Credit unions spend an enormous amount of time on strategic planning. Weeks turn into months. Whiteboards fill up. Consultants are brought in. Goals, initiatives, budgets, and timelines are carefully crafted.
And then it happens.
Something big shows up that wasn’t in the plan.
A regulatory change.
A competitor launches something that instantly raises member expectations.
An economic shift alters loan demand overnight.
A market opportunity opens that could materially change your trajectory.
Now what?
Strategic planning is essential. It creates alignment. It gives direction. It establishes priorities. It helps leadership teams decide what not to do.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth:
No strategic plan can anticipate everything.
And when leaders treat the plan as untouchable, they risk missing the very opportunities that could move the credit union forward the fastest.
At Your Marketing Co (Your Marketing Co), we see this tension constantly when following up with strategic planning clients months after their planning sessions. The most successful credit unions aren’t the ones with the prettiest plans — they’re the ones who know when to step outside of them.
A 911 opportunity is not just a distraction or a shiny object. It’s something that:
Was not anticipated during strategic planning
Requires immediate, decisive action
Carries a high cost if ignored or delayed
Has the potential to significantly impact growth, reputation, or operations
These moments demand a clear yes or no — not another committee meeting.
Examples credit unions face all the time:
A major competitor rolls out a digital experience your members will expect next
A regulation changes overnight and forces immediate compliance action
Economic conditions shift, impacting lending or deposit behavior
Demographic changes create a sudden opportunity for expansion
These aren’t inconveniences. They’re inflection points.
One of the biggest traps credit union leaders fall into is confusing urgent with important.
Urgent things demand attention. They’re loud and time-sensitive.
Important things move the long-term mission forward.
When everything feels urgent, teams stay busy but don’t make progress.
When only the strategic plan is treated as important, blind spots form.
The skill that separates strong leadership teams from stagnant ones is discernment:
Is this urgent?
Is this important?
Is it both?
That clarity determines whether you act now, delegate, or deliberately delay.
The most effective credit unions don’t abandon planning — they anchor it in flexibility. Here’s how they do it:
A medium-term “north star” keeps teams aligned even when tactics change. When a 911 opportunity appears, leaders can quickly evaluate whether it supports that goal.
Not every opportunity deserves action. Create a simple decision framework leadership can use to evaluate urgency and importance without overcomplicating the process.
Not everything needs to stop at the CEO or board level. Give trusted team members authority to act on time-sensitive opportunities within clear guardrails.
The most effective boards revisit strategy quarterly. They ask:
Are we moving the needle?
Are our tactics working?
What has changed since we last met?
A plan should guide decisions, not restrict them.
Strategic plans matter.
But plans don’t create success — action does.
If your plan prevents you from acting when the moment demands it, the plan has become a liability.
The credit unions that thrive are the ones that treat strategy as a foundation, not a cage — staying agile enough to respond when a single decision could change everything.
If you’re looking to build a strategic framework that balances clarity with agility — and helps your credit union do so much good in your community — we’d love to talk.