Hi Everybody,
Welcome back to Member’s Edge. Since the release of our last newsletter MVCU made a major announcement: RTN Federal Credit Union will be merging into Merrimack Valley Credit Union (MVCU), pending member and regulatory approval. As your President & CEO, I am thrilled by the opportunities that will open because of this merger. Those opportunities include more branches, a 24/7 call center and some great new team members. This endeavor is just another step towards our goal of making MVCU the greatest place anyone has ever worked and the greatest place anyone has ever banked.
I’ve been thinking a lot about our organization’s culture while preparing for these exciting changes. As we meet new teammates and create new relationships, one of the most important tasks we have is maintaining a strong, positive credit union culture; a culture where trust and sincerity are paramount, and both our members and teammates have their voices and ideas elevated.
I often compare company cultures to lakes and rivers. When you enter a lake and begin swimming, you are treading in still water. No matter how long you stay in, you will leave the lake in the same place you entered.
But when you step into a river things are different. You swim in water that’s in motion, and after spending time in the river, you come out of the water a few miles down in a different spot from where you began. Unless you swim hard against the current, the river carries you along. And if you swim with it, you get there even faster.
In a lake culture a person can enter a team, perform their tasks, and exit without having much of an impact or without being impacted by the culture around them. When a new teammate enters a river culture though, that culture is a force that sweeps them off their feet. They will struggle if they try to swim against or resist it. And they will thrive if they join in, participate and contribute.
We have a river culture at MVCU. Each day we work towards strengthening our positive and collaborative environment. Our goal is to promote values that we live and believe in, and to always be evolving and moving forward, making our credit union a better place to work and bank.
To promote this culture, especially as we engage with you about the merger process, we want to start by strengthening our communication. Throughout this exciting time, I encourage members and teammates alike to share their thoughts, questions, concerns and ideas. We will offer numerous town hall events over the next few months where you can speak directly with me. Come learn more about both our merger and how we plan to keep our credit union culture flowing and thriving. We value all feedback and use it to make the necessary changes that will improve your credit union. That’s why we want to hear from you!
I’m looking forward to speaking with all of you soon. In the meantime, have a safe, happy and wonderful holiday season.
For all merger-related information and the town hall schedule, please click here.
