Strategic Planning
A Case Study of Bold, Transformational Change
This article is for the CEOs and Chief Strategic Officers thinking BOLDLY and going where other organizations have not gone before. Recently I’ve observed and had the joy of working with a couple of credit unions making significant transformations and reinventing their business and service models. If you look at what these credit unions are…
Read MoreDo your employees LIVE your corporate values?
In today’s dynamic business landscape, organizations recognize that corporate values are crucial in shaping their identity, culture, and overall success. We don’t have to look very far to observe situations where the lack of core values has resulted in business failures, reputation damage, fines, legal settlements, and loss of shareholder value. However, values alone are…
Read MoreThe Strategic Org Structure?
Most organizations have stuck with a legacy org structure where the functional silos are clearly defined. The challenge this kind of structure causes is to recognize and respond more quickly to the need for cross-functional and cross-silo projects and initiatives. The re-visualization of the org structure, functions, and roles should align with strategic objectives, not…
Read MoreWithout Core Values, capitalism fails us all
A recent story on CBS’s “60 Minutes” discussed the widespread use of child labor by a company called PSSI, owned by Blackstone. This story and many more that have percolated up in the past few years tell a story about what happens when the capitalistic need for profits outweighs any alignment with corporate responsibility and…
Read MoreDrifting Into the Sunset = Credit Union Risk
Many of us have seen this from afar, some of us from close at hand. The CEO or a key executive is getting close to retirement and has set a course for the organization to drift off into the sunset. The most important job of a key executive or a CEO is to inspire continuous…
Read MoreWhat happened at SVB, and will it happen at your credit union?
It’s all over the news, bank failures. We can blame it on a failure of the FDIC or the deregulation of the banking industry, even in the shadow of the bank failures that stemmed from the mortgage-backed securities debacle. But two questions remain, why did this happen this time, and are credit unions at the…
Read MoreLeading Change in Eight Steps
All teams have three participants: change agents, change neutrals, and change resistors. The key to leading change is empowering the change agents, influencing the change equivocators, and helping the change resistors understand the WIIFM (what’s in it for me). Here are the critical steps to leading change. First, identify who fits into these categories because…
Read MoreBuilding a purpose-driven team in 7 steps
Building an extraordinary team is essential for any organization to succeed. However, creating a high-performing team is a complex task, requiring a lot of effort, patience, and commitment from both the team leader and the team members. This article will discuss the steps necessary to build an extraordinary team. Building an extraordinary team requires effort,…
Read MoreCUSOs for sustainability and economies of scale.
Like most financial institutions, credit unions face challenges in staying relevant in a rapidly evolving financial landscape. Many credit unions have turned to Credit Union Service Organizations (CUSOs) to help them leverage their collective resources and expertise. CUSOs are separate legal entities formed by credit unions to provide specific services to their members. CUSOs have…
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