With everything that is happening in the credit union movement and the economy today, your answer to this question had better be yes. If not, you need to take a closer look at whether or not your board of directors is making a positive impact on the success of your credit union and its members.

There are precious few constants in the credit union world. The number of credit unions will continue to decline while technology becomes more complex and regulations will increase if current trends continue. There is no doubt that more will be expected from the directors if credit unions are to succeed in this highly competitive environment.

I have worked in the credit union movement for more than 20 years and have served on the board of directors of a billion-dollar plus credit union for the past 11 years. I have also helped hundreds of credit unions in solving human resource issues, coached executives to reach their goals and worked with board members to understand their roles. And I've seen it all–from the smooth running professional board that is truly adding to the success of the credit union to the dysfunctional board where disagreements are common and sometimes escalate into physical aggression.