FCCS News & Insights

Leading Change the Cooperative Way: How Farm Credit of Southern Colorado Harnessed Organizational Development to Navigate Disruption

By Angie Coleman, Organizational Deevlopment Consultant, FCCS

Major change, from technology projects to leadership succession, is never just about systems or structures. It is also about how deeply employees feel the impact. Fatigue builds, uncertainty grows, and even the strongest cultures can feel strained. Farm Credit of Southern Colorado chose to invest in organizational development tools during one of the most ambitious transitions in its history, an 18-month journey to design, build, and launch a new enterprise platform.

Their story demonstrates a powerful truth. When organizations embed organizational development strategies into times of change, they can transform disruption into resilience.

Building Trust Through Engagement

Southern Colorado began the transition by listening. Leaders launched the May 2023 Employee Engagement Survey, capturing sentiment, fatigue, burnout, and Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS). Results were favorable and served as a baseline for what was ahead.

To frame the intent from the outset, Jeremy Anderson, CEO of Farm Credit of Southern Colorado, explains: “We knew this technology change was going to have a big impact on our employees, and we asked ourselves what we could to do prepare our managers and our employees for what was coming and support them during the change period. We were also very deliberate leading up to this transformation in giving our managers the tools and support they needed to help their teams through the change.”

Equipping Leaders to Lead Through Change

In disruptive times, leaders set the tone. FCCS facilitated Crucial Accountability training to equip managers with skills to address performance gaps and stress points without eroding trust. Nicole Brusewitz, FCCS’ Vice President of Leadership Development, then led team level sessions to openly discuss the change process, anticipate disruptions, and monitor burnout.

Reflecting on this leadership preparation, Jeremy shares: “Our transition and the changes we’ve been experiencing are enormous and they’ve gone incredibly well. I give a lot of credit for that to Nicole’s work with our leaders and manager group. They’ve employed some of the guidance and tactics and felt empowered to manage their teams and monitor burnout during this transition.”

Keeping Teams Connected

Organizational development also helped teams stay connected. To strengthen collaboration and self-awareness, Beth Oliphant, Talent Assessment Manager for FCCS, met with every team and facilitated Predictive Index seminars. These sessions helped employees understand their own behavioral profiles and how their coworkers might show up during times of stress and change.

As context for the tool’s impact, Angie Coleman notes: “The Predictive Index helps understand how people respond differently to stress so that they can remain aligned as a team despite their different reactions.”

Whether in the face of new leadership or a long-term technology shift, this type of behavioral insight helps teams bridge differences and remain focused on shared goals.

Results That Tell the Story

A year into the rollout, the May 2024 Employee Engagement Survey told a story of stability. Southern Colorado’s eNPS remained one of the highest in the Farm Credit System, defying expectations of a sharp decline.

Emphasizing the role of transparency, Jeremy notes: “Our 2024 results speak to a high level of employee trust, which stems from our commitment to transparency and communication. All of our employees know what’s happening and how it will impact them, and they also know the reasons behind the changes.”

A December 2024 pulse survey showed burnout rising after months of double entry and long hours, and the eNPS dipped slightly yet remained above the System average. By May 2025, the full employee engagement survey confirmed only limited disruption and reinforced that employees continued to trust leadership throughout the process.

A Model for Cooperative Resilience

Rather than layering on new initiatives during an already heavy period, Southern Colorado chose steadiness. Leaders relied on data, trusted the process, and stayed committed to communication.

Summing up the approach, Jeremy affirms: “Our technology transition has gone extremely well, due in large part to the investment we made in the organizational development tools to reinforce our leadership’s ability to manage through a process like this. We’re now committed to investing in our team and this kind of work.”

Southern Colorado’s success reflects a lesson every cooperative can apply. When organizations pair disruption with organizational development strategies, they protect employee trust, reduce disengagement, and ensure transitions, whether technological or leadership related, strengthen rather than destabilize culture.

Want more information about FCCS’ Organizational Development services, solutions and expertise? Contact [email protected].