How to cultivate your subject matter experts (SMEs)

It takes a team to run and grow your credit union.  Does your team have unique talents and expertise that contributes to the credit union's overall success?  Do you truly have Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) or do you have people in their roles that do their jobs because it has, “always been done that way?”  

When met with new challenges your team must have the drive to learn and continue growing their expertise. 

How do you inspire your team to be SMEs that will not only allow you to better serve your members? How do you encourage them to continue personal growth and driven to find better ways to improve efficiency and member satisfaction? How do you cultivate peer influencers and managers? 

EPL is a company that is committed to growing our staff to become SMEs and is also committed to working with credit unions to help their staff become SMEs. So, how can EPL and credit unions work together to make sure your staff knows how to use your core data system most effectively and have SMEs throughout your organization?

• Help your staff build their credentials to become SMEs: This can be done through internal and external education, through ongoing experiences and solving problems
• Ensure key people attend training sessions: Remember, no constructive question is unreasonable. Make sure staff understands what is being presented and encourage discussion.  Share information in the training session about how new processes will benefit the credit union.  Have the team communicate internally what they learn, ask them what they learned and how it will benefit your credit union?
• Network with other credit unions (like with our e3Community): EPL has created a networking forum to allow credit unions to discuss, ask and respond to best practices and challenges. 
• Encourage staff to be ambassadors for their area: Allow them to be influencers on processes that are established.  Consider having processes reviewed by your credit union partners to be sure they are optimizing system functionality.
• Have your SMEs conduct training: When your SME is the team trainer in specific areas, they tend to continue improving their knowledge. Have them record their training session to improve their own delivery and to keep an electronic resource available for future staff or to share with other credit unions
• Your team will respond to praise: Recognize SMEs internally to staff and managers.  You can also acknowledge them externally in credit union publications and board communications.  Finally, consider recognizing them as experts in industry networking forums. Soon other credit unions will be seeking out your SMEs for good ideas advice for better execution.

Cultivation of SMEs helps to grow your team professionally, motivates and retains your best people and provides a resource for other credit unions to gain key ideas to help their credit unions to grow as well.

EPL Staff

EPL, Inc. 

Do you have S.M.E.s?

"Do I have Subject Matter Experts for my credit union that can help us grow in the financial market?"

"I have an awesome team that has strong expertise throughout the credit union that is driven by teamwork in managing our members’ needs and executing our brand. It feels so good to have this strong team to support me! Since I don’t have to be in the trenches all the time, the board and I can focus on strategic new membership growth. Additionally I can continue to develop Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and feel confident that I have succession plans in place." 

Is this your reality or is it a dream you long for?

If you are not living the dream, hopefully you are positioned to see that dream become a reality in the very near future.  No doubt there are key areas within the credit union that should have defined SMEs. 

Your SMEs Must:

• Be challenged to own their responsibilities by rolling up their sleeves, 
• Understand the credit union’s philosophy and business requirements to do their job with key communication, 
• Have strong competency and the ability to help their peers and credit union to grow.   

You should also consider having SMEs diversified in that you have it internally within your organization as well as externally - such as your data processor. The goal and burden is then shared, obstacles are generally overcome quicker and there is most likely a positive impact on strategic initiatives. 

A strong SME team (both internal and external) should be one that is collaborating together, that can show proven work, has strong knowledge for best industry practices and that is helping your credit union grow.   

"Wow! I do have an awesome team!"

EPL Staff

EPL, Inc.