Fight or flight responses are typical in many credit union collections departments, but for collections operations supervisor Kyrie Deger and his team at VyStar Credit Union in Jacksonville, Fla., that reaction has been subsiding one solution at a time.

“We're lucky,” CU Times' latest Trailblazer 40 Below said. “In our organization, our group is celebrated. For us, it's been about getting out of the mentality of collections as a necessary evil and instead being a solutions-oriented group. It's not that we have to call members, we want to call them to provide the best solution possible.”

Having that simple shift in perception has made all the difference at the $5.5 billion credit union. Escalated call activity has become a rare occurrence, members have been more willing to call in asking for help, and process improvements within the department have been found useful across the organization, he said.

“Credit unions in general need to consider the idea of being radical and at the forefront of leading change,” Deger said.

Although challenges exist around technology, growth and the lending environment as interest rates start to rise, Deger said there's opportunity for credit unions to stand out if they are willing to take calculated risks with members.

“For example, if we recognize the number of people affected by the significant collapse in the economy and the beacon score doesn't truly measure someone's ability to borrow and repay a loan, why not look at how they perform on each product?” Deger asked. “It could be their home was overleveraged, but they made their car payments every month.”

When determining risk, credit unions should dig deeper into the member's motivation, and his or her behavior, to determine if the original factors that led to his or her current result still exist today, Deger explained. If they don't, then there may be an opportunity for the credit union to be more proactive and aggressive in its lending efforts while continuing to be fiscally responsible.

While working in a regulatory-heavy environment, as well as dealing with bankruptcies, GL reconciliation and modifications, it can be easy to focus on what can't be done, which is why Deger's team constantly pushes to find a way to improve processes. Outside of Deger's office is a bulletin board where staffers pin their ideas, and an idea isn't removed until it's been resolved and implemented. For Deger and the team, the bulletin board serves as a motivator for staff to keep pushing forward and as an accountability reminder for senior-level personnel.

“There's one idea that's been up there for a year that we haven't figured out yet, but we will,” he said. “We simply don't quit. We keep asking, why? Why are we doing this? How can we refine processes so they're more streamlined and efficient for the individual user and do more with the current resources available to us?”

Read more: Deger chooses new hires who possess shared values …

That constant review of what can be improved to deliver more value recently led to the credit union restructuring its inventory management systems and streamlining mundane processes, Deger said. In the collections world, automation allows teams to take on more responsibility, plus explore how they can do more for the department and organization as a whole, and Deger's team's subsequent efficiency improvement has served as an intrinsic motivator and employee empowerment tool, he said.

“Once the team is engaged, there's no better force to have with you,” Deger said. “At the onset of 2015, our department had seven projects fully implemented that resulted in a process improvement for the organization, and all I did was facilitate it.”

He added that investing in talent development and listening to staff is key to fostering an empowered, engaged team of high performers. Deger said he hires people who have shared values, who are personable, caring, self-motivated, curious and driven to do more – from hitting goals to beating deadlines.

“It's about how they've been living their entire lives, and the technical skills and knowledge can be taught,” he said. “I've learned over the years that while it can be very hard to keep your mouth shut in certain situations, you have to pay attention to what the team is sharing. If you are only listening for the big ideas, you will miss out on those details or the small things that have a large impact on the day-to-day and will drive your department or the organization as a whole forward.”

He credited the dedication of the credit union's CEO and performance and development group for creating and sustaining a culture that invests in helping everyone on the team to realize their potential. Programs are geared toward developing not just effective managers, but also leaders who shape perception within the credit union.

To ensure team members are in the right position and constantly challenged, everything from metrics to goals to team dynamics are reviewed and ranked at VyStar roughly twice a year. If it will help a team member further his or her development to be moved to another area, then the change is implemented immediately. Deger said this process fosters a healthy competition and keeps the workplace interesting and fresh for everyone. He added that mentoring others has been most rewarding for him, and perhaps guiding others is in his blood, given that his grandparents were teachers. And it's paid off: Last year, nine of his direct reports attained promotions to new roles within the credit union.

“My advice to any young leader is to 'do,'” he said. “It's not about titles. People always talk a lot about what they are thinking or are going to do. It's about what you're doing. What have you demonstrated as far as leadership? Take every opportunity to get into a project, volunteer to learn something new, find a mentor and most importantly, get things done. Accountability is critical.”

Once there is more doing, discussions should revolve around those actions, he concluded.

“Everyone should be well-prepared with a 30-second elevator speech that includes data drivers to make the most of an opportunity to represent not only your department or credit union, but yourself as well,” he said.

Instant Insights /

Deger: It's Time to Rethink the Role of Collections

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