To Lay Off or Not to Lay Off – the big question

The decision to lay off employees is one of the most challenging decisions a company can make. It is often a last resort in response to changing market conditions, financial difficulties, or shifts in the company’s strategic direction. However, while layoffs can be necessary for a company to survive, it is essential to approach the…

Read More

Why a Fractional Executive?

In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing business environment, it’s becoming increasingly important for companies to be flexible and adaptable. One way to achieve this is by hiring a fractional leader or an interim or part-time executive. A fractional leader is an experienced business professional hired to fill a temporary leadership role, typically for a specific project…

Read More

Leading with Intention

Leading with intention is a powerful concept that can transform your leadership style and help you succeed personally and professionally. Intentional leadership involves being clear about your values, goals, and priorities and aligning your actions and decisions with them. Leading with intention is a crucial skill for anyone who wants to be an effective leader.…

Read More

Leading with Courage and Grace

Leadership is difficult; it requires courage, empathy, and gracefully handling difficult situations. Leading with courage and grace means leading confidently while remaining empathetic and understanding toward others. This leadership style benefits the leader and their team, promoting trust and creating a positive work environment. This article will explore what it means to lead with courage…

Read More

Recovering from a Leadership Mistake

Leadership is a complex role, and while there are numerous ways to succeed, the possibility of failure always looms. Regardless of the situation, leadership failures can have lasting effects, affecting the leader, the team, and the entire organization. While it may be difficult to admit, every leader will face some form of failure at some…

Read More

Three Strategies to Grow Deposits and Liquidity

“The times, they are a-changin’.” This famous refrain from Bob Dylan’s song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7qQ6_RV4VQ) is as accurate today as in the early 60s, especially when we look at deposit needs for financial institutions. In 2008, FIs had to shrink deposits to keep their capital ratio in line with the regulators. Marketers became accustomed to focusing almost…

Read More

Make your Strategic Plan a Hero’s Story

When doing a strategic plan, most organizations really are good at thinking with aspiration, hope, and promise. Where the “failure” happens is on the execution of the plan. If you think about engaging movies, they all seem to be stories that include a variation of the hero’s journey. “Lord of the Rings”, “Star Wars”, and…

Read More

Do your Data “Bytes” Have a Bad Aftertaste?

We all know how important data is to our credit union. Let’s face it; we are addicted to reports. We love our reports. We compare day to day, month to month, year to year, and peer to peer. But, let’s get real; we run two reports side by side, and, oh the horrors, the numbers…

Read More