From Deep Listening to Building Bridges

At MAF, client transformation starts with creating a meaningful connection with each person who walks through the door. But the initial conversation with a client can be a challenging puzzle to unravel, how can we best help each client? As part of a blog series on MAF’s community-centered approach, a long-time community leader and expert in the practice of deep listening shared how she builds bridges with clients.  

Hearing More than Words

Doris has been working at MAF since 2009. She still starts her work with clients by taking the time to listen and provide them with a space to open up. To build a deeper understanding of each client, Doris often pays the most attention to what is not said: an eye movement, a person’s body language, or even a pause.

At times, the initial cues of how to help a client may be unspoken. “Ray” was a student who carried himself with a stoic resilience. His mother, already a MAF client, described him as stubborn and unwilling to communicate. So, one day, the mom sent Ray to talk to Doris.

Doris said Ray’s posture seemed to fit his mom’s description when he came to MAF for the first time. “So, after we introduced ourselves, I just asked him to sit down with me. We didn’t get to talking about any MAF programs immediately. I just asked about things like ‘Where do you go to school?’ and ‘What do you study?’. I asked him about 20 questions. He kept answering, because the questions were about himself.” 

Doris continued, “Eventually, I found common ground with him. When I shared that my daughter attended the same school as him, he really opened up. We talked some more about things that were important to him, like being able to be independent. After about two hours of sitting together, I understood more about what motivated him, and we talked about how some of the MAF programs could help him. Before he left, he decided that he wanted to join one.” 

Setting Meaningful Goals

Ray started with a credit-building loan to pay for an immigration application. He wanted to get a work permit. After he completed that program, Ray shared that he wanted to continue to build his credit, so he applied to the Lending Circles program. Over and over again.

In the first couple of Lending Circle formations, Ray was quieter than others during the initial sessions. In the welcome session for each circle formation, there are introductions and each member of the circle shares why they wanted to join the social lending program. The group also determines a name for their circle. 

In each circle, Ray participated more and more. By the third Lending Circle, Ray started to speak up and share his thoughts with others more. When he proposed the circle’s name during the group formation, the others in the circle agreed on the name he had suggested. It was a positive reinforcement for his increasing level of engagement. 

Celebrating Progress

The experiences Ray had by meeting others through Lending Circles gave him a community where his accomplishments could be seen and celebrated. Ray also felt more confident because once he was able to start to work and save money, he was able to help his mom and contribute to his family more. And, with his new role as an earner, Ray became more independent and financially resilient. 

Ray’s initial credit score based on the first two credit-building loans from MAF was 650. After the first two years of his participation in Lending Circles, he reached a prime credit score of just under 700. 

Even outside the Lending Circles program, Ray and his family shared their progress and milestones with Doris through ongoing visits and a text every so often. The family texted Doris when Ray went on school trips. One text was really special: Ray had started teaching other students at his college about public speaking! 

Building Bridges That Last

At MAF, the trust and lasting relationships we maintain allow us to be a part of the repeating cycle of challenges and celebrations in each client’s journey. For many clients, their relationship with MAF is a bridge to many other opportunities and financial products, with some eventually being able to make much larger investments, such as purchasing a home. 

For Ray, his financial journey as a student included getting a credit card, buying a car, and taking on student loans to pay for college. Over the years, his credit score has continued to move up, and down, as the complexity of life unfolds and his financial obligations and resources shift. 

Doris encourages clients to understand that “once you have a credit score, it is like a wheel that you have to keep turning.” Doris wants that image of the wheel to keep spinning in people’s minds for a long time so they keep managing their credit to meet each of their financial goals and achieve their full economic potential. 

Making a Long-Term Impact

Now, more than ten years later after she met Ray, Doris’ expressions brighten when she shares how a two-hour conversation led to the opening of a bridge to limitless possibilities for one strong young man and his devoted family. 

MAF’s mission is to help people become visible, active, and successful in their financial lives. We offer ongoing engagement because each client’s financial journey is a continuous one. It requires the client to remain actively involved in financial education and practices to build and sustain their financial health over the long haul of life’s hills and valleys. Over the years, MAF’s impact has always started by building a relationship with each person who walks through our door.