CUSOs: The Air Traffic Controllers of the Credit Union Industry

Credit unions today must be ready and able to adapt quicker and more efficiently than ever before. They have to be able to manage the business and challenges of today, while also innovating and thinking ahead to the future. It is a concept that a report from the Filene Research Institute’s Center for Organizational Entrepreneurship, “Structures for Innovation,” describes as organizational ambidexterity.

It is similar to – and no less difficult than – the job of an air traffic controller. Air traffic controllers monitor the position, speed and altitude of aircraft and work with pilots to safely maneuver those aircraft around one another in the air and on the ground. These highly skilled professionals use radar, communications and other trusted systems to make critical decisions in a fast-paced, potentially dangerous environment. It is a job that requires highly specialized knowledge, skills and abilities. The ultimate goal for an air traffic controller is to keep people safe. In the case of a credit union, it is necessary to ensure long-term survival and growth, but it is difficult to pull off successfully.