Posts Tagged ‘culture’
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 MoreStrategic Planning – Is there a right way?
Strategic planning isn’t: A box to check on your NCUA examination. A one or two-day brainstorming event To plan incremental growth without changing anything Done during budgeting time. Strategic planning should be started in Q1 or Q2 so that when the organization gets to budgeting time, the strategic objectives have been established, and the resource,…
Read MoreAir Travel, Leading and Stress: What do these have in common?
Stress is part of our lives. Outside forces can cause us stress, and we can also bring on stress for others and ourselves. Air travel is a source of stress; that makes it a good metaphor for stress management behaviors. Many people find air travel very stressful. The stress surrounding air travel is not unlike…
Read MoreReport Inconsistencies are Frustrating
One of the biggest frustrations found in most credit unions is the numbers between two or more departments don’t jive. The conversation almost always leans toward trying to figure out which data set is correct, which one to believe. The ultimate goal for these organizations is to find that elusive “one source of truth.” So,…
Read MoreThree Things Every Leader Must Know
Leadership is not for sissies. Leadership is not about you. Leadership has a price. Let’s diagnose each of these requirements. Leadership is not for sissies – To be an authentic leader takes courage. This courage is realized in many ways. Sometimes it is the courage to do what you don’t want to do, to do…
Read MoreWe Know Micromanaging is Bad, but How Bad?
No one likes a micromanager. Micromanaging impacts employees and the organizations they work for in myriad ways. Employee satisfaction Think about how satisfied you can be with a job well done or an accomplishment when someone has dictated every step you take, every decision you made, and everything you contributed. Job satisfaction comes not from…
Read MoreFive Strategic Questions for the Board and Senior Management
It’s a strange time for credit unions. Credit unions face unprecedented pressures from regulators and examiners and capital pressures for net interest margins and fee income. Often they don’t benefit from “economies of scale” or the resources, people, and capital, to invest in the infrastructure demands of vendor due diligence, regulatory compliance, or technology demands…
Read MoreMoving From Incremental to Transformational Growth
Too often, I see organizations that keep getting in their way. They celebrate mediocre performance, average results, and incremental growth. Occasionally I find an organization that is satisfied in just cruising slowly into obsolescence, unwilling to admit what is happening to the company. Today’s competitive, fast-paced business climate does not tolerate mediocracy for long. Companies…
Read MoreIs your Credit Union’s Org Chart Strategically Aligned?
Is your credit union organized for today’s consumers? Unfortunately, credit unions are often “stuck” in an organization chart that reflects the business of the past, not the company of the future. But what needs to change? Too often, the credit union’s org structure is aligned historically based on legacy roles and job descriptions. The problem…
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