Beyond the Message

As leaders, the words we choose carry weight. But in purpose-driven organizations like credit unions—where mission, community trust, and financial responsibility intersect—communication takes on heightened significance. Every word, every tone, every pause can ripple across audiences, shaping how members perceive your value, how employees understand their purpose, and how the broader community sees your credibility through media coverage.

The difficulty is that leaders often fall into the trap of communicating “one-size-fits-all.” They craft a single announcement or message, then push it through multiple channels, expecting it to resonate with everyone. The result? Dilution. What inspires employees may confuse members. What reassures members may sound overly promotional to journalists. Inconsistencies create doubt, and doubt erodes trust.

The real challenge isn’t just what to say—it’s how to say it differently, while maintaining a consistent core message.

The Leadership Skill: Adaptive, Intentional Communication

The most effective leaders understand that communication is a strategic action, not just sharing of information. It’s about reading the room, anticipating perception, and meeting people where they are—while staying true to your mission.

This requires you to develop your adaptive communication skills, blending emotional intelligence with strategic framing:

• Empathy with perspective: Can you see the issue through the lens of each stakeholder, understanding what they most need to hear?
• Clarity with nuance: Can you simplify complexity for members while providing enough depth to satisfy employees or media?
• Consistency with flexibility: Can you keep the core message intact while tailoring tone and framing to fit the audience?

These are not small tasks. They require you to shift from reactive communication to intentional storytelling—consciously shaping how messages move through your ecosystem.

Stakeholder Focus: Members

Why it Matters: Your members are the lifeblood of your credit union. Yet they don’t live in the weeds of credit union strategy. Their perspective is deeply personal: “How does this help me? Can I trust you with my money, my goals, my family’s financial security?”

Leadership Insight: Too often, leaders communicate with members as though they were employees—sharing internal milestones or operational details that don’t translate into member benefit. Members aren’t seeking your strategy; they’re seeking your impact.

Deeper Application:

• Translate strategy into stories. Instead of saying, “We’ve implemented an AI-powered fraud detection system,” consider trying, “We’ve strengthened how we protect your account, spotting suspicious activity faster than ever.”
• Acknowledge emotions. Members don’t just weigh logic—they weigh feelings of safety, belonging, and empowerment. Leaders who name these emotions in their messaging create stronger bonds. Strong brands are built on the emotional connection with the member, not on rational thinking.
• Be proactive in ambiguity. Silence during change breeds uncertainty. Even if every detail isn’t finalized, communicate progress and intent.

Tone to Strike: Accessible, reassuring, and purpose-driven—like a trusted guide who speaks with, not at, the member.

Stakeholder Focus: Employees

Why it Matters: Your employees are your culture ambassadors. The way you communicate with them sets the tone for how they interact with members and each other. If you over-spin, sugarcoat, or withhold, employees notice—and it erodes authenticity.

Leadership Insight: Internal communication is about building alignment and trust. Employees want context and clarity; they want to understand the “why” behind decisions so they can own the “how” in their day-to-day work.

Deeper Application:

• Over-communicate the “why.” Employees can accept tough news (budget constraints, system changes) if they see the reasoning. They disengage when left in the dark.
• Invite dialogue, not just compliance. Leaders who open two-way channels (forums, feedback loops, leader Q&As) foster cultures where employees feel seen.
• Balance inspiration with honesty. Inauthentic, overly positive messaging can feel dismissive. Employees respect leaders who acknowledge challenges while casting a vision for the path forward.

Tone to Strike: Transparent, authentic, and collaborative—you’re walking beside the team, not above it.

Stakeholder Focus: Media

Why it Matters: The media amplifies your story beyond the walls of your institution. It shapes how the public perceives your credibility, your values, and your role in the community. Poor media communication can frame you as defensive, opaque, or irrelevant. Strong media engagement positions you as a thought leader and trusted partner.

Leadership Insight: Journalists are not members, nor employees; they’re storytellers seeking clarity, accuracy, and perspective. Leaders who approach the media as they would a marketing audience risk credibility. Consider media engagement as a way to partner in truth-telling, not promotion.

Deeper Application:

• Lead with clarity and evidence. Avoid jargon and fluff. Share concrete facts, backed by data or real-world impact.
• Respect the journalist’s role. They are not a mouthpiece. Approach them with respect for their craft, offering value and transparency rather than trying to control the narrative.
• Have a core narrative ready. Whether in good news (new community investment) or bad news (a data breach), it’s important to have a clearly defined narrative that explains purpose, context, and next steps.
• Use media proactively, not just defensively. Too many leaders only engage the media in crisis. Instead, seek opportunities to share your voice on industry trends, member financial health, or community insights.

Tone to Strike: Professional, concise, and confident. Position yourself as a trusted source of insight.

Building Your Communication Capacity

Great communication isn’t instinct alone; it’s built with tools and practice. Consider strengthening your approach with:

• Message Mapping Frameworks: Core message at the center, adapted branches for each audience.
• Leadership Communication Coaching: Practicing adaptive delivery through executive education or media training.
• Story Banks: A repository of real member and employee stories that you can draw on to humanize your message.
• Peer Networks: Engaging with other credit union leaders to share approaches and learn from real-world experiences.

Communication as a Leadership Multiplier

At its core, communication is not about the words—it’s about the meaning. Credit union leaders who treat communication as a leadership multiplier rather than a routine task set themselves apart.

When members feel seen, they deepen their loyalty. When employees feel trusted, they commit more fully to the mission. When the media sees integrity and clarity, your reputation strengthens.

In a noisy world, communication that is adaptive, intentional, and audience-centered becomes a differentiator. Mastering communication will not only safeguard trust, but also inspire confidence in the future of the credit union movement.

Tony Hill joined CUES in April 2017 as SVP/Chief Marketing Officer where he is responsible for providing strategic leadership and direction to CUES marketing initiatives.  Tony and his team ensure that CUES marketing plans, digital strategies, lead generation efforts and corporate communications are aligned with Membership and Sales initiatives to deliver a premium experience to CUES members.