In April, young leaders from across the Manitoba credit union system gathered for CUYLM’s 2024 conference—a transformative event designed to explore leadership concepts and provide valuable networking opportunities within the system.

As part of our commitment to continuous growth and learning, a survey was conducted among attendees to capture their experiences, challenges, and aspirations within the credit union system.

The results are both inspiring and insightful, shedding light on the unique journeys of our emerging leaders. We are excited to share some of the key findings from this survey below. These insights not only highlight the collective strengths and areas for improvement, but also pave the way for future initiatives aimed at empowering the next generation of credit union leaders.

Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn to learn about upcoming CUYLM initiatives and our Executive Committee recruitment this fall. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to us.

CUYLM's 2024 Conference Find Your Why: Contextualizing Leadership will take place on Thursday, April 25 (10:00 AM - 4:30 PM) and Friday, April 26 (8:00 AM - 4:00 PM) at the Norwood Hotel in Winnipeg.

The conference is designed exclusively for young leaders (age 40 and under) in the Manitoba credit union system.

We’re very excited to welcome international public speaker Jennifer Barroll (a.k.a. Jenny B), local leadership consultants from Homefield People & Strategy, and CEO of Credit Union Central of Manitoba, Curtis Wennberg! In addition to our interactive program, an exclusive networking event will take place on Thursday evening at the Norwood Hotel beginning at 7:00 PM.

We’re also pleased to offer professional headshots on Thursday morning at no additional cost, which will be optional for conference attendees. 

Visit our conference page for more information. Deadline to register is Friday, April 5, 2024.

Hello Young/Emerging Leaders,

The Credit Union Young Leaders of Manitoba (CUYLM) Executive Team invites you to be part of our 2024 Mentorship Program which facilitates formal mentorship relationships between credit union employees across Manitoba. The program’s goal is to create opportunities for young/emerging leaders to connect with mentors to strengthen and build connections, deepen their networks, develop leadership skills, as well as share knowledge and experiences.

Are you a young/emerging leader in your credit union? Are you self-driven to engage in a mentoring relationship? Are you seeking mentorship as part of your development journey? Then you are encouraged to apply to become a mentee.

All mentors are leaders in the Manitoba credit union system, many of whom have previously served on the CUYLM Executive Team. Collectively, the mentors have experience in a wide range of areas.

Important Dates:

• Now until March 6: Application Period

• March 15 to November 30: Mentorship Period

Learn More & Apply

The application process is now open. Please visit the Mentorship Program page on our website to learn more or go directly to the Application Form. Deadline to apply is March 6, 2024.

Questions

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

CUYLM Executive Team

Join us for a four-part series where we explore generational differences in the credit union system and how they influence your success as a young leader.

In the first two parts of the series, you’ll learn, understand, and discuss:

• Commonalities and differences within generational demographics

• How different generations of co-workers approach work and career

• The dynamics among our members and their life stage needs

• Building buy-in to the co-operative values and the overall value of credit union membership within these different demographics

In the third part of the series, four leaders from the Manitoban credit union system will discuss how they have navigated the various generations as they were building their careers, what has stayed the same (and what hasn’t), and what stereotypes they overcame early in their career.

We’re pleased to welcome the following credit union system leaders to our panel:

Leanna Beasant, Chief Financial & People Officer, Access Credit Union

Leanna has worked for a number of Manitoba credit unions since 2009 in different roles including Chief Financial Officer and subsequently Chief Executive Officer of Oakbank Credit Union. Prior to the merger with Access, Leanna was responsible for overseeing finance, HR, compliance, internal audit, and facilities at Sunova Credit Union.

Leanne DeVliegere, Chief Operations Officer, Fusion Credit Union

Leanne, Chief Operations Officer (COO) at Fusion Credit Union, has been in the credit union system for more than 20 years.  In her current role, she leads teams in HR, Lending Solutions, Marketing & Communications, and Member Service.  A strong advocate for lifelong learning, Leanne is a graduate of Assiniboine Community College’s Business Administration and Management program, and completed her MBA in 2019. Leanne was an early member of CUYLM alum, having served on the committee mid-way through her career.

Glenn Friesen, Chief Executive Officer, Steinbach Credit Union

Glenn Friesen has been with Steinbach Credit Union as Chief Executive Officer since January of 1997. Under his leadership, SCU has grown organically from $700 million to over $9 billion in assets. Glenn has served on LCUC since 1999 and holds the title of longest sitting member.

Brent Budz, Chief Executive Officer, Stride Credit Union

Brent has been a part of the credit union system since 2004, starting his career as a Senior Account Manager, then occupying a variety of positions like Assistant General Manager and Chief Operations Officer. Brent was named CEO of Austin Credit Union in 2015 and was named the CEO of Stride Credit Union in 2017 after successfully leading Austin Credit Union into a merger with Portage Credit Union.

We’ll wrap up with an in-person Think Tank where we’ll discuss in groups what we’ve learned through the webinar series and how we can apply these learnings to attraction and retention strategies for staff and members.

Schedule:

• May 17, 11AM - 12PM - Virtual Webinar - Team Member Demographics (Led by Homefield People & Strategy Consulting)

• June 21, 11AM - 12PM - Virtual Webinar - Member Demographics (Led by Homefield People & Strategy Consulting)

• August 16, 11AM - 12PM - Virtual Webinar - Facilitated Leadership Panel (Led by Homefield People & Strategy Consulting

• September 21, 10AM - 3PM - In-Person Event, Stride Place, Portage la Prairie - Think Tank & Networking Event, Lunch Included

Can't make it to one of the webinars? Not to worry; the sessions will be recorded and copies will be provided by request to confirmed registrants.

Registration:

Cost of registration for entire series: $75

Registration closes: May 10, 2023 at 4:00 p.m.

How to register: This series is for young leaders in the Manitoba credit union system. Login to CUCommunity to register (you will find this event featured on homepage). Or, contact us for information (see our contact info below).

Questions & Support:

Please contact us.

Hello Young/Emerging Leaders,

Credit Union Young Leaders of Manitoba (CUYLM) Executive Team invites you to be part of the 2023 Mentorship Program.

The program is focused on facilitating formal mentorship relationships between credit union employees across Manitoba. The goal of the program is to create opportunities for young/emerging leaders to connect with mentors in order to strengthen and build connections, deepen their networks, develop leadership skills, as well as share knowledge and experiences.

Are you a young/emerging leader in your credit union? Are you self-driven to engage in a mentoring relationship? Are you seeking mentorship as part of your development journey? Can you commit to the mutually agreed time required to meet with a mentor and put in the effort? Can you obtain authorization from your direct manager to be part of the mentorship program? Then you are encouraged to apply to become a mentee.

All mentors are leaders in the Manitoba credit union system; many of whom have previously served on the CUYLM Executive Team. Collectively, the mentors have experience in the following areas: Project Management, Business Development, Commercial/Agricultural Lending, Human Resources, Marketing & Communications, Policies & Procedures, Operations, Sales & Relationship Management, Executive/Senior Management and Retail Branch Management among others.

The matching process will be facilitated by the CUYLM Executive Team. Through the application process, prospective mentees will provide an indication of their priority development areas. Matches will be based on aligning successful applicants with mentors whose expertise best aligns with their selections.

Important Dates:

• Now until March 3: Application Period

• March 3 to March 15: Applications Reviewed by CUYLM and Mentorship Connections Formed

• March 15 to November 30: Mentorship Period

Mentorship Objectives will be agreed to by the mentors and mentees as part of a Mentorship Agreement. These objectives will be tailored to the mentee’s leadership development aspirations.

The application process is now open and available on our website. Visit the Mentorship Program page to learn more or go directly to the Application Form.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the CUYLM Executive Team.

Regards,

CUYLM Executive Team

“Tolerance, inter-cultural dialogue and respect for diversity are more essential than ever in a world where people are becoming more and more closely connected.”

— Kofi Annan, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations

The world today is a global village. CUYLM is proud to foster a multicultural environment, evident by the diverse composition of our group. As young leaders, we hold the potential to change the way we see things, the way we respond, the way we innovate, and thus, change the world we live in. In a step toward harnessing this power of diversity, CUYLM organized its first Culture Café.

Culture defines who we are as individuals, be it history, geography, food, arts, family, customs, or traditions. One of the best ways of learning about an individual is by understanding their culture. Having a one-on-one interaction is a perfect opportunity to hear peoples' stories, share yours and ask questions! Through Culture Café, we aimed to promote sharing of cultural information in a safe space and respectful manner that encouraged curiosity and knowledge acquisition.

As part of this activity, three CUYLM Executive Committee members, Connor Gosen, Kawsar Jubair, and Yomi Oduwobi, shared their experiences and knowledge of their respective cultures from the United States of America, Bangladesh, and Nigeria. Archana Krishnan facilitated and provided insights into her culture from India.

Topics included common misconceptions, what is considered respectful and disrespectful, sports, arts, education and gender roles, as well as how we could use this knowledge to build trusting relationships with our team and community members. During this discussion, we discovered that despite the differences in cultural backgrounds, factors such as movies, food, and sports bind people together universally.

This activity helped our team bond with one another, understand our peers better, acknowledge the importance of diversity and inclusion, and the vast potential that cross-cultural awareness holds for creativity, collaboration and success.

If you are inspired by this activity and decide to incorporate it within your organization, please share your experiences with us at cuylm@cucm.org and tag us on your social media posts!

Don’t forget to check out our welcome kit for an overview of what CUYLM offers!

2022 CUYLM Executive Committee

To learn more about our Executive Committee, please visit this link.

If you couldn’t join us live on November 9 for our webinar ‘Leading by Example: Credit Union Young Leaders of Manitoba Alumni Share Their Leadership Journey’, the recording is now available to watch. Check it out and share with your credit union!

In the interactive component, we asked attendees to share the #1 leadership lesson they have learned in their career so far and one takeaway from the event. Here’s what attendees shared.

We hope you found the webinar valuable and would love to see you at future CUYLM events! Subscribe to our newsletter if you haven’t already to stay in touch!

Following a successful 2021 inauguration, the CUYLM Mentorship Program officially kicked off its second year on April 21, 2022. Young and emerging leaders, as well as employees within the Manitoba credit union system (mentees) began their mentorship relationship with subject matter experts and established leaders (mentors) from other Manitoba credit unions, with focus on increasing knowledge, sharing experiences, developing leadership skills, and building connections.

At the kickoff event, mentees were encouraged to drive the mentorship relationship by determining their desired areas of growth and development, as well as working efficiently with their mentors to accomplish their goals. Mentees and mentors were provided with resources such as the mentorship guidebook and goals worksheet. They were also encouraged to build rapport, communicate effectively, set ideal targets, and create a comfortable meeting environment to ensure approachability, openness, and confidentiality.

On September 21, 2022, CUYLM held a virtual networking session with the mentors and mentees. The respective groups, in separate breakout rooms, shared their experiences and lessons learned from the mentorship journey, and expanded their networks. CUYLM also used the opportunity to obtain feedback and ensure that the mentorship program ended its second year successfully.

Conversations with mentees revealed that the mentorship program assisted them with their professional and personal growth. They affirmed that their mentorship relationship involved collaboration, information sharing, organic discussions, and judgement-free conversations. These aided them through role transitions, conflict resolutions, time management, and career trajectory. The mentees acknowledged that their mentorship relationships were more valuable than anticipated.

The mentors asserted that the mentorship program was an excellent way to give back to the system, and some of them expressed their interest in mentoring throughout their entire career. While CUYLM alumni mentors appreciated the opportunity to stay connected to CUYLM and its initiatives, non-alumni mentors, especially those who had been with the program since its the inaugural year, agreed that the program was a nice way to make connections and meet new people. They affirmed that each mentee’s style and preference was different, and they as mentors continuously learned to adjust accordingly. They also stated that they enjoyed behavioural-based conversations which focused on personal and professional development.

Special thanks to CUYLM executive committee for organizing a successful networking event. Gratitude also goes to the facilitators and participants of the event.

To learn more about CUYLM Mentorship Program, you may reach out to CUYLM Committee.

Hello CUYLM Members,

On behalf of the Credit Union Young Leaders of Manitoba (CUYLM) Executive Team, we are thrilled to share some exciting news with you.

CUYLM is launching a new 2021 Manitoba Credit Union Young Leader Mentorship Program. The program is focused on facilitating formal mentorship relationships between credit union employees across Manitoba. The goal of the program is to create opportunities for young leaders to connect with mentors to strengthen and build connections, deepen their networks, with a focus on developing leadership skills and sharing knowledge and experiences.  

Objectives of the Program:

• Increase engagement and connection with CUYLM and others across the Manitoba credit union system; and

• Increase knowledge, develop skills, and retain young leaders within the Manitoba credit union system.

All mentors are leaders in the Manitoba credit union system, many that have previously served on the CUYLM Executive Team. Collectively, the mentors have experience in the following areas: Commercial/Agricultural Lending, Policy & Procedures, Sales & Relationship Management, Executive/Senior Management, Retail Branch Management, Financing Restructuring, among others.

The matching process will be facilitated by the CUYLM Executive Team. Through the application process, prospective mentees will provide an indication of their priority development areas. Matches will be based on aligning successful applicants with mentors whose expertise best aligns with their selections.

Young leaders seeking mentorship as part of their development journey are encouraged to apply to become a mentee. Please discuss with your manager.

The Mentee’s Role

• Establish objectives/structure of your mentorship (to be Mentee driven, but mutually agreed);

• Actively participate in sessions and commit to regular sessions, including preparing agendas to facilitate the topics/discussion. The expectations for meeting time is a minimum of 60 minutes per month, with meeting frequency and length to be mutually determined by each mentor/mentee.; and

• Provide feedback to the CUYLM team about the progress of the sessions/relationships.

Important Dates:

• Now until May 21: Application Period

• May 21 to May 31: Applications Reviewed by CUYLM and Mentorship Connections Formed

• June 1st to November 30th, Six-month Mentorship Period

Mentorship Objectives will be agreed to by the mentors and mentees as part of a Mentorship Agreement. These objectives will be tailored to the mentee’s leadership development aspirations. Examples of objectives could include:

• Gain understanding of the process of strategic decision making & project management plans;

• Create a goal setting plan and define steps toward fulfilling it;

• Learn about coaching and accountability methods and apply those methods in your role.

The application process is now open and available on our website. Visit the Mentorship Program page to learn more, or go directly to the application form.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to Hart Garfield at hgarfield@acu.ca

Thank you,

CUYLM Executive Team

CUYLM is excited to offer a free webinar, presented by Sandra McDowell.

About the Speaker:
Sandra McDowell, CEO, eLeadership Academy

A trusted authority on the application of neuroscience for leadership, Sandra McDowell is the founder of the eLeadership Academy™. She is on a mission to bridge the gap between brain research, human behaviour, and 21st Century leadership.

About the Content:
Balanced Leadership: Leading with Heart and Backbone

Heart of gold or backbone of steel? Effective leaders have both. In this session, Sandra explains why leading with both heart and backbone has never been more important. In order to do their best work, people need empathic leaders who foster trust and safety while courageously facing uncertainty. In this session you'll learn about the neuroscience of the social brain, the importance of courageous leadership, and techniques for handling difficult conversations. You'll also receive an online assessment to determine your balance of heart and backbone, along with take-away strategies you can use to strengthen your leadership impact.

Details:

Date: Wednesday, December 2nd
Time: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CST
Cost: Complimentary

Please register by November 30th, 2020.
REGISTER HERE

If you requires assistance with registering please contact Jo-Elle Early.

The 2019 CUYLM Conference (Discovery: Next Generation Leadership) brought together over 90 Young Leaders representing credit unions and system partners from throughout Manitoba for a busy day-and-a-half of learning, self-discovery and networking.

The conference opened with the State of the Manitoba Credit Union System address delivered by Garth Manness of CUCM. Manness touched on the economic picture for Manitoban credit unions, regulatory modernization, the evolving expectations of members, new credit union competitors, and other challenges and opportunities credit unions face going forward. He emphasized that Young Leaders are in a unique position right now to bring new perspectives and mindsets that will be of value to their credit unions as they bridge to the future.

Barry Christiansen introduced Young Leaders to Insights Discovery, a psychometric tool that helped attendees discover their preferred communication styles, strengths and value they bring to a team. Each Young Leader received a personal profile filled with detailed comments about their leadership style and tips for development. After reviewing their profiles, attendees engaged in a series of interactive activities designed to put their new knowledge and awareness into practice.

The conversations continued at Torque Brewery, where Young Leaders had the opportunity to make new friends and connections, take a tour of the brewery, and have some fun.

The Human Library session was an opportunity for Young Leaders to meet with experienced mentors from the credit union system and ask questions. In small groups, attendees took turns conversing with twelve mentors (Executives from the credit union system). The room was filled with lively conversation as learnings and ideas were exchanged.

To wrap up the conference, attendees worked in small groups to tackle some of the challenges facing the credit union system and brainstorm possible approaches to them. Some of the challenges attendees looked at were the changing workforce and necessity of new skillsets, developments in the regulatory environment, new competitors moving into the banking space, and ways credit unions could collaborate even though many are moving in different directions. Afterward, Young Leaders made short presentations about the ideas their groups had generated.

There were many valuable takeaways from the conference. Attendees left with plenty of new ideas and perspectives to consider, a bigger picture of the credit union system and its future, and a deeper understanding of leadership and strengthening relations, and connections to other driven and inspired Young Leaders throughout the system.

Members of CUYLM had the opportunity to attend the National Young Leaders CU NEXTGEN session, part of CCUA’s National Conference for Canada’s Credit Unions in Winnipeg on May 5-6, 2019, along with other young leaders from across Canada.

CU NEXTGEN, designed exclusively for credit union young leaders, was a 1.5 day session that emphasized skill development, knowledge application and networking opportunities, and featured speaker Drew Dudley, of Day One Leadership.

Called one of the most inspirational TED speakers in the world, Drew Dudley is on a mission to help people discover the leader within. With more than five million views, his TED talk “Everyday Leadership (The Lollipop Moment)” redefined leadership — it’s not a characteristic of an elite few, but one that lives within all of us. Through his high-energy talks, Dudley shares practical and actionable insights on creating cultures of leadership that lead to higher levels of pride, productivity, and happiness. He empowers audiences to believe that they are leaders and gives them the tools needed to make a difference.

Drew guided participants through a deep dive of six key leadership values, and presented ‘The Leadership Test’ - an easy-to-apply approach to consistently engage in positive leadership behaviours. Key values Drew explored were: impact, growth, courage, empowerment, class and self respect.

The National Young Leaders Award recognizes young leaders in the Canadian credit union system. The experience has been referred to as "life-changing" by some of the former award winners who have grown into executive level leadership positions in our system.

The National Young Leaders Committee wants to ensure all young leaders (or their prospective nominators) have the chance to learn about the award process before the March 1, 2019 deadline. The committee is hosting a webinar on Thursday January 17, 2019, and hopes anyone who is even remotely curious about the award and the experience takes the hour to join them.

The webinar will provide an overview of the nominations and award selection process and feature insights and advice from previous winners of the National Young Leaders Award. Register for the webinar here.

Members of CUYLM attended the Credit Union Managers Association (CUMAM) conference in Winnipeg and hosted a booth at the conference trade show to survey conference attendees. They asked attendees what advice they would give to young leaders looking to break through to the next level of their career, about personal breakthrough moments they have had, and how they encourage “breakthroughs” in their team.

We caught up with Rachelle Nato, Marie McKean and Candice Bradley of CUYLM to find out how their day went at the conference.

Q: Was this your first time at CUMAM?
Rachelle: Yes! I was very excited to be part of the CUMAM conference.

Q: What was the vibe in the booth?
Marie: Great atmosphere, the people stopping by were great to talk to.
Candice: Very upbeat and positive. Lots of great conversation.

Q: What was your favourite part of the trade show experience?
Rachelle: I loved how busy our booth was! People were coming to say hi. I got to see CUYLM alumni as well as meet new people.
Marie: Getting to talk to other people in the system and listening to their advice. And, of course, getting to meet up with other CUYLM members.

Q: Did you see some familiar faces?
Rachelle: All CUYLM alumni made a point to come to our booth and say hi.
Candice: Yes! It was so great to catch up with so many people I’ve met at other system events!

Q: What are your favourite comments?
Marie: Take the good with the bad. Every moment is an opportunity for growth. Get involved, observe… everyone is a coach. Take what resonated with you and run with it.
Candice: Don’t be afraid to take chances and go outside your comfort zone.

Q: Did you learn anything new from this experience?
Rachelle: Credit union managers and executives are happy to share their knowledge. I love that our booth made them think. I can’t wait to share the info with our membership!
Candice: Just reinforces how glad I am to be part of the credit union system!

Here are the comments collected from the CUYLM booth:

Question 1: What advice could you give to a young leader looking to break through to the next level of their career?

1. Take the good with the bad! Every moment is an opportunity for growth!  (Natalie B., CCCU)

2. Be open to feedback and advice given by others. (Marie McKean, Westoba)

3. Don’t wait for opportunity or the perfect time. Seek it out and take control.  (Cora, Sunova)

4. Never give up, keep going. (Vicki, CCCU)

5. Be true to yourself about your goals and values. Pursuing a career path with those in mind will help enthusiasm shine through. (Lisa Prays, Cambrian)

6. It won’t get done for you so you need to take ownership and make it happen by talking to your boss, networking and continuing to add to your toolbox. (Bennie, CFG)

7. Keep learning and trying new things. (Jody, Noventis)

8. Take an active roll to meet many people within the system. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and get out of your comfort area. (Tyler Booker, Fusion)

9. Always volunteer to take on that task that no one wants. (Norman Neil, Westoba)

10. Get involved, observe. Everyone is a coach. Take what resonated with you and run with it. (Jen, Sunrise)

11. Set long and short term goals and communicate to your organization what they are! (Leanne, Stride)

12. Don’t be afraid to take changes. Believe in yourself! (Lavonne Tyschinski, Fusion)

13. Try! Ask! Go outside your comfort zone. (Amanda, Noventis)

14. I would advise to keep curious, ask questions, experiment, share your ides and forge forward. (Anonymous)

15. Always keep your eyes and ears open to opportunities. (Rachelle Nato, Caisse)

16. Be patient and be willing to take on additional responsibilities or be a team supporter to show all the skills and competence you offer. (Marcel Gauvin, Caisse Financial Group)

17. Take a chance. (Justin, CCCU)

18. Be you.  Learn everyday.  Listen, listen, listen! (Lindsay Hextall, Westoba)

19. Network and be humble. (Shahani, Westoba)

20. It doesn’t have to be a straight line as you progress through your career.  (Mike Brolund, Sunrise)

21. Get involved in your organization. Absorb as much info as you can from experienced peers. Challenge yourself. (Brent Budz, Stride)

22. Ask Questions, continually learn. Be confident in yourself! (Leanne DeGrave, Stride)

23. Always be willing to take on any challenge, whether you see them as small or large – you never know who is watching or what the result will be!  (Sarah Ferguson, Westoba)

24. Ask questions and learn as much as you can about every area of the organization. (Leanne, Fusion)

25. Always be willing to learn and try new things. (Mona W., Cambrian)

Question 2: What has been a breakthrough moment in your own career?

1. Never get comfortable – comfort zones change too. (Trevor K, Stride)

2. Great management empowering me and leading me. (Patti McEvoy, Westoba)

3. Taking on a project no one else would do. (Dave Hyde, Westoba)

4. When my manager believed in me and supported me in achieving my goal to transition to a management position. (Kim S., Assiniboine)

5. Discovering the value of empowering other. (Rob U., Access)

6. Finding an inspirational mentor in the industry. (Brittany Gulowaty, CUCM)

7. The moment I realized I was worthy! Take time for yourself. Health comes first. (Nicole, Steinbach)

8. Learning to share knowledge! (Sherri, Cambrian)

9. Having the courage to step outside my comfort zone and challenging myself to take on a new role that forced me to learn and grow. (Leiha Fiddler, CUES)

10. Applied for a position I didn’t think I’d get. (Debbie, Sunova)

11. Mergers! (Trent H., Fusion)

12. Getting involved in the Young leader’s movement through the National Young Leader award! It sparked a passion for the development of the broader CU system that I would not have otherwise had! (Amie, CUCM)

13. Leaving the security of a full-time role for a 1-year term working for the executive team. (Brent, Steinbach)

Question 3: How do you encourage “breakthroughs” in your teams?

1. Great communication and innovative ideas! (Kathy, Noventis)

2. Encourage that no idea is a bad idea. (Nicole, Cambrian)

3. Give them an open platform and allow them to collaborate. (Leanne, Sunrise)

4. Don’t let perfection stand in the way of good enough. (Tayona, Sunrise)

5. Encourage all team members to communicate ideas – no matter positions or experience. (Terry, Minnedosa)

By Joty Bath, James Grosskopf, and Rachel Tripp.

In May, 2017, the three winners of CUYLM’s Big Idea Challenge had the opportunity to attend the National Young Leaders Conference (NYL) in Halifax, Nova Scotia as the prize for their winning entry. Here is what the three Young Leaders from Westoba Credit Union had to say about their experience at the NYL Conference.

“What we found was the most refreshing attending the NYL conference was that we had the chance to speak about relevant Credit Union challenges with other passionate Credit Union employees and come up with solutions together. It doesn’t matter if you are from the East Coast, West Coast, or anywhere in between – we all face the same challenges.

The guest speakers had a fantastic way of getting the entire group engaged and kept up the group interactions as well. If you are looking for a way to make a difference in our Credit Union System – attending the NYL conference is sure a great way to start! Our biggest takeaway was the networking opportunities with like minded Credit Union Young Leaders. It’s amazing to be surrounded by so many people who are passionate about doing what’s best for our members.

The guest speakers were all phenomenal; they focused on very relevant issues that we experience daily. It’s incredibly reassuring to see that the Credit Union system is so aware of the challenges we face and that we are ready to tackle whatever comes our way. Lastly, we did also get to have a lot of fun out there!”

On April 6 & 7, 2017, 80 Young Leaders from credit unions across Manitoba gathered for the 3rd Credit Union Young Leaders of Manitoba Conference at the Holiday Inn Airport West in Winnipeg. Attendees were invited to “Be the Change” – to learn to lead self, and in turn inspire others.

The conference kicked off with a keynote session from Stephanie Staples, a local motivational speaker who challenged us to “Bring Your ‘A’ Game to Work and Life”. She emphasized the importance of self-care leading to success, striving to make small continuous improvements in life, and learning that positivity is infectious.

Garth Manness, CEO of Credit Union Central of Manitoba, spoke about the state of the credit union system provincially and federally, including the good health of Manitoba’s credit unions, the importance of keeping up with technology, and the importance of reaching millennials as we seek to grow our membership base. He also discussed trends in the financial services industry, and upcoming system challenges that we as credit unions will need to collaborate on.

On Thursday evening we heard from a panel of four credit union senior leaders on their “Leadership Perspectives on Change”. The panel consisted of Lesia Gojan-Klein, former CUYLM Chair and Branch Manager at Carpathia Credit Union, Richard Derenewski, President of the Board of Directors at Catalyst Credit Union, Christina Semaniuk, Vice-President, Human Resources at Cambrian Credit Union, and Martin Trudeau, CEO of Belgian-Alliance Credit Union. We thank our four panelists for sharing their wisdom with us!

Rounding out Thursday evening was a fun, interactive networking event of team trivia challenges provided by Canadian Outback Adventures. The event was a great way to meet other young leaders and decompress from a day full of learning.

Friday was an opportunity to learn from Sandra McDowell, author, speaker, and VP of Communications and Culture for First Credit Union. Sandra led two workshops focused on “Building Leadership Strength from the Inside Out” by focusing on neuroleadership principles, emotional intelligence, and leadership best practices.

Finally, participants worked in functional area groups to brainstorm ways to move their roles from “transactional” to “transformational”, so we can apply our learning at our credit unions when we return to work.

Thank-you to our emcee Julene Toews-Dewis who facilitated those discussions, and did an amazing job in leading us through the conference. Thank you to our sponsors, our speakers, the CUYLM Committee for all your hard work, each attendee for your participation, and the credit unions who sent you, for your support.

Stay tuned for ways to continue learning and growing from CUYLM! Did you miss our “Be the Change” Conference? Not to worry – we will be hearing from Sandra McDowell in a two-part webinar series this fall, and everyone is invited to attend!

CUYLM was thrilled to have the opportunity to attend the Credit Union Classic Golf Tournament put on by the Credit Union Management Association of Manitoba (CUMAM) annually. We had such a great time welcoming golfers on the 8th hole at the Clear Lake Golf Course. While at our hole golfers enjoyed some Taco-In-A-Bag and we hope good company!

Golfers also had team photos taken and the opportunity to enter to win a free registration to the 2017 CUYLM Conference being held in Winnipeg April 6th and 7th to gift to an employee of their choice.

Congratulations to Brent Budz - we look forward to welcoming an attendee from Austin Credit Union!

On behalf of CUYLM thank you to CUMAM for welcoming CUYLM to attend and participate in this year’s tournament.

Tapping Into Leaders’ Knowledge

CUYLM was able to be a part of this years CUCM AGM’s trade show. We took this opportunity to reach out to the seasoned leaders that were passing through our booth to ask them about leadership. Most all of the participants were more than happy to share their knowledge.

We asked one simple question: in one word, what makes a successful leader?

Here are the responses we received:

Aggressive

Believe

Willing to Challenge

Communication

Compassion

Courage

Creative

Disciplined

Education

Empathy

Empower

Energy

Enthusiasm

Enthusiastic

Experiences

Honesty

Intuitive

Innovation

Inspiring

Initiative

Integrity

Knowledge Transfer

Leadership

Listen

Hear

Motivated

Passion

Receptive

Respect

Shares

Trust

Trustworthy

Understanding

Up

Vision

Words from Leanne DeVliegere Associate Vice President, Member Solutions, Westoba Credit Union:

I had the outstanding opportunity to participate in the Credit Union Central of Canada National Young Leader Award competition in Banff this year! This has been one of my long-term goals realized, and the experience was more incredible than I could have imagined. It’s much bigger than the award itself…the learning process, connecting with others, discovering what you’re capable of…all of these are invaluable! The experience began long before heading to Banff…here are some highlights!

Westoba Credit Union nominated me for the national award after an internal competition among our young leaders

I wrote an essay as part of my submission package titled “Leadership is Influence”. For any young leaders who were at CUYLM’s Think Tank in 2014 we discussed creating a Circle of Influence and what that may look like. The concept is important to me, and I chose to write about the different pieces of my circle and how these help me to be an effective leader.

Once the five finalists were identified, we started meeting by conference call weekly to put a presentation together which we titled “What’s Your Story?”. We determined that each finalist would share a leadership experience and then as a group, put out a ‘call to action’ to our audience and encourage other young leaders to start thinking about their own stories, experiences, people to involve, etc.

In Banff, each finalist had the opportunity to meet with two CUCC Board of Director Members and the three most recent scholarship recipients who are members of the National Young Leader Committee.

The theme of CUCC’s conference was ‘Our Time is Now’. Through my CUYLM experience I’ve had the opportunity to meet a lot of fantastic young leaders who are doing great things in their credit unions and for the MB system. I encourage you to put your name forward, speak with your manager or coach

Thank you so much to all of you who attended the 2015 Ignite conference and for taking the time to complete the post conference survey. We CUYLM take your feedback and recommendations into consideration when planning events or preparing communications so thank you!

Your stand-out “favourite” take-away/activities from the conference:

• 4D-I Assessments

• Re-framing/keeping positive outlook

• Networking & Collaborating

• Solutions Box- Working through leadership challenges with advice from peers

Here are some of the things you said…

• “CUYLM made me proud to be a part of the MB Credit Union System”

• “I made lots of new contacts”

• “Lots of positive thinking and positive attitudes”

Thoughts for Young Leaders – Presented at Ignite 2015 CUYLM Conference by Garth Manness, CEO of Credit Union Central of Manitoba:

• Learn the business

• Make sure you understand the drivers

• Ask questions

• Seek first to understand – then to be understood

• Challenge what sets co-operatives apart

• Don’t let others create your perspective

• Let your energy infect

• Respect/positivity/energy/passion and hard work

• Identify problems – but offer solutions

• Vision/Action/Execution