Why Every Credit Union NEEDS a Pulse Survey

Every credit union leader I work with wants the same thing: a healthy, engaged, aligned team that shows up with energy and ownership each day. 

But the truth is that most leaders only get a partial view of what is actually happening inside their teams. 

They know the people who speak up. They know the top performers. They know the outward signs. 

But the quiet frustrations, the early warning signals, and the small cracks forming under the surface often go unseen until they grow into bigger issues.

That’s the problem the Pulse Survey solves: A simple tool that creates visibility, clarity, and trust inside your organization. 

It gives you a real read on how your people are doing, not once a year, not when something breaks, but consistently and without drama.

The Pulse Survey in my book Catalyst was designed for fast, honest feedback. Twenty questions. Anonymous. Takes less than three minutes. 

(Leaders are often surprised that something this small can create such a big shift, but there is a reason each piece works the way it does.)

The first reason is anonymity. 

When people can answer without fear of how their response will be received, the tone changes. You stop getting the polished answers and start getting the real ones. 

And that honesty is what allows a CEO or a leadership team to see the patterns forming before they turn into engagement issues or turnover risks. 

It also helps you identify the strengths you may not be noticing, the areas where people feel supported, and the parts of the culture that are quietly working really well.

The second reason is length. 

Twenty questions may feel short, especially for leaders used to long annual surveys, but the goal is not to overwhelm your team. The goal is to get consistent, repeatable feedback that does not fatigue people. When a survey is too long, the quality of the responses drops. 

When it is short and simple, participation stays high. That is how you get a real read instead of a low response rate that only reflects the loudest voices.

The third reason is frequency. 

A Pulse Survey works best when it happens regularly. Most credit unions run it quarterly. Some run it monthly. The frequency matters because:

Leadership decisions do not happen once a year. 

Culture shifts do not happen once a year.

Member behavior does not change once a year. 

You need a rhythm of feedback that keeps you aware of how your team is doing as you implement new goals, new systems, or new expectations.

With a quarterly rhythm, leaders start to see trends. They notice if one branch consistently feels under-supported. They see which departments feel well-equipped and which are struggling to keep up. 

They can track how communication improves after adjustments are made. They can celebrate where engagement is growing and step into conversations early when it is slipping. 

In other words, the Pulse Survey becomes a leadership tool rather than a data report.

The fourth piece is what happens after the results come in. This part matters as much as the survey itself. 

When you review the data with your team, you create transparency. 

When you acknowledge what they shared, you build trust. 

When you take action on even one or two key areas, you show that their input matters. 

That is where culture starts to shift. People stop feeling like passengers and start feeling like contributors.

Credit unions who use this rhythm start to see a clear pattern. Engagement rises because people feel heard. Turnover drops because leaders catch concerns early. 

Productivity climbs because teams identify and eliminate roadblocks that were slowing them down. And leaders start making better decisions because they are guided by real information instead of assumptions.

The Pulse Survey is not about gathering data. It is about creating alignment. When you have a clear understanding of how your team is experiencing their work, you can adjust with accuracy. 

You can support them with intention. You can build a workplace where conversations happen before things get off track.

If you want a more engaged, energized, and aligned team, start by getting a real pulse on where they are today. 

It will give you clarity, momentum, and a much stronger foundation for every goal you set next.

Lead Boldly,

-MW