A Direct Line Blog

By Donya Parrish, MCU VP- Risk Management

How often does your board step back and look at your own performance? Do you have goals and standards you hold yourself accountable to? If not, you are not alone. It is common that board members just show up for the monthly meeting, get through the packet and agenda, and call it a success.

In this modern era, your credit union deserves a board that champions the credit union’s members and future. This TEAM Resources blog caught my attention in addressing a question none of us are comfortable asking — is it time to ask a few of your board members to step aside? Addressing Underperforming Directors is a bold summary on a critical topic. In fact, it is a conversation more of us need to be brave enough to bring forward as credit unions in our state evolve in this fast-paced and ever-changing financial world with the demands of multiple generations at the heart of it.

Asking someone to step aside from a director role is never about labeling them as not caring or being productive when they are engaged. Instead, it is a recognition that sometimes the time is right to let the next generation step in and move into a mentorship role for them. Kevin gives some excellent advice in the blog above. I particularly like his suggestion that you should “ask about the circumstances and be ready to listen and really hear what is going on.”

Listening better is a personal goal of mine! If you have a suggestion on how this conversation can be started that was not already covered, I am all ears!