Nomination Examples
Here are some examples of previous nominations that have stood out to our judges! Our SYL committee will always ensure to redact any personal information to ensure a fair voting process!
Example 1:
“I can’t think of anyone that is more proud to work for the CU than the nominee. When I met the nominee, they were an FA1 at one of the branches. Their enthusiasm for their job and branch is apparent upon meeting them. The nominee has seen moved into an FA2 role as their passion for improving the financial well-being of our members has only increased. If you take a look at our communication tool, the nominee is active in sharing their member stories and is incredibly proud of the impact they makes in their members’ lives. You can hear the passion behind their stories and can easily appreciate how seriously they take their job and role of improving the financial well- being of our members. If you don’t have the nominee on social media, than I’m afraid you are missing out on watching the biggest advocate of the CU. Not only does the nominee allow them self to be vulnerable and share their own personal financial journey, but they also encourage others to make changes too. They are walking the talk and leading by example. The nominee knows that in order to effectively impact members, they have to hold them self accountable to their financial plan. They promote the CU by talking about how the organization has changed their life and provided them opportunities. The nominee gets involved by being an active leader during campaigns and holds their peers accountable to our values. Although I don’t have a retail perspective, if I was training or leading an employee, I would want them to have the same level of engagement and enthusiasm as the nominee. I know they want coaching, and take it to heart to continually push them self to improve.The nominee is involved in the young leaders committee as a go to person and clearly leads from their role as an FA2. The nominee brings enthusiasm, a positive and growth mindset, a great attitude and is a joy to be around. They make me want to drink the Kool-Aid they are drinking because their personality is so bright and vibrant, and their energy is contagious. The nominee is a true ambassador of the CU.
Example 2:
The nominee has been one of the most exciting people to watch grow since they started their career in the credit union system. The part I love seeing about them is their dedication and passion for financial success, not only in them self, but everyone that crosses their path. Whether it’s in their office, at the doctor’s office with their daughter, the gym, or simply out with friends or family, they are constantly sharing their own personal financial success stories and encouraging others to be as brave as they were to open up and tackle a new financial challenge. I remember when the nominee first started their role at the CU. They were terrified on how they were going to be able to talk to members about their own finances while they was going through their own financial struggles. I would say through coaching, the nominee was able to build their confidence, but coaching had nothing to do with it. The nominee sat down with their own financial advisor, worked out a plan, and had an open and honest conversation and at the moment, their mindset changed. The nominee found their spark and passion in themselves. Since that day, they have been relentless in their member conversations, so they could too find that same spark and passion that the nominee did. It is apparent in their role today that they have changed the lives of so many people. They are real about their own journey and relates that into every conversation. Their personality is inspirational and infectious. It makes members feel they are on this exciting journey with someone who understands and someone who will be there alongside of them the entire way. This is what they do each and every time. Although the nominee has also had some tough conversations and experiences where members were not always wanting to “drink the Kool-Aid”, they don’t let that experience ruin the next. They reset and goes into their next appointment with the same zest as the first. The nominee is resilient and ensures this comes through with their members as well. They don’t stop at one meeting. They book follow up meetings, phone calls, texts, etc. However the nominee can get in front of the member, they do. Even things as simple as a “hey – how is that plan going”, “it’s ok, let’s try this again!”, “how can I better support you”. They ensure members feel supported and valued so they can meet their financial goals. I could go on all day about the things the nominee does to create meaningful experiences, but it truly is an experience you have to see for yourself. Meet them in person, call them, or stop in and say hi. Once you do, you will know exactly the spark and passion that I am talking about!
Example 3:
In their 17 year career at their credit union, all within the HR department, this nominee has always been a highly reliable team member who displays a great amount of accountability and integrity. Over the last five years, they have established themselves as a highly respected leader in the organization, moving from a Professional Development Specialist, to Manager of HR, to VP of HR during this time. Many employees and peers look to them for guidance on leadership. They lead very effectively with a quiet mannerism that commands people to listen when they speak. They lead by example through active listening and dedication to formal and informal coaching. They have demonstrated on many occasions that they do not avoid the difficult conversation with their direct reports or other employees, but are also quick to provide appropriate recognition when warranted.
This nominee has managed their leadership journey in a very purposeful way and aligned it to leadership principles of “managing self, managing others and managing organizations.” They have built an effective leadership curriculum at their credit union, which consists of fundamental coaching and sales and service programs, and two steps of a concentrated leadership program. This program takes new and established leaders on a leadership development journey over several months, where leaders learn in cohorts and then put their learnings into action while receiving feedback and touch points along the way to refine and engrain the behaviours. The program has been very well received and is achieving strong results.
While focusing on developing themselves during the “Leading Others” stage of her leadership journey, they quickly established themselves for their confidence, knowledge and very sensible approach. This nominee’s approach and ability to execute on strategy within her team caught the attention of executive. They were invited to be an active participant at a senior management meeting for strategic financial management and risk. They have been active in establishing a core team of senior leadership in the organization tasked with executing on strategy. They took on the important role of Scrum Master within the team and is responsible for managing the Team’s priorities, workload and “board.” They are highly respected for their ability to communicate and effectively organize. Further to that, they have been formally identified as part of the Executive succession plan and invited by the CEO to be an active member of the Executive Team. They attend all regular meetings, strategy sessions and Board planning and meetings. They are an active participant bringing forward thoughtful challenge and innovative ideas.
This nominee has also established a high degree of respect at the Board level, being a standing invite at the Governance & People Committee where they present the HR report at each meeting. They have also actively presented at the Board level and participated in strategic planning. They are very well respected at this level for their knowledge and professionalism..
This nominee has spent much time building their leadership skills and sharing with others. They have a B. Comm, a Certificate in Adult Education, is a Graduate of the Rotman’s Strategic Human Resources Executive Program and is currently pursuing her diploma in Digital Marketing through Emeritus. They are an active mentor and mentee and a champion for personal development.
Their professionalism, high degree of integrity, accountability and passion make them a well respected and very effective leader and I believe an ideal candidate for this award.
Example 4:
The nominee is someone no matter what is going on in their own life, is focused on all things within the community. I see their constant dedication and efforts to better the community on social media platforms and in the events that they partake in. Their Facebook page is all about getting the word out on what is happening in the community and the fundraisers they’re involved in. The nominee is part of a group in the community that have ran a few initiatives including:
– Getting a green space going for the town – this space has been used for other community events and fundraising efforts that they have been a part of the planning and execution.
– The nominee is on the community rink board and takes care of arranging the hockey season for their community, which as a small-town, hockey in Saskatchewan, is winter life. They help out with the rink and through COVID has been running weekly meals out of the canteen to help keep funds coming in.
– As if that isn’t enough, they have also been part of the School Community council to ensure the children at the school are getting what they need to be successful in their education.
The nominee’s dedication is inspiring to anyone looking in. They are one of those people that have so much energy and passion for the community they live and work in. Their dedication is undeniable, which is why when something gets done, someone just has to ask the nominee and they will ensure that it is not only complete but with creativity and flair. The nominee puts so much of themselves into everyone else and the betterment of the community, they deserve all the recognition in the word. The community is better because of the nominee’s commitment!