written about clear goals and vision and how to develop them. It is my belief that it can be boiled down to one simple Macro-Goal: What do we want to be famous for? In other words, what do we want members to say about your credit union when chatting at Starbucks or over the water cooler
This question gets you away from corporate speak to what people really say—and what you want them to say.
Corporate speak:
“We are committed to delivering member-centric financial solutions through collaborative relationship-building and operational excellence.” I can see that going over well while enjoying your low fat Frappuccino with added cream!
Member speak:
“I felt like a person, not an account number” or “They genuinely care about me.”
The latter, I would suggest, is what you really want to be famous for. It won’t happen though unless you ask the question “What do we want to be famous for?
The power of the question is that it can apply to each individual in your facility:
“What do I want to be famous for?”
“What do I want colleagues to say about me when they see me coming?”
“What do I want members to say about me when I’m not in the room?”
Good introspection around this question will help each employee to be more focused and, ultimately—as we will see—more valued.
Micro-Goals – The C.H.A.P.S. Concept for Building Self-Worth
Here we look at five Micro-Goals (C.H.A.P.S.) that will help each employee deliver on their “famous for” objective.
Goal achievement activates positive neurochemicals—dopamine, endorphins, etc.—in the brain. This applies whether we achieve a large goal or a small one. We simply feel better.
The English author Anthony Trollope wrote:
“A small daily task, truly done daily, will beat the labors of a spasmodic Hercules.”
This Irishman suggests that:
“A small daily goal (task), if truly done daily, WILL substantially improve employee self-worth.”
The logic of the five C.H.A.P.S. Micro-Goals is that they provide a win-win for you and your employees. They are:
- Compliment
- Hear “Thank You”
- Address by Name
- Positive Words / Phrases
- Smile
Compliment
You know how you feel when you are complimented—motivated and appreciated. Your self-worth grows. So let’s take this knowledge and set it as a Micro-Goal.
“My Micro-Goal today is that I will deliberately compliment one staff member.”
What happens when you achieve your Micro-Goal? You hear yourself compliment a colleague, your brain recognizes that you have achieved a goal, and you get a small dopamine boost—you feel better.
But what about the person you have complimented? They feel appreciated.
It is a win-win situation where you are building employee self-worth.
Hear “Thank You”
Set yourself a daily goal: I will hear “thank you” from a colleague.
Now, quite likely you were told “thank you” a few times yesterday, but it just went over your head. If, however, you set yourself a goal to do something positive for a colleague, when you hear “thank you,” what happens?
“Hey, I’ve achieved a Micro-Goal.” Dopamine hits. I feel better.
But what about the person saying “thank you”? They appreciate you more. You’ve done something to build their self-worth.
It’s a win-win.
Address by Name
If you wish a person to feel connected, address them by name. The most impactful word when you are in conversation with me is “Conor.” (My parents couldn’t afford two ‘n’s back in Ireland.)
The most impactful word when you are in conversation with members and those who report to you is their name. You are ‘seeing’ them. They feel valued.
When you achieve this daily Micro-Goal, it is another win-win.
Positive Words / Phrases
We have all been at meetings where Danny Downer and his twin sister Debbie Downer suck the energy out of a room with negative commentary.
The converse can also apply.
When you set yourself a daily Micro-Goal to use positive words and phrases—Amazing, Brilliant, Cheerful, Delightful, Energetic (I could keep going!)—you can change the atmosphere.
From my work, I know that over time, the environment and leadership style you create may well be described using those very same words.
It is a win-win because you intentionally and deliberately set and achieve a Micro-Goal that builds employee self-worth.
Smile
“The shortest distance between two people is a smile.” — Victor Borge
And ain’t that the truth?
When you achieve the Micro-Goal of putting a smile on a staff member’s face, you are building connection and their self-worth.
It will put a smile on their face, make their day, build self-worth, and substantially improve your chances of retaining that employee.
Final Thought
When you intentionally and deliberately enhance employee self-worth, you will generate a better workplace, improve retention and ultimately create an even better member experience. You can do it!