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Cooking
Over the holidays and into the new year, I had the opportunity to do a lot of cooking and baking for my family and friends. I love to cook! I find cooking a joy and a stress reliever. My mom was an amazing cook, and I learned a lot from her.
In college, I lived in a cooperative housing where we all shared jobs, including cooking. I was able to hone my skills in cooking for a crowd of hungry college students! I also learned to improvise, adding a little of this or that, adjusting measurements and ingredients based on what I had on hand or individual preferences.
Today, I love trying new recipes and cuisines from around the world. In fact, whenever we have company over for the first time, I try a new recipe. This probably tells you something about my personality!
I find many similarities between cooking and executing our plans. You have a recipe (i.e., the strategic plan) and you gather the ingredients (e.g., resources, staffing, communication). Then, you prep and start cooking. Frequently, you must adjust based on ingredients you have on hand, time constraints, or even high altitude (like living in Bozeman!).
The same is true in executing our plans. We start the year with a plan. Over time, we make adjustments based on the needs of our credit unions and priorities of staff or factors outside of our control. We use the “recipe” as a guide to making something amazing that others will enjoy and benefit from.
At Montana’s Credit Unions, we have a big recipe in 2026! Focusing on our key pillars of advocacy, education, and collaboration, our staff serves you every day to help you make a difference with your members and in your community.
We’ll likely make some adjustments along the way based on your needs and situations. By the end of the year, we hope to make a huge impact on the lives of Montanans across the state. I’m confident of this because we will do it... together!
As I write this, I am reminded of a Power Up event many years ago when Tracie was the league president. As you know, each year we have a theme for Power Up. The theme in the year I’m remembering was A Recipe for Success. You guessed it! The entire theme was around cooking! Tracie invited Rosie Holub, then President/CEO of the Missouri Credit Union Association (now retired), to do a cooking demonstration for the entire Power Up audience. Rosie was an amazing cook, and her dishes were amazing!
You see, part of the joy of cooking is the atmosphere, both in remembering times together as well as the food. The same is true for our plans. We leverage our past experiences and successes and learn from setbacks (have you ever made a recipe that was a little “less than”?) and use that experience to shape our plans.
What is your recipe for success in 2026? What are your plans to adjust as necessary? How are you bringing your teams along to build momentum and excitement for your plans? I look forward to “sharing a meal together” at our upcoming events.
Have a wonderful weekend. Cooperatively, Gerry
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