Jóvenes profesionales de cooperativas de crédito reflexionan sobre la capacitación en defensa de la CUNA
Several dozen young credit union professionals spent a day with CUNA staff and other policymakers and staff this fall, as part of CUNA's advocacy training program for young professionals. While the training sessions were scheduled to take advantage of leagues in town for the fall Hike the Hill visits, many of the young professionals learned lessons that they said they'll take with them as they continue their future advocacy work on behalf of credit unions.
"I had been saying for a while that I wish there was some formal training for credit union advocacy. La defensa es una responsabilidad que todos, como parte de este movimiento, compartimos y, sin embargo, muy pocas personas tienen la oportunidad de recibir una capacitación formal. Typically it's done through trial and error, which is not the most effective way to learn," said Tim Strong, community development manager for Visions FCU, Endicott, N.Y. "The various topics covered provided a strong base for any individual to begin honing the craft of "telling the story' to our elected officials- be it "on the hill' or in district."
Throughout the sessions, CUNA and league staff talked about CUNA's advocacy and grassroots work. También hubo paneles de debate con personal del Congreso durante los cuales se compartieron formas de lograr un impacto en las reuniones.
"It was great to have the opportunity to practice speaking with the lawmakers who have a direct impact on how credit unions, as a whole, are able to function. What was most beneficial about the training was getting to speak to the people who had experience," said Bradly Ford, a content marketer with Educators CU, Mount Pleasant, Wis. "The guidance they were able to provide was extremely beneficial because they could tell you how a congressperson might react if you say this or that. The way they guided you through the ins and outs of getting through the conversation and making a request of lawmakers is something I'll take with me for a while."
Stacey Walker, a board director with XCEL FCU, Bloomfield, N.J., said she had heard good things about the training, but as a participant in past advocacy events, she wasn't sure if she would learn anything new.
"In the end, I learned quite a bit. I learned to build relationships with elected representatives, to approach hill visits as a team mutually committed to a goal - not simply as individuals grouped together, and to advocate with district offices using best practices," she said. "From the training, I learned about the power of an emotional appeal. Con respecto a la capacitación para jóvenes profesionales, ya sabía cómo resaltar cifras y datos clave. Lo que aprendí fue cómo evocar emociones a través del relato. A compelling narrative can be a powerful advocacy tool."
Walker dijo que utilizó esta técnica durante una visita, durante la cual le pidió a un funcionario que se imaginara a sí mismo intentando pagar su almuerzo, pero que su tarjeta de crédito era rechazada en varias oportunidades y que le informaban que esto se debía a las filtraciones de datos que comprometían la información de las tarjetas.
Muchos asistentes dijeron que esperaban que jóvenes profesionales de otras cooperativas de crédito aprovecharan el programa cuando se ofrezca nuevamente.
"I would certainly encourage other young professionals to participate in this advocacy training. The training prepared me for a difficult fight that ensures credit unions will still be empowered to help their members," Ford said. "It invigorated my already strong passion about giving credit unions more power to help our members and be a benefit to our community. Pero principalmente, fui capaz de aprovechar años y años de experiencia para comprender verdaderamente estrategias y métodos efectivos para la defensa. If you want the fast lane to becoming a master advocate, this is it."
El entusiasmo en la sala también resultaba evidente para los presentadores, muchos de ellos impresionados por el interés activo de los jóvenes profesionales.
"You could sense the energy and excitement in the room as the young professionals learned firsthand about the importance of delivering our credit union messages to lawmakers," said Keith Sias, senior vice president of government affairs for the Illinois Credit Union League (ICUL), who was served as a panelist for discussions. "Having focused on advocacy during my 25 years with ICUL, I realize the importance of developing our future advocates. This program squarely accomplishes that goal."
Referencia: http://news.cuna.org/articles/115075-cu-young-professionals-reflect-on-cuna-advocacy-training
