Read the whole credit union strategic planning guide here.
Ahhh, credit union strategic planning. Is it something you look forward to? Or is it more of a necessary evil?
The last few years have made it clear that credit unions need to stay ahead of industry changes. Digital transformation, risk management, and evolving member expectations are no longer future concerns—they’re right here, right now.
To stay competitive against local banks, fintechs, and big tech, credit unions must take a holistic approach to growth. That means asking the right questions (even when the answers might be uncomfortable).
If you’re preparing for a strategic planning session, here are some key topics and questions to get the conversation started.
So, looking for quick strategic planning questions to ask your credit union’s board? You can get started here:
Looking for trend analysis and vendor rankings? See our CU 2.0 Guides here!
Strategic Planning Topics on Growth
- If our loan or member growth tripled overnight, how would we handle it?
- Where do we want to be in three years? What must happen to get there?
- What trends in banking and consumer behavior support our vision?
- What are members asking for that we aren’t delivering yet?
- What are our top priorities for improving products, services, or operations?
- What known risks could slow or prevent growth?
- If we could rebuild the credit union from scratch, what would it look like?
- What key data points or unanswered questions hold us back from making better decisions?
Strategic Planning Topics for Self-Evaluation
- What’s the one thing we struggled with most this year? How do we fix it?
- What’s something we excelled at? How can we scale or improve on it?
- Which performance metric bothers us the most? Why? What should we do about it?
- Where are we using analytics effectively? Where are we falling short?
- Are we moving fast enough to stay competitive? If not, what’s slowing us down?
- What should each department start doing, stop doing, and keep doing?
- What’s our most memorable example of great service? How do we make that the standard?
Strategic Planning Topics on Culture
- How do we see our core values in action? Where do we fall short?
- If we could change one thing about our culture, what would it be?
- Which credit unions do we admire most? Why?
- Who is our ideal member? Where do they spend time, and how do they interact with us?
- What qualities make a strong board member, and do we have the right mix?
- If we hired a new CXO tomorrow, what would be the first three things they’d change?
- How do we attract and retain the best employees in a changing labor market?
Credit Union Strategic Planning Wildcard Questions
- Do we have a strategy for AI, cryptocurrency, or fully digital banking?
- If a perfect competitor opened across the street tomorrow, what would they look like?
- What would our credit union look like if we operated with no branches?
- If the NCUA merged with the FDIC, how would that affect us?
- If our largest SEG shut down tomorrow, how would we adapt?
Any of these credit union strategic planning topics can help you and your board plan for a brighter, warmer future.
Strategic Planning Facilitation and Board Presentations
Credit union strategic planning is about more than setting goals—it’s about making sure leadership is aligned and ready to take action. Our planning sessions, led by Kirk Drake and Chris Otey, focus on the real issues that credit unions face today.
Some of the most pressing strategic questions include:
- Who is our ideal member, and how do we attract more like them?
- How can we improve board governance and leadership engagement?
- How do we compete against fintechs and major tech companies?
- How do we build a culture that embraces innovation and agility?
Kirk and Chris bring decades of credit union leadership, fintech strategy, and board governance experience. Their goal is to go beyond setting a plan for the next year. They aim to challenge your assumptions, push your team to think bigger, and make sure you leave with clear, actionable steps forward.
Learn more about how CU 2.0 can facilitate your strategic planning session by filling out this form:
