文章基本信息

标题：Does Your CU Stink?
作者：Garrison, Dan
期刊名称：Credit Union Magazine
印刷版ISSN：0011-1066
出版年度：2005
卷号：Jun 2005
出版社：Credit Union National Association, Inc.

Does Your CU Stink?

Garrison, Dan

TRAINING

Something stinks around here and it's making me nauseated. I'm not the only one: Staff, managers, and board members also are getting sick. Worst of all, members are feeling a bit woozy.

The odor comes in many forms:

* Employees make the same mistakes repeatedly;

* Member complaints are increasing;

* Morale is low;

* New programs don't take off as planned; and

* Employees don't take ownership of their responsibilities.

Originally we thought our employees stunk, so we got rid of them and hired fresh, new people. They came in talented and full of enthusiasm, but even they began to stink after a while. So we tried tossing out our old procedures and implementing new, funk-free procedures. The smell went away for a while but returned with a vengeance.

Finally, we decided to ask employees if they knew where the smell came from. I heard one response over and over: "The training here stinks." At that point the light came on.

So far, we've detected these four sources of stench and have begun the fumigation process:

1. We don't give training the importance it deserves. Training is a critical success factor for every organization. Many leaders, however, treat it like a necessary evil and delegate training so they can deal with more "important" things. But what's more important than making sure employees understand their jobs?

2. We focus solely on "how." Teach people why they're doing a particular job, the end it serves, who's affected by the task, and who and what suffers if it's not done correctly.

3. We don't train thoroughly enough. The common excuse for this: "We don't have time." Think of it this way: How much time do you spend fixing problems, correcting mistakes, or responding to crises?

4. We don't instill passion hi people. Training must transcend processes. It must unveil the joy, purpose, and meaning in one's work. One of my favorite quotes sums it up best: "If you want to build a ship ... don't assign people tasks and work. Teach them to long for the sea."

Training and coaching act like a preservative. You can hire great people and have awesome policies and top-notch procedures, but without good training these things will spoil.

For an extended version of this article, visit CREDITUNION magazine.co

DAN GARRISON is vice president of accounting for MidWest Financial Credit Union, Ann Arbor, Mich. Contact him at 734-222-8556 or at dgarrison@ mwfcu.org.