"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." That's a phrase coined by Helen Keller. When we face challenges, both in life and business, most of us can agree we have a better chance of overcoming them when we band together with others. It's a concept the credit union industry knows very well – and should be careful not to lose sight of.

Credit unions are unique from banks in that instead of competing with one another, they function as a unified team. As an example, for our last print issue's Focus Report, which focused on human resources and benefits, the Filene Research Institute's Andrew Downin wrote a piece that encouraged credit union HR leaders to promote the industry's unique professional culture, including the fact that employees are welcome to hop from one credit union to another as they climb the career ladder. "What if part of a credit union's recruitment pitch was 'do well here, and you could move up to a leadership role here or at another credit union,'" he wrote. "I can't imagine Wells Fargo ever saying that working for Chase is a welcomed next step for a new hire."

Earlier this month, the collaborative credit union spirit was alive at the 2017 CUBG National Conference, hosted by business services CUSO CU Business Group in Portland, Ore. Defined by CUBG CEO Larry Middleman as a "boutique conference," it drew only about 150 attendees, which allowed for so much more interaction and conversation compared to, say, GAC. Nothing against the big shows, it's just fascinating how being part of a smaller group can morph people into friendlier, more open versions of themselves – kind of like living in a small town versus a big city. CUBG even kicked off with a lively session led by consultant Allison Clarke on how to remember people's names, which got everyone up out of their seats and talking (looks like I was on target with my interactive session suggestion in the column, "Dear Credit Union Conference Planners").