CPO Liz Bailey-Connor discusses agile mindset needed to succeed in challenging times
With over 270,000 members and a significant strategic move to go federal, managing First West Credit Union’s people strategy is no mean feat. Liz Bailey-Connor, First West’s Chief People & Culture Officer, tells HRD that the journey has been as challenging as it has been rewarding.
“It’s been a few years of lots of policy, lots of guidelines – lots of dotting I's and crossing T's,” she explains.
Having begun her career in L&D, Bailey-Connor is also a licensed psychologist and very keen on evaluation, research and, above all, analysis – something she’s honed into a good eye for leadership development.
“When I think about today's unpredictable environment – socially, economically, climate wise – I think assessing leadership potential really comes down to a keen focus on specific behaviours and traits. Core traits here are resilience and adaptability – because both of these build better judgement. Every organism has the ability to adapt to its environment.”
Leadership, she suggested, is no longer about rigid decision-making but about responding to challenges with flexibility and humanity.
“The mindset we need nowadays is about responding to unexpected challenges and bringing it around to a place where you can pivot and move forward,” she says, adding with a laugh, “I hate that word ‘pivot’ actually.”
But developing leaders in an environment where change is constant and swift is a task that requires justifying long-term investments amid immediate business pressures. For Bailey-Connor, it’s essentially a juggling act.
“One of the biggest challenges for people leading development programs is helping others understand what the cost benefit of a development program is.”
She certainly isn’t alone in her frustration in securing buy-in here. When times are tight, it’s often the HR programs that are cut first – despite the necessity of them for future success. Research from Forbes found that companies with comprehensive training programs have enjoyed a 24% higher profit margin and 218% higher income per employee.
What’s more, data indicates that employees who participated in personalized development programs reported higher job satisfaction and were 50% less likely to leave the company.
Luckily, at First West Credit Union, Bailey-Connor says they take development very seriously. And by drawing direct connections between leadership competencies and organizational outcomes, she’s been able to illustrate these benefits tangibly.
“For example, with coaching, we've been able to show the impact it’s had that's focused on the human being. And from a sales and from a culture perspective, it’s been impacting business results [too].”
Remote and hybrid work models add another layer of complexity. While Bailey-Connor champions the hybrid model for its balance between flexibility and human connection, she also expressed concern over a complete return to pre-pandemic norms.
“I think a lot did see a downturn in productivity. [However], we’ve seen a massive decrease in our mental health claims because we’ve focused on leaders showing care and compassion.”
Anticipating future needs is another cornerstone of Bailey-Connor’s leadership development strategy.
“We’ve just made a huge effort in terms of strategic workforce planning, looking at skills for the future,” she says. These skills, including data literacy and digital transformation, are not exclusive to senior leaders but are critical across the organization. Emerging leaders are given hands-on opportunities to grow, with roles designed to encourage mistakes and learning in a safe environment.
“Our emerging talent sees that,” adds Bailey-Connor, emphasizing the link between internal promotions and retention. With mentorship embedded in the organizational culture, leadership growth extends beyond conventional programs.
“I mentor a number of people at different levels—it’s not just senior folks,” she says.
