Audrey Maeren - Assiniboine Credit Union
Vice-President of Strategy and Corporate Governance, Assiniboine Credit Union
“A few years ago, four organizations merged to form Assiniboine Credit Union (ACU), a Canadian financial co-operative. Next, the entire organization converted to a new banking system. Then ACU launched a significant process improvement initiative. In addition to these major initiatives, ACU introduced a number of smaller changes, yet also with high impact on both work and culture.
We recognized that we really didn’t know how well we had done in managing change or what our capacity was to continue with change. So we used the Change Monitor to show us how staff were feeling about the changes and to discuss their capacity to handle the changes yet to come.
The Change Monitor allowed us to assess our capacity for change and identified high energy areas and areas of worry from which we could take action. It engaged our leaders in the process and provided a safe forum where we could hold open conversations, leverage the insights of many, and build ownership to maintain our change capacity.
The results really gave us a starting point from which we could develop a plan. Without this tool, we may have taken action in the wrong areas and we most certainly wouldn’t have considered to cherish our strengths. The Change Monitor allowed us to focus attention in the appropriate areas to make a positive difference.
We were really surprised that the results were so positive. In fact, we discussed this at all of our leadership forums and concluded that, like most people, we tend to focus on our challenges rather than on what is going well.
I would recommend that other organizations undertake a Change Monitor. It engages people, it makes change everyone’s responsibility, and it provides focus. The Change Monitor has assisted us in setting a plan to nourish what we are good at and to address the worry issues. Through the engagement of all leadership groups, it gains the commitment and support of individuals to ‘own’ change. Importantly, in the brief time since we held the Change Monitor, we have seen action plans completed, excitement built and pride expressed in the accomplishments.”