Pass Me the “Remote”

Fellow credit unions and credit union advocates: The time has come for a change. Our hand has been more-or-less forced by the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to tighten its grasp on our country and the planet. Change is necessary and has to happen if we are to uphold the credit union way of people helping people. And that’s why I encourage us all to please pass the “remote” so that we can think about creative, new ways to keep our service levels high—even if they’re from a distance.

After settling on your planet and becoming a part of myCUmortgage, I was immediately taken to the stars by the way credit unions approach business. Members come first, period. Of course, a lot of businesses say this about their customers, but myCUmortgage and its partner credit unions legitimately walk the walk and talk the talk.

Probably the most difficult part about the numerous changes caused by the pandemic is not being able to see and talk to your members and colleagues face-to-face. I discussed this in my most recent blog post and the need to become more digital during pandemic times. Fortunately, society is quickly adapting to new ways of working more safely in person, working remotely when possible, communicating and doing business wherever we’re working. While not the norm per the credit union way of doing business, it’s the right and responsible thing to do, for the safety of all involved.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve talked about this need to change and provided potential ideas on how to incorporate these new ways of doing business. That has now all become a reality—these changes should already be in motion, which leads us to our next question: “How do we manage this new way of doing business and continue to serve our members’ needs?”

While I have some of my own ideas on how to accomplish this, I sought the advice of management subject matter experts. I’ve combed through my resources and created a list of some of the key things credit unions need to consider as they manage a remote workforce.

Stay Calm & Mortgage On: Let’s face it—the unknown can be a little scary. For instance, as I was blasting through your galaxy on the way to Earth, I had no idea what was waiting for me on the Big Blue Marble. This pandemic is doing the very same thing to all of us. Reassurance, support and a calm sense of reason carry over to your colleagues, leading to a stable and productive work environment.

Don’t Try to Climb Mount Everest (or Rocketship Rock on my planet): With business as usual not being as such, now is not the time to set your aspirations too high and try to tackle a project that would be difficult even in normal situations. Approaching tasks with certainty will lead to better outcomes and build confidence within your team.

You’ve Got Questions, We’ve Got Answers: I read the following earlier and it really stuck with me: “Remote work works, but not in a vacuum.” Keep all communications channels open and use them at regular intervals. By consistently communicating with your team and asking them the right questions, productivity will continue to grow because they feel heard and remain accountable.*

We’ve Got a Tool for That: As mentioned in my previous blog post, digital tools are essential during this pandemic. Invest, when possible, in digital tools that will keep your team connected. While some of these may be out of reach or don’t necessarily make sense in your particular work environment, you should consider digital tools for things like:

• Messaging
• Video conferencing
• Project management
• External “cloud” storage and sharing
• Productivity and time trackers

Take Care of Yourself: While the effects of the pandemic are out of our hands, taking care of ourselves is completely within our control. Encourage your team to set work hours and stick to them. Get them focusing on their hearts, minds, bodies and spirits by helping them make sure they’re working in time to rest, exercise and generally do the things that they normally do. And YOU need to do the same!

As you can see, while we can’t help our members and colleagues face-to-face, we can still deliver them the service and assistance they need from us. It’s the new way of doing business—in our neck of the woods, we refer to this as “Business as myCUsual.” And if you’ve done business with myCUmortgage experts, you know that they are anything but usual… they are exceptional.

Please continue to stay safe!

*Content derived from the 15Five Blog.