Digital Transformation Through Alignment: A Credit Union Case Study

Problem

A large regional credit union was grappling with internal conflicts that obstructed collaboration among its senior leaders. The VP of Marketing initially sought to implement data-driven personas to address these issues, but faced resistance and recognized that such an approach might not be effective due to the systemic nature of the problems.

Process

Instead of relying on data-driven personas, I suggested adopting alignment personas. I facilitated collaborative workshops that involved key stakeholders to define measurable goals and explore assumptions about their current and target customers. This initiative became integral to the cultural transformation initiated by the new CEO. Together, we created both product and marketing personas and developed a customized approach that captured the ‘steady states’ of customers and the ‘salient moments’ that define their relationships with the credit union.

Results

Throughout a year-long transformation project, our workshops engaged 15 senior stakeholders and executives, achieving consensus on measurable goals and establishing both product and marketing personas. We effectively addressed the unique challenges of a retail financial institution, creating a shared vocabulary that fostered the widespread adoption of these personas in various processes. Additionally, coaching sessions with the UX team reinforced alignment and collaboration, setting the stage for ongoing success and improved internal dynamics.

Highlights

• 15+ aligned stakeholders This was not a startup—this was a big, structured organization with a lot of powerful decision-makers—and they had recently had big changes in the C-Suite. The process brought them all on board, kept them engaged, and resulted in a strategy and action plan that they all supported and took back to their teams.

• Personas with a purpose The final alignment personas reflected business priorities, data from across the organization (from branch usage to marketing statistics to customer support insights), and growth- and engagement goals. They were immediately put to use by marketing, design, engineering, product, and the prioritization team. They live on today.

• On-the-fly UX management coaching The UX team had a new, very talented leader. She didn’t have extensive experience in user experience methods or tools.

Do you have a similar problem in your organization? Schedule a Free Consultation (below) and let’s talk about how I can help.