If the first step in future-focused strategy is to imagine what’s possible, the next step is to decide what matters most. That’s where Key Priorities and Investments come in — the second stage in the KPIs of Relevance.
Ideas are infinite. Resources are not.
Credit union strategy has evolved. It’s no longer just about setting goals — it’s about making bets. In a world of fast change, relevance is no longer the result of doing more — it’s the result of doing fewer things better, bolder, and faster.
That requires prioritization. And it demands investment.
The Lie of “Strategic Balance”
Let’s retire the myth that you can be good at everything. You can’t — and you shouldn’t try. Strategic balance is often a boardroom excuse for spreading risk so wide that nothing sticks. But the best credit unions don’t chase balance — they choose impact.
At 10X credit unions, I’ve seen the strategic moment when a CEO draws a line through half the plan and says, “We’re not doing any of this.” That’s not retreat. That’s refinement.
Because clarity is power.
Key Priorities and Investments force the question: What are we willing to say no to — so we can say hell yes to what will actually move the needle?
The Four Levers of Strategic Return
Every Key Priority should pull one or more of these four levers:
- Growth: Does it expand your reach or scale?
- Revenue: Will it drive income — short-term or long-term?
- Profitability: Does it deliver efficient, sustainable returns?
- Experience: Will it elevate the member or employee journey?
If a project, initiative, or big idea doesn’t move at least one of these four — or worse, if it’s a maintenance play disguised as strategy — it doesn’t deserve your time, dollars, or talent.
You’re not managing a museum. You’re building a movement.
Investment Isn’t About Spending — It’s About Betting
Every Key Priority comes with a cost. Dollars. People. Time. Trade-offs. Opportunity. Political capital.
That’s why true investment requires courage. It’s easy to allocate dollars. It’s hard to reallocate them — to take resources from the familiar and fund the future.
But that’s where leadership lives.
When your credit union says, “We’re investing $2 million in this,” what you’re really saying is, “We believe this future is worth more than that past.”
You’re betting on what you want to become. And if you’re not betting big on your future, why should your members?
The CEO’s Most Important Job: Ruthless Focus
The strongest CEOs I work with are relentless about focus. They treat their strategic plans like they treat their teams: fewer, stronger, higher-performing.
One high-growth credit union I work with caps its strategic priorities at three. That’s right — only three priorities organization-wide. Not three per department. Not three per division. Three, period.
Everything else becomes a support act, a backlog, or a no-go.
That discipline has tripled their assets, doubled their ROA, and made them the employer of choice in their region — all in under five years.
Strategy is subtraction. Prioritization is the knife.
Timing is the Fifth Dimension
Even great priorities fail if the timing is wrong.
Not everything worth doing is worth doing now. The best strategic plans not only define what to do and why — they define when and in what sequence.
Some ideas are fast lanes. Others are long plays. Some can only be unlocked when another initiative reaches scale. Strategy isn’t just a list — it’s a choreography.
That’s why Key Priorities and Investments should include a visual roadmap. Not just a Gantt chart or dashboard — a bold, narrative flow of what’s next, what’s waiting, and why.
Because relevance is about rhythm.
Stop Managing — Start Investing
If your strategic plan reads like a departmental task list, it’s time to start over.
Planning isn’t about managing projects. It’s about investing in strategic bets with the highest return for your future.
Ask yourself:
- What three bets are we making this year that will redefine our relevance?
- Where are we over-investing in legacy and under-investing in the future?
- What will we celebrate in three years that started with a hard no today?
The answers to those questions will shape not only your next budget, but your next era.
Because credit unions don’t get disrupted by lack of ideas — they get disrupted by lack of focus.
So, pick your priorities. Fund them fully. Protect them fiercely. And execute like your future depends on it.
Because it does.
Jeff Rendel is a strategic advisor to America’s credit unions. He helps high-performing credit unions design and execute strategies that drive growth, relevance, and results. Reach him at jeff@jeffrendel.com or visit www.jeffrendel.com to explore strategic sessions, speaking, and advisory services.