Member business lending (MBL) has entered a dynamic and competitive landscape, compelling credit unions to rethink how they deliver value to their members. To help credit union leaders, lending managers, and executives position themselves for success, we’ve crafted a series of strategies tied to classic games that offer a unique perspective on tackling challenges and achieving excellence in MBL.
This blog series builds upon the key strategies discussed in Baker Hill’s webinar, Winning at Member Business Lending, linking strategies from well-known games to actionable business lending approaches. Each game highlights specific methods credit unions can leverage to enhance their member business lending portfolios while delivering exceptional value to their members.
In this installment we focus on Twister, a game that embodies the importance of connections, coordination, and adaptability. These principles are essential for credit unions aiming to navigate the complexities of member business lending and achieve measurable growth.
Twister and the Challenge of Coordination
Is your member business lending as tangled as a game of Twister? Many credit unions struggle with departmental silos, conflicting priorities, and unclear ownership of MBL functions. Just like players in Twister reaching for different spots on a colorful mat, team members may find themselves struggling to maintain balance, resulting in inefficiencies, miscommunication, and, ultimately, missed opportunities.
From retail banking to business development, who’s responsible for what? Without coordinated efforts, your lending program may be spread thin, making it difficult to drive actual value for members. If this sounds familiar, it’s time to untangle your processes and bring departments together with a more unified approach.
The Key to Winning at Twister (MBL Edition)
To turn the chaos of “Twister” into a streamlined, cohesive MBL strategy, focus on building cross-departmental alignment. Member business lending isn’t just the responsibility of retail or lending departments—it requires collaboration across the entire organization. Here’s how credit unions can achieve greater coordination:
Define Roles and Responsibilities
Each team member should clearly understand their role in the member business lending process. A well-documented plan outlining who handles lead generation, underwriting, member communication, and servicing will reduce duplication of efforts and confusion. Ensure everyone involved knows their contribution matters to the success of the program.
Create a Shared Playbook
Similar to Twister’s rule card, your MBL program needs a playbook. Detail processes, workflows, and expectations to ensure consistency across branches, departments, and teams. This central document can act as a guide when integrating employees into a common strategy.
Leverage Collaboration Tools
Invest in technology—like Baker Hill’s loan origination system (LOS)—that fosters seamless communication and shared visibility. Tools that integrate departmental activities will help track leads, monitor applications, and enhance member experiences. A single source of truth for MBL activities is critical for eliminating silos.
Commit to Regular Meetings
Departments working in isolation often miss the bigger picture. Schedule regular cross-departmental meetings to review MBL progress, identify roadblocks, and share insights. Celebrate wins and analyze missed opportunities as a team to foster alignment.
Focus on Member-Centric Collaboration
The end goal of every MBL initiative is to improve outcomes for your members. Ensure every team in your credit union understands how their work impacts the member experience. Collaborating with a member-first mentality will help break down internal silos.
Engage Leadership
Leadership buy-in is essential to creating a culture of collaboration. Empower executives to champion cross-department coordination, ensuring alignment at all levels. When leadership demonstrates the importance of MBL, employees are more likely to follow suit.
Learn from Retail Lending
Credit unions can borrow best practices from their retail banking departments to simplify MBL processes. Retail banking excels in aligning staff, processes, and systems around the member, and the same principles apply to business loans.
For example, retail teams are adept at recognizing member needs during in-branch interactions or through call centers. Leveraging these insights for business lending opens doors to cross-sell opportunities. Training branch and call center staff to identify potential MBL leads creates a coordinated, organization-wide pipeline.
Tech Tools to Bridge the Gaps
Streamlining MBL operations often requires digital transformation. Tools like Baker Hill’s loan origination system (LOS) automate and centralize processes by reducing bottlenecks that arise from manual tasks, redundant workflows, and fragmented systems.
Benefits of an LOS for Coordination:
- Centralized Documentation: An LOS captures and organizes borrower information in one place, ensuring all departments have real-time access to accurate data.
- Automation: Automate repetitive tasks such as document classification, fraud detection, and compliance checks. Automation minimizes errors and boosts efficiency across departments.
- Analytics: Leverage data insights on loan performance, member interactions, and credit risk to drive informed decision-making across teams.
- Improved Member Experience: Faster loan approvals and smoother processes translate into better experiences for your business members, fostering loyalty.
Learn more about Baker Hill’s credit union solutions here.
Actionable Next Steps
If your MBL is tangled like Twister, it’s time to act. Here’s a step-by-step guide to start revitalizing your strategy today:
- Assess Current Processes – Identify inefficiencies in your MBL workflows, particularly those impacted by poor coordination.
- Get Buy-In Across Departments – Speak with department leaders to gain their commitment to improving collaboration.
- Invest in Technology – Evaluate tools like a loan origination system (LOS) that streamline processes and enhance cross-department visibility.
- Empower Your Team – Train employees, create clear guidelines, and emphasize the importance of working together for member success.
Moving Toward MBL Excellence
Member business lending can no longer be approached as fragmented, department-specific work. By recognizing how critical cross-departmental alignment is—and implementing the tools and strategies outlined here—credit unions can “win” at Twister while delivering real, tangible value to their members.
Remember, the key to growing member business lending is thinking beyond individual loans and fostering organizational synergy, all while keeping the member at the center.
Stay tuned for the next blog in this series, where we’ll explore how cooperative games—like Forbidden Desert—can inspire a team-first approach to tackling MBL challenges.
This blog is part of a series: Winning at Member Business Lending. Check out the other installments in this series:
Cooperative Strategies for Member Business Lending Success
Mastering the Game of Member Business Lending: Navigating the Rules You Can’t Control
