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Core Values for a Credit Union

Core Values for a Credit Union

If you’re looking to refine or document your credit union’s core values, it may be hard for you to come up with a good set of core values. Core values for a credit union seem easy at first, but as you work through the process, digging them up and documenting them can be difficult.

Your organization’s core values are already present in your employees. As a leader in your organization, you are expected to help define core values and ensure that they are carried out. Since they are already there, you don’t need to brainstorm new core values; you just need to assess the ones that are already active within your organization.

To create your core values, we can’t give you a lesson here, but we can share with you some ideas from other credit unions.

Core Values for a Credit Union

Financial Stability

Trustworthy

Friendly

Stability

Excellence

Trusted Bankers

Confidential

Customer Service

Passionate

Values Driven

Easy Going

Flexible

Helpful

Responsive

Service Oriented

Thoughtful

Collaborative

Efficient

Focused

Positive

Proactive

Considerate

Friendly

Generous

Consistent

Dependable

Honest

Integrity

Trustworthy

Innovative

Knowledgeable

Pragmatic

Wise

If you are really struggling to find your core values or have documented over five of them (stop at five), we recommend you read an article in the Harvard Business Review called Make Your Values Mean Something by Patrick M. Lencioni. This article will help you to identify your core values, and to distinguish them from aspirational values, permission-to-play values, and accidental values.

Still need help documenting your core values? We can help with that.

Core Values for a Community Bank

Core Values for a Community Bank

If your community bank is on a journey to define and/or document your core values, you’ve probably struggled in coming up with a good set of core values. Core values for a community bank seem easy to list out on a whiteboard, core values sheet, poster or paint them on your wall, but really coming up with your core values is at first easy, then difficult.

Core values are already alive and active in your organization. As a leader in your organization, you help define core values and enable them to persist in the organization. Since they are already there, you can’t just come up with “new, aspirational ones” you will need to dig deep and find the core values already alive and active within your organization.

We won’t go into a lesson on coming up with your core values, but we can inspire you with a few ideas from other community banks.

Core Values for a Community Bank

Community Service
Trusted Bankers
Confidential
Customer Service
Financial Stability
Trustworthy
Friendly
Stability
Excellence
Passionate
Values Driven
Easy Going
Flexible
Helpful
Responsive
Service Oriented
Thoughtful
Collaborative
Efficient
Focused
Positive
Proactive
Community
Considerate
Friendly
Generous
Compassion
Professional
No Jerks
Accountable
Consistent
Dependable
Honest
Integrity
Trustworthy
Innovative
Knowledgeable
Pragmatic
Wise
Do the Right Thing

Struggling to define your organizations core values? We have a few reference materials for you:

The book “The Core Value Equation” by Darius Mirshahzadeh

The book “Traction” by Gino Wickman

Article Harvard Business Review: Make Your Values Mean Something by Patrick M. Lencioni

The Book “Built to Last” by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras

From all the reference material here, the one we strongly recommend is the HBR article by Patrick M. Lencioni. This article will set you on the right path to defining your core values and to verify you aren’t mixing them up with aspirational values, permission-to-play values, and accidental values.

Now, go find your core values! We’ll be here if you need help.

Books by Marcia Malzahn