What's the secret to fostering an environment that supports personal and professional growth? According to Maria Rolston, it's genuine curiosity.

“I ask lots of questions and I try to make meaningful connections,” the assistant vice president of learning/development at Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union in Broomall, Pa. said. “Employees engage with organizations for a variety of reasons, and it's important to listen to the reasons why. What keeps them excited for a new day? What keeps them coming back? What is it that makes them feel they belong? In my opinion, the true development doesn't happen until you see the class list.”

For the latest Women to Watch honoree, clear communication and employee development is crucial to the success of any organization. In an age of workplaces filled with younger generations and constantly changing business needs, she maintained that credit unions need to look at how they communicate and question whether they're doing too much or not enough. They must ask: Is a change in frequency needed? Is the technology in place to support the communication? Does it build trust? How can I ensure my message is being heard?

“Ultimately, I want my leadership and communication style to help someone grow in their career,” Rolston said. “It all starts with respect. I trust employees to make good decisions and deliver quality work. I give them as much information as I can about what's happening and explain why it's happening or why it's important, so that they are informed when making decisions on their own. Giving them these opportunities empowers them and helps them feel more confident.”

Rolston said credit union leaders should never underestimate the importance of developing their internal talent before anything else. Human resource departments, she said, should constantly evaluate the talent that currently exists, identify what types of talent will be needed in the next three to five years, and plan programs to ensure they're prepared for the future.

“I often find that organizations explicitly plan for everything but the people,” she said. “Take the time to do that, and essentially your strategy will take your succession plan to the next level.”

Hired as the credit union's education manager in 2006, Rolston's willingness to work hard, be self-aware and take a big picture approach to assessing the needs of FMFCU has helped her move up the ranks.

“Don't wait for a title to act,” she said. “Start building your credibility and reflect on it often regardless of where you are in your career. I believe every action you take can either build or erode your credibility with your peers and with other leaders. You want to make sure your actions match your words and are things you are proud to be remembered by. This credibility will go a long way when it comes to motivating others and engaging your manager's support.”

In her current role, Rolston has enjoyed the challenge of identifying and resolving issues within a number of areas including employee retention, skill development, professional growth, succession planning and performance improvement. She's worked closely with the credit union's management and human resources teams, which has resulted in a more effective and efficient employee engagement, recruitment and retention strategy at the $906 million institution.

As manager of FMFCU's learning/development and management trainee teams, Rolston's responsibilities also include the design, development and implementation of e-learning programs, and converting existing training programs to a web-based format. The opportunity to help unlock someone's potential, as well as take different approaches to educating and developing employees, is what she finds most exciting.

“I also get excited about potential new programs we can bring to the organization, such as a professional development series that includes topics such as public speaking and networking, or a branch development program that allows trainers to go out into the branch and provide coaching and training specific to the branch's needs,” she said. “That allows for the work and training that takes place there to converge and be collaborative.”

Facing the same challenges that most credit unions do when it comes to attracting and retaining top talent, Rolston developed management trainee and universal employee programs to help address those challenges.

The management trainee program is a nine- to 12-month rotational program that employees complete with the ultimate goal of becoming an assistant manager at an assigned location. Throughout the program, they are trained in a classroom setting, through e-learning as well as on the job. They spend time in every department within the organization to learn their various functions and gain a better understanding of how each one fits into the credit union's overall mission and values.

Employees are also invited to attend committee meetings and focus groups as part of the program, as well as work in different branches to learn various technical skills and leadership styles. Rolston also provides participants with one-on-one coaching sessions based on the feedback they receive from the credit union's departments and branches. As someone who is focused on unlocking the potential of an individual, she remains dedicated to ensuring FMFCU meets the needs of its trainees, and tailors the program's branch and department rotations as needed.

“We want all the trainees to leave confident enough to do the role of assistant manager,” she said. “For instance, we once had an employee promoted from within to the program who had minimal exposure to lending, so we made sure we exposed that person to all aspects of lending.”

Since its inception in 2010, the program has led to a retention rate of 85%, and many of its graduates have continued their careers with FMFCU as branch managers.

In an effort to deepen relationships with members and bring more variety into staffers' work days, member relationship advisor roles were also created within the credit union's branch services division. Member relationship advisors focus on building relationships with FMFCU members by taking care of their needs in a single, one-on-one visit. Thanks to great teamwork, communication and active employee engagement from training to rollout, the credit union successfully made a member experience shift from transaction-based to relationship-based through the implementation of these roles – and with minimal turnover, Rolston said.

“Though our terrific benefits package and generous PTO policy makes us stand out, at the end of the day our employees are the magnets that attract and keep top talent,” she said. “When you have pride in what you do, it shows and it's contagious.”

Instant Insights /

Rolston: A Winning Strategy Starts With Your People

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