Reflecting on The One Conference I find myself at a crossroads. On the one hand I find myself more impassioned by the credit union movement – our philosophy and vision, and the desire to empower people to a better financial future. On the other hand, I find myself frustrated by a stagnated industry mired in politics and mediocrity.
I believe that the not-for-profit financial services industry wants to do good in the world. However, we engage in self-justification and naval gazing while simultaneously failing to gain market share and relevance. Surely I’m not the only credit union advocate to realize this.
In the words of Alec Baldwin’s character in Glengarry Glen Ross: “Get mad, you sons of bitches! Get mad!”
The general public perception is that it has never been more uncool to be a banker right now. A colleague of mine recently commented he was contemplating going back to his old job as a car salesman because the customers were more trusting. Believe me, he gets credit union philosophy – public perception and trust has simply eroded to this depth.
What can we do to solve this dilemma?
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