Most of us have heard that the definition of insanity is “doingthe same thing over and over again and expecting differentresults.” Yet often, when hiring replacements into ourorganizations, we do what we have always done, expecting newresults. We continue to define the person best suited for theposition based on outdated paradigms from yesterday's businessculture and climate.

As I travel around and talk with executives from institutions ofall asset sizes, I hear them concentrate on a couple of majorthemes: First, the need to constantly stay ahead of change, thusrequiring visionary staff and leadership; and second, thecontinuous need to innovate products and services around thecommodity of money.

As they are discussing these issues with me, I look around theirorganizations, and for the most part see a homogeneous staff – notin terms of physical appearance, but rather in terms of attitude,process and service delivery. One of the quickest ways to change asan organization is to change the makeup of those working in it. Itshould not be news to anyone that the employees of an organizationare not only its face, but its heart and soul as well.

In a meeting I attended earlier this year, Bob Trunzo, EVP/COOat CUNA Mutual Group, was speaking about culture change at CMG andtheir need to enhance the marketing function and leadership in thisarea. In regard to this potential senior-level hire, Bob said thathe told the recruiting agency, “I don't want to see any candidatethat looks like us.”

The inference was that an organization could not change if itcontinued hiring in its own likeness. This is the kind of visionaryleadership that can and will lead to hiring change agents, andresult in the desired infusion of innovation we require to surviveas an industry.

In preparation for writing this piece, I perused more than 75job postings from all over the country, and for a variety ofdifferent positions.

As I suspected, I found a common theme fromamong the desired traits listed in the ads. An overwhelmingmajority of the requirements listed could have been used verbatim20 to 30 years ago. They contained phrases like these: “must have10 years of direct experience in the job; must have X number ofyears experience at an X size institution; must have managed Xnumber of direct reports,” and a plethora of various othermust-haves.

Beyond the requisite education and a professional understandingof the process, I ask why this is. If the “must” is 10 yearsdirect experience in a billion-dollar-plus institution, does thatmean someone with seven years of experience in an $800 milliondollar institution is blatantly unqualified?

Granted, there are certain jobs that do not lend themselves tothe adaptation of creativity or innovation. Jobs in compliance,security and IT are among them. However, this does not mean thatthe people occupying these positions cannot inherently have dynamiccharacteristics such as strategic thinking, innovation, creativityand a secure grasp of the importance of high-level servicedelivery.

The point is that although the job is rigid and specific innature, the person occupying the position can and should possessthe traits necessary for the organization to accomplish its goalsof innovation and change.

If we need to be innovative, strategic, dynamic, andservice-oriented, then why aren't these traits more prevalent injob postings?

I am reminded of the Dudley Moore movie, Crazy People,which is used in ad and marketing agencies around the world as anexample of “out of the box” thinking and creativity. In this film,Moore's character creates a very successful and innovative adagency with people who have been institutionally committed. Theyare successful because of their open thought processes and becausethey are free from thinking and acting within pre-definedparadigms. In other words, they do not have the baggage of ananachronistic bureaucracy clouding their ability to create andchange.

Obviously, as previously stated, many jobs in our industryrequire certain technical skills and abilities, and I am notsuggesting otherwise. In my opinion, we could do a better job ofattracting those talented professionals that think in aninnovative, dynamic and service-oriented manner if we actuallyadvertised for what we are looking for and desire to become as anorganization. I like to think of it this way: If you want orchids,don't plant daisies!

Anthony L. Emersonis president/CEO of the Credit Union League ofConnecticut.