We are all familiar with the classic movie the Wizard of Oz. As children we watched the four characters and the little dog Toto travel down the yellow brick road through the mysterious and scary forest to a land of the unknown. The characters had to overcome the great dangers that lay ahead. We were also brought up on other fairytales, all having this common theme. Think about Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel.

How differently these stories would have turned out, if only the characters had someone to ask, what is ahead, to explain the new reality that surrounded them, someone who had successfully traveled the path before.

I have long had a theory that credit professionals are in fact the most scared animals in the woods. There are dangers lurking all around us. Unknowns and unclear information on how best to proceed abound. We find it difficult to trust anyone.

We can do something about it by taking advantage of what CMA has to offer and what we each have to offer in return.

This is best explained in three ways: Networking, Community and Volunteering.

Networking:
Take advantage of the opportunity to network with your industry peers and subject experts at industry and professional group meetings and training sessions. CMA has made this easy through web-based group services, online Requests for Information (RFIs) and a wide range of topics delivered by Webinars.
Attend the Western Regional Conference. Your peers will be there and you can take advantage of the many workshops available.

You will develop contacts and information that can take the mystery from your daily journey.

Community:
The CMA Bulletin Board is available to all credit professionals. This provides an opportunity to ask or respond to questions at a very practical level. Ask a question and you will receive responses from different points of view. You can then evaluate how that best fits your requirements.

Participation in the Bulletin Board is growing every week. Responses come from different industries all over the U.S. and offshore.

If Red Riding Hood could have gone on the web and asked if anyone had traveled through the forest before her, do you think she would have known about the wolf? What if Hansel and Gretel could have gotten the low down on their stepmother?

Volunteering:
This is the most rewarding and valuable experience you can have. Volunteers contribute what they know and learn much from the experience. CMA has focused on strategic improvements the past few years. “Project Teams” are actively working to implement the many improvements continuously underway. Help is always needed.

You can volunteer in other ways as well. Watch the CMA Bulletin Board and respond to the questions raised. This will help your peers. You will learn from the response to your input by others. Participate in your industry group, respond to RFIs, provide trade data, seek out additional companies in your industry to improve the group. Assist the Group Chair. Volunteer for the chair position as the chance arises. Make the group the best it can be.

Volunteering helps others who may be a little farther back on the path through the woods. It will also help you gain a clearer view of what is ahead.

There is a significant difference between the real life of a credit professional and my fairytale analogies. The fairytale characters eventually made it to safety and lived happily ever after. Without knowledge, contacts and access to quick information the fate of a credit professional in today’s business environment will not be the same. That is where believing in fairytales ends.