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< Back Does A Divided Vote Make You A Divided Board? Jennie Boden Apr 25, 2023 A divided vote makes you a human board. And it’s what you do afterward that matters most. While most of our clients are credit unions, Quantum Governance also works with a wide variety of other non-profit organizations—foundations, associations and charitable groups, even a small children’s home in India with an annual budget of just $50,000—helping their boards and chief executives level up their governance and strategy. We learn from every organization, adding to the knowledge bank from which we draw for all of our clients. For example, in recent times, a former credit union board chair called to ask if we could help his local school board find its way back to solid ground. This school board, like many others, had experienced wars over masking, vaccines and more that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic. And these experiences had taken their toll. When the school board chair said, “You’re our last hope,” we knew we had to help. And so it was, when in the middle of an offsite with that school board client that a fundamental, universal governance question was asked: “If we have a divided vote, does that mean that we’re a divided board?” It was one of the best, most nuanced governance questions that I’d ever been asked. I share it with you now, my credit union colleagues who serve on the board, because I believe you do everything you can to elude divided votes. I think you loathe divided votes. I think you fear divided votes. I’ve even been told that you refrain from putting what you even think might become a divided vote on your meeting agendas. But have no fear. I’ll share with you the same answer that I gave my school board client in the hope that it will benefit you: “Divided votes do not mean that you’re a divided board. They mean that you’re a human board. They mean that you’re a board made of living, breathing people with different perspectives and different thoughts.” I continued, “Divided votes mean that you feel comfortable enough as a board to have robust conversations and share compelling and, yes, contrary points of view and to support them with your votes.” “It’s what happens after the vote that determines whether you are a divided board,” I said. “Do you speak with one voice?” I asked. “Or do you leave the boardroom still advocating strongly for your position to anyone and everyone who will listen? Or are you respectful of the will of the whole as your board service demands you to be?” While I don’t wish upon any board the contention and divisiveness that our school board client has faced in recent years, I do hope every board will have the courage to wade deeply into robust conversations, the strength to tolerate divided votes, and the respect, in the end, to support the will of the whole. Previous Next

Cris Wineinger President, Wineinger & Associates Cristina Wineinger, President of Wineinger & Associates is an adjunct Senior Consultant at Quantum Governance. Cristina has over 27 years of experience in all aspects of nonprofit management and consulting both in the United States and Bermuda (where she was born and raised). Her diverse client base includes churches, private schools, environmental agencies, cultural organizations, social service providers and hospitals. Her consulting services encompass capital campaign management, business assessments, governance, strategic planning and nonprofit mergers. In the last 27 years, Cristina has provided guidance to fundraising campaigns totaling over $175 million. One of her more recent clients is the Bermuda Hospitals Charitable Trust where she helped raise $35 million in a country of only 65,000 people. This fundraising campaign is the largest in Bermuda’s history. Additionally, Cristina has helped many nonprofits to chart their path forward through comprehensive strategic assessments and planning. In 2005, Cristina moved to the US with her family and launched Wineinger & Associates, Ltd., a full-service consulting firm for nonprofits. Wineinger & Associates serves a variety of nonprofit organizations both in Bermuda and across the US. In addition to her business, Cristina is a popular speaker both in Bermuda and the US and an Executive Partner at the College of William & Mary’s Mason School of Business. Learn More Back

Services We are a team of experts in the fields of governance and strategy designed to help nonprofits, credit unions, associations and foundations realize the full potential of their missions. Our team provides assessment, consulting, planning, facilitation and implementation services to cooperative and nonprofit organizations of all sizes. Quantum Governance is an L3C, a low-profit, limited-liability service organization dedicated to the public good. Founded over a decade ago, our mission is to partner with mission-driven leaders to enhance governance and strategy effectiveness for exceptional outcomes. What We Offer Governance Governance Assessment Leadership Culture Assessment CEO Evaluation Peer-to-Peer Evaluations Director Skills Inventory Board Succession Planning and more! Learn More Small Credit Unions The Governance Check-Up Governance Skill Building Governance Evolution Learn More Strategic Planning Strategic Planning Facilitation Defining Your Vision & Mission Identifying Strategic Goals and more! Learn More Additional Services Bylaw & Policy Development Keynote Presentations and more! Learn More Why Choose Quantum Governance? We have an exceptional reputation among credit unions, nonprofits, associations, foundations and leagues. We've developed proprietary, best-in-class assessment tools , robust and insightful data and unparalleled deliverables from our contemporary Policy Library to our research and reports. We have experience working with hundreds of credit unions, nonprofits, associations, foundations and leagues from the very small to those with more than $33 billion in assets domestically and internationally. We are constructive partners and collaborators enthusiastically learning about your organization to efficiently deliver both short-term results and long-term evolution. We are lifelong learners and curious researchers dedicated to sharing our knowledge and expertise to strengthen the credit union industry as a whole through The State of Credit Union Governance report series. Let's talk about your organization's needs. Contact Us

Leadership Resources Finding Balance in Board Meetings Efficiency vs. Engagement Read More A Matter of Leadership CUs need to pave a new road to ensure a strong, high-performing board over time. Read More Nine Leadership Challenges The board of the future will need the strength to overcome these. Read More No Higher Calling The challenge of effective CEO evaluation Read More 'Quantum' Board Engagement Six questions to help you more fully get your board engaged Read More Board Engagement Needs A Boost Strategies to use in your monthly meetings Read More A Matter of Culture What drives yours? Here are 10 elements to shoot for in your board room. Read More Surfacing Assumptions Knowing what you're assuming can boost board strategic thinking. Read More Fiduciary AND Strategic Thought Needed Finding the right balance between operational oversight and visionary dialogue in your boardroom is worth the struggle. Read More

< Back A Matter of Leadership Michael Daigneault Apr 1, 2015 CUs need to pave a new road to ensure a strong, high-performing board over time. Perhaps one of the most vexing and controversial challenges facing the credit union community today concerns the fundamental question: How can a credit union ensure ongoing, effective governance and leadership? One of the historical building blocks of a CU is that it is a cooperative. It has long been thought that financial cooperatives will be best led by members who have an actual financial stake—or share—in the CU itself. Since their own money is invested in the CU, it is widely assumed they will be aware of—and appropriately engaged in—the proper oversight of the credit union’s financial affairs. CU members accomplish this by electing a board to take on a set of responsibilities designed to help ensure the safety and soundness of the members’ resources, as well as the effective governance of the CU. The current state of credit union governance is, however, being severely challenged by a rapidly changing environment and a sometimes stagnant board. (Read a bonus article, “ The Nine Leadership Challenges , ”.) One of my senior consultants came to Quantum Governance from the general nonprofit sector. She was stunned when assigned to her first credit union client. What she found was a group of directors, the majority of whom had been in their positions for well over 20 years. Because of the long-time tenure of these board members, the institution was facing the wholesale turnover of both its board and its CEO in the next few years. By holding on so long, the board members actually ended up endangering leadership continuity—exacerbating the very problem they professed to be solving by their continued service. The time has come for boards to reframe and “rebalance their responsibilities,” as Ram Charan has noted in his new book, Boards That Lead: When to Take Charge, When to Partner and When to Stay Out of the Way . Yes, board monitoring and oversight are still important, but they are no longer sufficient. The reality is that for many CU boards, more effective leadership is needed. What Leadership Leads To At Quantum Governance, we talk with a lot of credit union board members and, unfortunately, what we’re hearing from them about their ability to effectively lead and govern isn’t altogether positive. The following data is from our 2014 credit union compendium: More than 25 percent of all board members we’ve surveyed think their board is “less than effective” at building a leadership culture of trust. Thirty-seven percent think they are “less than effective” at holding each other accountable. Only one in five board members thinks their board is “very effective” at asking the hard questions that need to be asked. Twenty percent of board members say they are “ineffective” or only “adequate” at acting decisively when necessary. Sadly, about one in three directors says their board leadership and governance culture are “less than adequate” overall. Importantly, credit union boards are struggling to find the right people to serve—with only 18 percent saying they are “very effective” in doing so. How to Get More Effective Leadership So what’s a credit union to do? Renewing the strength of your board and its leadership can be accomplished using various techniques. If you answer “no” to even a few of the questions in the following section, you’ve got some work to do. And you need to get moving, or you’re likely to get left behind. Way, way behind. Board assessment. Is your board working on strengthening its governance practices? Are you reflecting on what’s going well and where you’re struggling? How are your committees functioning—especially your supervisory committee? Have you and your colleagues committed to a regular process of board evaluation? Training for needed competencies and strengths. Are you undertaking a robust training initiative that responds to your assessment results by strengthening your directors’ intellectual capacities and stretching the boundaries of current discussions? Do your fellow directors return from the latest CUES or other conference full of ideas and enthusiasm? (Read “ Starting Point ,” about developing plans for director learning, in this issue.) Associate board member program. Have you considered an associate director program that will afford up-and-coming volunteers the ability to learn about your credit union’s business “from the ground up?” Are your committee rosters creatively drawing from non-board members–those in the community who could foster a wider sense of support for the credit union and support your associate director program? Do your recruiting “tentacles” go beyond the supervisory committee? (Also read “ Working in the Governance Wings : Strategies for readying volunteers to give a good performance once on the board”) Term limits. This practice is rooted in one of the central principles of maintaining board effectiveness over time and the idea of creating (and sustaining) a careful balance between historical continuity and rejuvenation. A big potential benefit of limiting the length of service of credit union directors is fostering an influx of new talents, skills and energy to the board as a whole, as well as among board officers. Of course, there are a number of traditional challenges raised concerning term limits. Some credit unions fear losing valuable board leadership and institutional knowledge. (Get ideas for minimizing this risk ) It takes time to really understand the issues at play within an organization—and credit unions are complex financial organizations. Some believe it imprudent and inefficient to spend valuable time and energy getting board leadership “up to speed,” only to then urge them to move on at the close of their tenure. Another frequently raised concern is an actual or perceived shortage of suitable or willing candidates. Such a shortage of qualified candidates can be an authentic challenge—or simply the net result of very low turnover. Of course, if a board officer or member has proved effective, there are some who would suggest it is entirely appropriate to maintain the status quo because “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Certainly, I’m not saying that term limits are the answer. They are, clearly, only one tool. But they can be a helpful tool for your board’s leaders. Rotation of officers. Additionally, it is helpful to periodically rotate directors through board officer positions so a sustained concentration of power in a limited number of individuals (either actual or perceived) does not occur. Rotating board officers also helps an organization from getting stuck with just one leadership style. Board officer rotation is also thought to strengthen the pool of candidates willing to serve. This is due to the common occurrence that some will naturally aspire to board leadership roles—but only if it is perceived there is an authentic opportunity to attain a leadership role after a reasonable period of time and service. Finally, a lasting concentration of authority in a select, few individuals is, I believe, contrary to cooperative governance principles. Know the true role of the board chair. While there are courageous conversations that need to happen at the chair’s level when a board member is failing to live up to his or her fiduciary responsibilities, strengthening the leadership of the board is not just your chair’s responsibility. As a board member, it’s your responsibility to truly be engaged. Don’t simply attend the meetings and go through the motions; be an active player. A board member recently told me that he estimated about 70 percent of his colleagues barely even spoke at his CU’s board meetings. Is that leadership? Your members are depending on you. More Than Incremental Improvement The challenge I would place before you is this: Are you entirely sure your current situation isn’t broken? Fundamental or truly transformational changes—not just incremental—are what your credit union must undertake to craft the exceptional board of the future. A board that can truly help to overcome the types of challenges facing credit unions. It will take exceptional board leaders, working in constructive partnership with management, to be successful. It is likely that some of the leaders you need to move forward are already on your board; it is equally likely that some leaders you need to meet such challenges are not. I couldn’t agree more with author Michael Hudson, Ph.D. in his Credit Union Management Article, "When Directors Step Down:" Directors, when it’s your time, have the courage to step up and step down. Board chairs, you have an important role to play, too, in board rejuvenation. Have the hard conversations. If someone isn’t participating or truly adding value, it’s your job to find out why, and—if need be—help find someone who will. In the end, no single tool, technique or individual strategy is a substitute for what is needed most at this pivotal time in the credit union community and that is, of course, courageous leadership on the part of every member of the board. Previous Next

Arlene Reuss Governance Administrator Arlene is the Governance Administrator for Quantum Governance, L3C. She married a career Marine and through considerable moves throughout the states and Japan, established a career in both the business and volunteer communities. She has earned numerous service accolades from the American Red Cross, Navy Marine Relief Society (budgeting) and Girls Scouts of America. Arlene’s resume includes numerous positions over the years in the areas of Administration and Accounting to include Controller/Assistant General Manager for a multimillion-dollar Floor Mat company. She established new Operations, Finance and Personnel practices that helped to grow the company by 40%. She worked as the Finance & A dministrative Manager for Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA), where she was key in insuring proper tedious distribution of funds for grants as required by State and Federal government. Arlene worked for Anne Arundel Public Schools, she worked with the Individualized Education Programs and also with HR to insure teacher certifications and background qualifications. One of Arlene’s passions, Field Hockey, turned into a part time advocation as well. She coached for over two decades on the High School Level providing skills and mentorship to hundreds of young ladies. Arlene remains active in the community to include serving on the Board of Trustee’s at her church. Back

< Back Did You Dust Off Your Old Pandemic Plan? Michael Daigneault and Jennie Boden Mar 24, 2020 Key ideas about response oversight and future strategy If you’re like most in this world today, you likely feel like you’ve lived a lifetime in just the last week. I know that we have. As we write to you safely from our home offices, we send well wishes to you and everyone in your circles that you are safe, well and doing what you can to “flatten the curve.” But we also know that you all have immense responsibilities. Personal responsibilities to your families and your loved ones. And professional responsibilities to your employees who are looking to your credit union for stability and, yes, a paycheck. Responsibilities, too, to your members who are counting on you to keep your doors open—or at least your drive throughs and your ATMs—so that when they need access to their funds, you are there. And eventually, they may need even more from you. In 2005, the White House, through the Homeland Security Council, issued the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza —which addresses the threat and potential impact of a pandemic. At the time the experts issued that document, they were focused on a pandemic resulting either from a flu strain that existed then in birds or another influenza virus. The National Strategy is still very relevant, and it outlines how the government prepares, detects and responds to pandemics of all kinds. It is still in use today. “It also outlines the important roles to be played not only by the federal government, but also by state and local governments, private industry, our international partners and most importantly individual citizens…” It states that the “private sector should play an integral role in preparedness before a pandemic begins and should be part of the national response.” A few short months after the federal plan was released, the National Credit Union Administration issued a guidance letter in March 2016 stating that “credit unions and their service providers supply essential financial services and, as such, should consider their preparedness and response strategy for a potential pandemic.” It went on to say, “The National Strategy addresses the full spectrum of events. The main components of the National Strategy address: Preparedness and Communication; Surveillance and Detection; Response and Containment.” In 2007, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council issued its own guidance through the Interagency Statement on Pandemic Planning , which was just updated earlier this month due to the current COVID-19 Pandemic. If you’re like most credit unions, in response to all of this guidance and these recommendations, someone at your credit union prepared a pandemic response plan back then, and put it on the shelf, thinking that you’d never in a million years need it. Well, a million years has come to pass. We spoke just a few days ago with the CEO of a $500 million credit union who remembered that her staff had developed a pandemic response policy some time ago, and they “dusted it off” (her exact words) and put the policy into motion. To her relief, so far it has been working well for her credit union. Some of the specific elements of that credit union’s implementation plan include: Any employee who has remote work capabilities is required to work from home until further notice. (This includes at least one employee from every department, as well as multiple call center employees). All branch lobbies are closed until further notice, with only drive-thru options open. Additional deep cleaning services have been contracted for all facilities. Additional technology has been purchased to support increased remote capability. New member products and services have been created including a new short-term loan product, a low interest rate, no down payments, no documents required, reduced restrictions on skip-a-pay loan program, etc. A communications program has been implemented to reach members via email, social media, website and on-hold messages. The credit union has contracted with CUES Supplier member CO-OP Financial Services , Rancho Cucamonga, California, to provide overflow call center support, if needed. An emergency sick leave policy has been created and enacted. If you don’t have a pandemic response policy, you are likely developing the components of your policy as you respond each and every day to the mounting issues that confront you. Ensure that someone is memorializing the good actions that you take as you move through this crisis so that you can thoughtfully, when we all come out of the pandemic on the other side, translate your actions into a comprehensive, cohesive policy. And very, very importantly, ensure that the overarching framework and strategy of your plan is developed in constructive conversation with your board of directors. Does this mean that the very detailed elements of your plan, i.e., what does deep cleaning mean or which individual employees should be designated to work from home, should be approved by your board? No. But it does mean that the overall, strategic approach of your plan should be developed in discussion with your board and that your board should ultimately approve the key principles underlying your pandemic response plan. If it’s been a while since you “dusted off” your pandemic response plan, consider this template that we’ve crafted and take a look at the National Strategy, both of which we hope will provide some support and direction to you and your credit union’s leadership (board and management alike). Stay well and stay safe. P.S. Be sure that you and your Board are staying up to speed on all of the regulatory updates regarding COVID-19, including those impacting annual meetings and board elections! Previous Next

< Back Many Board Problems Boil Down to Communications Challenges Michael Daigneault and Jennie Boden Jan 22, 2019 Directors need to ask good, hard questions—to ‘trust but verify’ in a respectful and professional manner—all toward the good of the credit union. A great number of the governance challenges that we come across in the work that our firm, Quantum Governance, L3C, undertakes with credit unions can be boiled down to matters of communications. Are your board members crossing over into day-to-day operations? Well … have their roles and responsibilities been clearly defined, updated and effectively communicated to them? Are there two or three members of your board who are coming to meetings ill-prepared each and every month (or even just one)? It’s probably time for your board or governance committee chair to have a heart-to-heart, one-on-one conversation with those directors. Is the relationship between your board and CEO riddled with micromanagement, executive sessions and a lack of trust? It’s possible that you stopped having authentic, open dialogue far too long ago. After years of surveying credit union board members, supervisory committee members, CEOs and senior staff members, Quantum Governance, along with CUES, recently published The State of Credit Union Governance 2018: Five Data-Driven Recommendations for Future Success . In it were three key findings relative to the need for more open, trusting communications that both surprised and troubled us. We encourage you to take notice of them and discuss these key findings with your board. If your credit union is struggling with any of these issues, it might be time to polish your own communications skills—individually and as a group. Key Finding No. 1: More than a third of respondents surveyed reported that their board does only an adequate or less than adequate job of asking the hard questions that need to be asked. Key Finding No. 2: Thirty-nine percent of respondents reported that their board is only adequate or less than adequate at holding each other accountable. Key Finding No. 3: And only 25 percent of CEOs and 27 percent of senior staff reported that their boards are very effective at building a leadership culture of trust—compared to 53 percent of supervisory committee members and 44 percent of board members.So , what’s happening at all of these credit unions? We were recently working with a credit union that received what we would term below average scores on survey questions regarding “accountability” and “asking the hard questions.” “Where do we begin?” they asked. Luckily for them, their score on the “trust” question was particularly high—a good starting ground and a place from which to build. They were quick to say that they all got along and worked well together—maybe too well together, perhaps? How many of your board votes are unanimous? Are your board members held accountable when it’s appropriate? And, how many hard questions are you asking in your board meetings? The mark of a good board is not unanimity or harmony 100 percent of the time. Your job as a board member is to ask good, hard questions. To trust but verify. In a respectful and professional manner. All toward the good of the credit union. Be authentic. Be direct. Be open. Keep your promises. Keeping promises builds trust, and you’ll need to rely on strong relationships of trust while you’re holding each other accountable in the boardroom. Speaking of accountability: Hold each other accountable as board members. Ask the hard questions that need to be asked. It’s among your most fundamental roles as board members. Previous Next

< Back Surfacing Assumptions Michael Daigneault Mar 14, 2014 Knowing what you're assuming can boost board strategic thinking. Edgar Schein presents culture as a series of assumptions a person makes about a group in which he or she participates. “We tend to think we can separate strategy from culture, but we fail to notice that in most organizations, strategic thinking is deeply colored by spoken and unspoken assumptions about who [these organizations] are and what their mission is,” writes Schein, a professor at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. Hence the famous phrase, “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Schein groups assumptions into three basic levels: 1. Artifacts all the things you would first see, hear or feel when you encounter an unfamiliar group; observed behavior, routines (easy to see–hard to decipher their true meaning). 2. Espoused beliefs and values ideals, goals, articulated values and stated aspirations; ideologies; rationalizations. 3. Basic underlying assumptions unconscious, taken-for-granted beliefs and values. Each assumption can have an article–or book–written about it. Here are just some of the possible assumptions credit union leaders should challenge: Vision & mission: Why are we all here? What are we collectively trying to achieve? What is our credit union’s purpose? Strategic goals: What strategic goals do we set as part of trying to realize our vision and mission? What is the process for setting the goals? Who really does it? Means to achieve goals (structure, systems and processes): How do we actually go about realizing our goals? Do we have systems and procedures in place at the management level? At the board and committee levels? Measuring goals and results: How will we know if we achieve our goals? How do we identify and measure success? What results are we trying to achieve? What information should we gather and share about our results? Failure: What do we do if something does not go as planned? How do we define failure? If something does fail, do we have a plan? Do we just react to the circumstances? Do we genuinely learn from our failures, or do we simply try to put them behind us as quickly as possible? Common language and information architecture: What are the common words and language we use to refer to things? What is the common framework of communication? What are all the ways we communicate with each other and receive information? Individual and group boundaries: How do we respect each other’s and the collective group’s boundaries? How do we know what those boundaries are? How do we know when someone has “gone too far?” Accountability, rewards and punishments: Do we hold each other accountable? How do we consciously or unconsciously reward desirable behavior and punish behavior deemed unacceptable? Rules of engagement: What are the understandings or assumptions for how we interact with each other? With members? With those outside the credit union? Power, authority and status: Who is responsible for what? What are the delegations of authority? How do we determine what gets done, how it gets done–and who has the authority to change the direction of things? Can such assumptions be identified in the board room? Yes, Schein says. “If we combine insider knowledge with outsider questions, assumptions can be brought to the surface, but the process of inquiry has to be interactive, with the outsider continuing to probe until assumptions have really been teased out and have led to a feeling of greater understanding on the part of both the outsider and the insiders.” Previous Next

Perry Haaland, Ph.D. Statistician Perry Haaland, Ph.D. Statistician is an expert in a wide range of statistical methodologies. Dr. Haaland has more than 30 years of professional experience as a statistician. He brings the practical experience of solving complex problems in an industrial research setting along with well-honed skills in explaining statistical concepts to management at all levels. He retired in 2017 as the lead statistician at Becton Dickinson, a Fortune 250 medical technology company. Dr. Haaland is a strong proponent of effective graphical analyses, having been one of the founding members of the Section on Statistical Graphics of the American Statistical Association. Dr. Haaland is currently Adjunct Professor of Statistics at UNC-Chapel Hill where he is developing a curriculum for teaching data science to graduate students in statistics. Learn More Back

< Back Taking Action On Credit Unions’ No. 1 Director Recruitment Priority: Diversity. Jennie Boden Sep 21, 2020 The credit union and women’s movements are clearly doing something right. But we still have a long way to go. The day after Kamala Harris was picked by Joe Biden as his running mate, I was talking with a colleague of mine about his choice. I have to note that the colleague in question is a woman, and she is about 10 years younger than me. She was lamenting that everyone in the media was focusing on the fact that Ms. Harris was a woman and, of course, a woman of color. From her point of view, as someone from a younger generation, why should this be the news? She sees Ms. Harris as a qualified, strong candidate for the position, regardless of her sex or ethnicity. In my colleague’s mind, of course she would have been in serious contention for the job. It started me thinking about what my sister would say as someone who is 10 years older than me. She was in college in the ’70s, and I remember her then with long, straight hair, playing sad Joni Mitchell songs on her stereo and challenging my father, the minister, on nearly everything he said. She would bring with her the perspective of history: knowledge of the years when women struggled to have a voice in their marriages, let alone a seat in the boardroom, and of the racial struggles that plagued even my small hometown in rural Pennsylvania when she was in love with an African-American boy in high school. Then my mind moved on to my niece. She is 10 years younger than my colleague . She’s a graduate of Stanford University, recently married to man whose parents immigrated from India, and studying to be a doctor at one of the best medical schools in the country—maybe the world (University of California-San Francisco). Now, at this point, it should be noted that I write from a point of great advantage, and the cast of characters in this article also enjoy great advantages. We all hail from stable families, where shelter, food and love were plenty. We are all well-educated. We are all white. So, what does this have to do with credit unions? And, specifically, with governance, since that’s my area of specialty? My biggest fear in all of the focus on DEI is that it will remain a discussion point and not become a point of action for us all. - Jennie Boden I had two thoughts immediately after the conversation with my colleague and my ensuing reflections about my sister and niece. The first was around the notion of board renewal. We talk about the topic all the time at Quantum Governance, and we’re finding that credit union boards are increasingly talking about it, too. It used to be that credit union board members would join the board and stay for years—for decades, even. I’ve had a client who had two board members who served until they died in their 80s or 90s. Others explained odd behavior by noting that a few of their board members were displaying early signs of dementia. And so, the first rule of board renewal is that you must renew, for the health of your board. It’s the board’s responsibility to ensure that you do. The guiding principle for board renewal is to find a healthy balance of historical continuity and renewal. I celebrate that my colleague just assumes that Kamala Harris is right for the job of vice president and that my niece sees a horizon as wide as possible for herself and all those around her. (And I also imagine what will be available, once they are grown, to my great-nieces.) But, it’s also critical for all of us, as women, to realize from whence we’ve come. My sister’s perspective is valuable, too. She reminded me recently that when she was growing up, girls were shut out completely from sports in high school, and today we have a woman coaching in the NFL. How far we have come, but still, how far we have to go… Ensure that your board is balancing these perspectives—all of them. Historical continuity will give you important points of view on the past, and renewal will open future possibilities the likes of which you’ve never conceived. The second thought that came to mind following the conversation with my colleague arose directly from the research that we published in The State of Credit Union Governance, 2020 report. For the first time ever, we found that demographic diversity was the No. 1 recruiting priority among credit union board members and leaders, surpassing financial literacy for the first time. Source: The State of Credit Union Governance, 2020 We also reported the news that the average credit union boards have nine members, three of which (36%) are women! On its face, this may not seem significant, but it is. In comparison, a 2018 study by Deloitte and The Alliance for Board Diversity of America of Fortune 100 companies found that women held only 25% of their board seats. And in 2018, CUNA found that 52% of credit union CEOs are female, compared to only 5% in commercial banks and 6% in Fortune 500 companies. And it’s not just among the small credit unions: At credit unions with between $1 billion and $3 billion in assets, more than 14% of the CEOs were female, compared to just more than 3% of bank CEOs. As a movement (both a credit union and a women’s movement), we’re clearly doing something right. But we still have a long way to go. It seems that today, everyone is talking about “DEI” or diversity, equity and inclusion. (Note that Quantum Governance believes the appropriate order is “ EDI ,” given that the notion of equity is a broader concept that underlies both diversity and inclusion.) It’s a most worthy discussion, and it’s been a long time coming. My biggest fear in all of the focus on DEI is that it will remain a discussion point and not become a point of action for us all. But clearly, we know how to do this. We’ve started to make true inroads in terms of integrating women into the boardrooms and C-suites of America—at least among our credit unions. Be sure not to let up on that focus. Rather, let’s add to it. While we can celebrate the gains made for women, we’ve not moved the needle one bit on increasing the number of visible minorities in the credit union boardroom or C-suite, and that’s just as important. In fact, remember, demographic diversity is now the No. 1 recruiting priority among credit union board members and leaders. How much richer would your board be if 50% of its members were women? If you had true diversity in terms of ethnic and racial background? In terms of age and tenure? In terms of skills and experience? How much more stirring would the conversations in your boardroom be if you were truly open to listening to everyone’s voices? Previous Next

< Back 5 Data-Driven Recommendations for Governance Success Michael Daigneault Jan 29, 2018 Core Recommendations from a New Report The State of Credit Union Governance, 2018 is the culmination of five years of data collected from credit unions across the United States and a dream long held by everyone at Quantum Governance. The research yielded a number of key findings which we’ve shared previously on our blog . And now we can also share some data-driven recommendations that emanate from those six key findings. We hope that the information shared by credit union board members, CEOs, supervisory committee members and senior staff nationwide will help you and your credit union colleagues further mission success. You can find the Report here: The State of Credit Union Governance 2018, Report . These five core recommendations may help you strengthen governance policies and practices at your credit union: 1. Prioritize governance excellence at your credit union. If you haven’t been taking governance seriously at your credit union, it’s time to do so. And if you have been, it’s time to kick it up a notch. Whether you’re functioning at Governance 101 or 601, it’s time to find out what Governance 201 or 701 looks like for your credit union. 2. Eliminate any perception gaps between your board, supervisory committee and senior staff. If we know one thing, it’s this: Gaps between the board and senior staff will eventually be destructive. We highly (underscore highly) recommend a strong, constructive partnership between the board, supervisory committee and the senior staff—all working collectively to govern and lead the credit union. There were so many gaps in perceptions between these positions throughout the report that it surprised even us, and it should definitely concern you. 3. Ensure you have a plan for board (and committee) rejuvenation. The longer a board member serves, the more positive his or her perception is. While this may sound like a positive finding, it actually concerns us. Are long-serving board members losing their ability to ask the hard questions? At the same time, the number of potential board members among us—if we look strictly at the census numbers—is shrinking. Ensure that your credit union has a viable plan for leadership continuity. It is one of the most critical responsibilities a board holds. 4. Focus on your credit union’s leadership culture. While you may be spending countless hours ensuring that your board members have the requisite training, your committee structure is in place and operating well, and your plan for board rejuvenation is fully up-to-date, don’t forget about building a positive board culture. It takes time and conscious cultivation to ensure a positive outcome here. 5. Charter a governance and nominations committee… fast . Over the years, nominations committees have morphed—first into board development committees and now into what is considered governance and nominations committees. If your credit union doesn’t have one, it’s behind the curve, and you need to get one. Fast. Today’s governance and nominations committee is chartered to address board roles and responsibilities, composition, knowledge and learning, and effectiveness and leadership. We believe this recommendation is so important that a sample governance and nominations committee charter is an appendix to the report. Previous Next