3 Steps to Future-Proofing Your Credit Union
Essential Advice for Your Transformation Journey
Kevin Porter, President and CEO, DxO Advisors, LLC
In an ever-evolving financial landscape, credit unions face the dual challenge of staying competitive while remaining true to their member-focused mission. With technology continuing to shape the future of financial services, building an operating model that can adapt and evolve over the next 5 to 10 years is crucial. But how do you approach this daunting task?
Drawing on my experience with both successful and unsuccessful digital transformations, I have three pieces of foundational advice for any credit union looking to future-proof their organization:
1. Let the Business Drive the Strategy
Technology is a powerful enabler, but it should not dictate your strategy. Ensure that the business side of the organization leads the strategy. This means making deliberate and informed decisions about what you want your credit union to be in the coming years. What kind of experience do you want to offer your members? What competitive trends deserve your attention, and which ones are just hype or shiny new distractions?
It’s essential to focus on your mission and strategic goals first and let technology serve as the vehicle that helps you achieve those outcomes. Too often, organizations allow their technology to drive the strategy or fail to delineate the roles of the business and technology. This leads to wasted resources and disjointed experiences. Be deliberate and keep the bigger picture in mind as you build out your strategic transformation roadmap and future state technology architecture.
2. Embrace an Omni Mindset
Embrace an omni mindset—not to be confused with omnichannel. Omni isn’t a channel; it’s a way of thinking and understanding how members view your credit union.
To your members, your credit union is a singular entity, whether they’re engaging in person, over the phone, online, or via mobile. Your underlying technology stack must enable seamless, connected experiences across every touchpoint—both for members and employees. This is no longer a nice-to-have but a non-negotiable element of any competitive credit union’s strategy.
An omni mindset ensures that your members feel known and valued, regardless of how or where they interact with your organization. By focusing on this holistic, seamless experience, your credit union can differentiate itself in an increasingly crowded and competitive market.
3. Ask for Help—and Prepare for Change
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Credit unions operate in a cooperative space, which means there are ample opportunities to learn from one another. What have others done well? What hasn’t worked for them?
Also, don’t hesitate to seek outside perspectives. Bringing outsiders into your strategic planning sessions can help serve as a stress test for your ideas and approaches. Often, organizations don’t have the necessary depth and breadth of experience in-house to fully understand the nuances of a digital transformation. A fresh set of eyes can offer valuable insights and keep your strategy grounded.
Lastly, it’s vital to prepare your employees for change. One of the most common reasons digital transformations fail is resistance to change within the organization. Your change agents—those employees who champion and drive transformation—will often be outnumbered. They will need strong support from the C-suite to succeed. Leadership must actively promote a culture of openness, learning, and adaptability. Without it, even the best-laid transformation strategies will falter.
Conclusion
As credit unions plan for the future, they must take a measured, thoughtful approach to their transformation strategy. By allowing the business to lead the way, adopting an omni mindset, and being open to outside help and perspectives, you can build a credit union that not only meets today’s demands but also is prepared for tomorrow’s challenges.
Is your credit union ready to future-proof the organization? Start by aligning your strategy with your long-term vision, embracing an omni mindset, and preparing your team for the changes ahead. Let’s future-proof together.
What steps are you taking to ensure your credit union stays ahead of the curve? Share your thoughts and experiences! Contact Kevin at kevin@dxoadvisors.com.
