The Texas Rangers: A Model for Fantastic Credit Union Organizational Health

Most of the On The Mark Strategies team are lifelong Texas Rangers fans local to the DFW Metroplex…so it’s not surprising to know we obsessively watched the World Series this year. But no amount of fandom prepared us for the true reason the Rangers won: an incredible team culture.

Yes, the Rangers know baseball. Yes, they practiced incessantly to achieve their victory. And both factors are necessary for success – but not sufficient.

It’s the same way outside of athletics too. Your credit union may have the most knowledgeable employees with the best degrees, but you aren’t going far without a cohesive culture binding the team together.

Here are some specific insights for how the Texas Rangers serve as a fantastic example for credit union organizational health.

Build a Winning Team

Following the Rangers’ victory, many of those interviewed discussed the General Manager (Chris Young) and his strategy for building a winning team. He didn’t settle for the wrong people, and he didn’t put the right people in the wrong spots. He had a plan. And he was willing to wait to get the right team in place.

Chris Young talks briefly about having the right people in this post-game interview…

Your credit union organizational health also depends on the team you build. You must put the right people in the right seats on the bus. Don’t settle for someone who isn’t a culture fit…even if they have the necessary skills on paper. 

As Gino Wickman says, the wrong person may “excel at what he or she does” but “is chipping away at what you’re trying to build, in little ways that, most of the time, you don’t even see.”

Hire based on your values. Teach the necessary skills and position the new hire where they are most valuable. After all, the right person is likely willing to learn…without subverting your credit union organizational health.

Establish Support Systems

Anytime someone returned to the Rangers’ dugout from being on base during the World Series, his teammates lined up on both sides of him for a high five train. It’s a simple act, but one that shows unity and positive reinforcement among team members. See it in action here…

 How do your team members treat each other?

A great team reinforces and supports its members, and solid credit union organizational health rejects the “it’s not my job” mentality. Saying “it’s not my job” really means “I don’t want to try and help.” It’s the opposite of lining up on both sides of your teammate and high fiving him or her. 

Form a culture where people are eager to support one another. Celebrate other team members’ successes as if they were your own - especially because they are your own successes too. You’re one team, not separate players.

Play With Passion

The Texas Rangers are a passionate team. One player described the organization as “a team of warriors.” And when asked what made the team so special, World Series MVP Corey Seager summed it up in one word: “Heart.” 

Too often, teams get stuck in the daily grind. They just need to complete one task and move on to the next – it’s almost robotic. And robotic work doesn’t live up to the idealistic visions many credit unions set. 

That’s why your credit union organizational health relies on passion as much as the Rangers did this year. Passion permeating your institution encourages employees to go above and beyond (for members and each other). You actually fulfill your vision. Plus, employees have a better reason to go to work every day.

It’s time to build your team, set up support systems and infuse your organization with passion. Then, go out there and win!

And if you need an extra coach, On The Mark Strategies can help you. Book a free consultation today and take your credit union organizational health to the next level.