From an Executive to a Strategist – Changing Perceptions.

One complaint I hear from most CEOs about marketing, lending, and operational executives is, “I need my leadership to be more strategic.” But most executives aren’t sure what that really means, and often, the CEO struggles to explain it.  Strategists play a distinct role compared to other executives within an organization. Here are fundamental differences…

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Facing Career Disruption?

Career disruption creates anxiety. It presents itself in many forms: you feel your influence is waning, there is a potential for layoffs, the company’s performance is missing targets, or layoffs have been announced. These palatable disruptions often cause you to become fearful, more risk-averse, or even to try to become invisible. You should do the…

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The Friction Paradox – Compliance vs User Experience

Friction /?frikSH?n/ noun – Any unnecessary obstacles users encounter while interacting with banking products or services. These manifest in various forms, including cumbersome account opening procedures, complex loan applications, processes that are not aligned or consistent from channel to channel, or outdated digital interfaces. While some friction is essential for security and regulatory compliance, excessive…

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Is Your Org Structure Shackling Strategic Success?

Credit unions need to see their organizational structure as an organism, NOT a hierarchy. Innovation and adaptability reign supreme in credit unions. Being locked into a legacy organizational structure in a cross-functional, cross-silo operating environment often stifles short and long-term success. While these structures may have served the credit union well in the past, they…

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Striking the Right Balance Between Staffing Needs and Wants

In the not-too-distant past, we saw quiet quitting, and it appears in 2024 that we are seeing a return to layoffs. For example, Kinecta Credit Union, with 806 full-time equivalent employees, recently laid off 84 employees due to a fall in earnings. And, Kinecta is not alone in this trend. The workplace looks and feels…

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Managing a Hybrid Workforce – Success Strategies

Managers are now challenged to effectively manage staff remotely. The cadence of when employees must be “in the office” versus working remotely varies from credit union to credit union and even department to department. Managers and policymakers must realize that team management focuses on equity versus equality. Let’s first identify the purpose of employees meeting…

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Credit Unions Embracing the Future

The Transition to Web3 and Distributed Ledger Technology A new technology solution no only holds the potential for all credit unions but promises to level the playing field for smaller credit unions. This disruptive technology affordably transforms a credit union, allowing it to offer decentralized and transparent systems that promise to democratize financial services. Web3…

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How Small Credit Unions Can Become Vital

Credit CU Management

For the past 20+ years, credit unions seeking to grow, have made charter changes to community charters, often from multi-common bond or sole sponsorship charters. The goal was to minimize the perceived barriers to membership. The belief was that if anyone could join my credit union, growth would be unconstrained. In some cases, this was…

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Unraveling the Differences Between Leadership and Management

As I crisscrossed the nation, meeting hundreds of credit union managers and executives, I learned that leadership and management are often used interchangeably and are “ordained” by the org chart. Let’s erase this mistaken notion that an individual is one or the other and discuss how these roles fit together. Leadership and Management are two…

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