Five Signs Your Credit Union is Ready for Organization Design
Effective credit union organization design is much more than creating efficiency or cost cutting. Successful organization design builds culture intentionally, enables accountability and exceptional performance, and builds capacity for growth and innovation. Here are some signs your credit union might be ready for the next generation of infrastructure:
Recent or rapid expansion: I have an inorganic growth strategy and am planning for a sudden influx of talent and capabilities. I need to add new capabilities to achieve my growth plans. We’ve recently grown (organically or via a merger) and I need to make sure my new team is working together effectively to achieve our common goals. We’ve expanded rapidly and things don’t seem to be working as smoothly as they used to.
Siloed Departments / Lack of Communication: My departments and team are operating in isolation. We are frequently miscommunicating or duplicating work. My leadership team doesn’t seem to be collaborating with each other. Our inter-departmental initiatives have a low success rate and projects frequently start and stop.
Inefficient Processes and Decision-Making Bottlenecks: People are complaining about not having the information, tools, or other resources they need to perform their roles well. I’m not sure I have the right team in place to accomplish my goals. My team feels frantically busy - but nothing seems to get done. Simple tasks take too long to complete. The uncomplicated feels complicated.
Employee Disengagement and High Turnover: Top performers or high performing talent is leaving at a higher rate than other employees. We are missing critical expertise as a result of lost talent. We have major institutional/ historical knowledge gaps because of turnover. Employees don’t understand their path to growth. Employees are unclear of their roles or lack accountability to their roles. Employees seem apathetic or burned out.
Unclear Roles and Responsibilities: Employees are unsure of their responsibilities or decision making authority. Critical tasks and initiatives are falling through the cracks. Decisions seem to be stuck in approval loops. There are “too many cooks in the kitchen.” People feel entitled to make decisions they aren’t authorized to make.
If any of these scenarios resonate with you, it might be time to consider an organization redesign. Contact us today to learn more about the Five Tenets of Org Design and how to structure your credit union for greater success.