From John: Choosing to Learn? Learn to Choose

To protect our collective health over the last 18 months, many organizations did more business online.

Credit unions accelerated their digital transformation efforts—and people of all ages did their banking remotely for the first time.

Grocery and retail stores developed new systems for curbside pickup and delivery—and some people will never go back to going into the store to do their regular shopping.

Learning organizations like CUES converted longtime in-person education programs to online offerings and developed new digital-only and hybrid learning options—and now people have more learning choices than ever.

How will you decide in the months ahead which learning options are the best ones for you and your team? Here are four key considerations.

1. Getting away from the distractions of the office, whether that office is in the credit union’s headquarters or the spare room at home, can be a key reason to choose in-person learning.
2. Building the rapport that comes from talking with someone face-to-face rather than screen-to-screen can be a great reason to get off Zoom and into a conference room.
3. Online learning serves people that can’t travel due to budget limitations or family obligations—or can’t afford time out of the office. Plus, being able to “catch the playback” can make it easier to cover staffing needs at the credit union.
4. Online or hybrid learning options sometimes offer better options for introverts—such as commenting in the chat stream rather than out loud in the room.

Sara Dyer, our director of executive education and meetings, has recently offered two tips for those who are ready to return to learning in person, plus five ways to make sure you get the most out of an online learning event. You may find her perspective useful.

Let me close with this thought. Whatever learning method you choose for yourself and the members of your team, you must demonstrate that the learning is aligned with your credit union’s business objectives and helps to deliver results that matter. Learning experiences tied to business objectives have their success metrics baked in from the outset. Did revenue increase? Did turnover decrease? Did member service improve?

I’d like to hear from you about how your learning choices are working out for you and your team members—as well as what impact that learning is having on your organization and its members.

Since joining CUES in March 2013, John Pembroke has played a leadership role in developing and launching a new direction in CUES’ strategy, branding and culture. Under his guidance, CUES has revamped its membership structure and launched new institutes. Additionally, CUES has expanded its market further into Canada and the Caribbean. Pembroke’s experience includes 25 years in financial services, marketing and e-commerce. He also has served as chief marketing officer at PSCU Financial Services, St. Petersburg, Florida. Pembroke holds a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA in Marketing and Policy Studies from the Booth School of Business of the University of Chicago.