ASSOCIATIONS
Credit union association uses scenario-based planning and education to become a thought leader in its industry.
In the December 2003 issue of Association Management DSI's Paul Schoemaker and Franck Schuurmans discuss their work with credit unions to show how associations can find opportunities in uncertainty. Schoemaker and Schuurmans use The Credit Union Executives Society (CUES), based in Madison, Wisconsin, as an example of a non-profit organization that managed to transform itself into a thought leader in the industry. Rather than cowering from the looming uncertainty its members faced, CUES responded directly to the changing demands from its membership. Staff developed a consortium with well-known business schools (Wharton, Cornell, Darden, and the London Business School) to deliver an executive education curriculum addressing strategy, organizational change, and leadership issues-all key elements in addressing uncertainty.
In addition, together with DSI CUES published a number of reports about the challenges in the macro environment as well as those within the industry. And the organization launched a number of new products, including a scenario-based strategic planning simulation, which allows managers to learn about looming challenges and make decisions about the future of a credit union in the safety of a classroom.
These initiatives all relate to one theme: better understanding of the broader issues in the industry that an organization serves. Had the CUES board not expanded the association's role and had the staff not developed these initiatives, the world may well have passed CUES by. Instead, the organization boasts a 91 percent retention rate, strong growth in new-member numbers, and a 20 percent increase in its 2003 revenue. Moreover, members and non-members alike increasingly turn to CUES for the latest information about macro, industry, and organizational issues.
