FREE Exploring Why Workshop

May 23 -25, 9:00 - 11:00 am daily

Hosted by the Carolinas Credit Union Foundation
in collaboration with the National Credit Union Foundation

Carolinas Credit Union Foundation logo

The National Credit Union Foundation’s Exploring Why™

The National Foundation’s Exploring Why™ is an experiential training program to support and engage employees through connecting to the credit union difference and discovering new and improved ways to drive value for their members and credit unions. Exploring Why is intended for all credit union employees regardless of tenure.

The training program will be held virtually over Zoom in 2-hour sessions over three days. There is NO COST to attend but advance registration is required. The meeting will be recorded and distributed to all registered attendees following the conclusion of the workshop.

For any questions, please reach out to Lauren Whaley at [email protected] or Jeff Hardin at [email protected].

The workshop will be conducted by Tobi Weingart, Program Director and Development Education (DE) Director at the National Credit Union Foundation.

3-Day Agenda - Virtual

Day 1 - May 23

TimeTopicKey Objectives / Activities
9:00 – 9:30Welcome & Introductions • Opening remarks / Virtual workshop details
• Introductions – Facilitators / The Foundation
• Discuss the importance of “why”
• BREAKOUT DISCUSSION: How did you end up working in CUs? (10 min)
9:30 – 9:50Balance between CU Business and Social Mission• BREAKOUT ACTIVITY: People or Profit (20 min)
• Reflect the pendulum between serving members and meeting needs of bottom line
• What does this look like in discussions, situations, and strategies within your organization?
• What factors swing an org to prioritize one over the other
10:00 – 11:00The CU Difference + the Co-op Principles• Who do we consider our competition? How do we differentiate ourselves?
• Review CU vs Banks / Co-ops vs Corporations
• Review the 8 Cooperative Principles – these define who we are
• Learn about the CU movement with the “Onion” model
• BREAKOUT DISCUSSION: How do you see these principles reflected at your CU? (15 min)

Day 2 - May 24

TimeTopicKey Objectives / Activities
9:00 – 10:00CU History• Share your CU original member story
• Discuss origins of the CU movement and key historical events
• Continuation into contemporary CU history
• Key lessons from our past
• BREAKOUT DISCUSSION: Who was your CU’s original member? What were their needs?
10:00 – 11:00Credit Union Champions• BREAKOUT ACTIVITY: (digital) CU Champion cards - learn key CU champions and accomplishments
• Reflect on champions. Who are our current day champions? What are they doing to carry forward the CU mission?

Day 3 - May 25

TimeTopicKey Objectives / Activities
9:00-9:45The Challenge: Financial Well-Being for All• BREAKOUT DISCUSSION: Challenges members face today? (15 min)
• Shattering perceptions: What does the financial well-being of American families and communities look like?
• Overview of financial well-being
• What does this mean for your CU?
9:45 – 10:30Solutions Through Empathy • Understanding different perspectives + unfamiliar challenges
• Use and value of empathy BREAKOUT DISCUSSION: How are you applying empathy back at your CU?
10:30-10:50Your Purpose + One Thing • The balance between purpose and burnout – where are you? where are your colleagues? Members?
• Review of why + value exercise (already done as team)
• What is one action you can take over today’s session
10:50-11:00Wrap Up• Reflection and connections; debrief actions attendees can takeaway

About the presenter:

Tobi Weingart is the Program Director and Development Education (DE) Director at the National Credit Union Foundation. At the Foundation, she leads the strategy as well as the design, development, implementation, and facilitation of The Foundation’s Development Education (DE)™  and Exploring Why™  education programs, where participants discover and engage with the impact of credit unions through the lens of the movement’s principles and philosophies.

Tobi joined The Foundation after 3 years at the Credit Union National Association. Her time in the credit union movement also includes 8 years at Educators Credit Union (WI) where started as a teller and spent most of her credit union career in Talent Development and Human Resources supporting and leading Organizational Development. She is a 2021 graduate of Filene’s i3 program and a member of CUNA’s inaugural DEI advisory committee. She is a Credit Union Development Educator and Development Educator European Union.

She lives in Peachtree City, GA with her family and is a proud UGA grad.

Tobi Weingart, M.Ed., CUDE, CUHRCP