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Recommended Reading: Linchpin by Seth Godin

Friday, May 6th, 2011

The recent release of Seth Godin’s bestseller Linchpin in paperback was accompanied by an opportunity that every credit union leader should pursue.

Here’s the deal.

In a blog post last week announcing the release of the paperback edition, Godin offered free access to an awesome video created from an audio of a speech he gave last year to anyone who buys the paperback edition of the book.

It’s one of the best investments you’ll make this year.  You get a great book and access to an amazing  4-part video that will stimulate your thinking, while also showing you the power of motion graphics to tell a story (even if they do at times “run amok” as is stated on the video viewing page).

Trust me.  This is a book you want to read and a video you need to watch if you are serious about creating long term success for your credit union.

P.S.  The video would be a great way to kick-off or prepare for your next Strategic Planning Session…it is filled with thought-provoking ideas that will open the mind and lead to some real outside-of-the-box thinking.

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Posted in Effective Marketing Strategies, Growing Your Credit Union, Improving Communication, Increasing Efficiency, Leadership Development, Leveraging Technology, Recommended Reading, Strategic Planning, Strategic Thinking | 2 Comments »

Welcome to 2011: Are You Ready for the Challenges that Lie Ahead?

Monday, January 3rd, 2011

The New Year has arrived.  Everyone is back (or soon will be) from their vacations, things are getting back to normal, and the old familiar routines will soon return.

But before that happens, let me challenge credit union leaders to stop and think about whether that is what they want.

It’s a difficult question and the inherent uncertainties of the future don’t make it any easier.  But chances are there is one thing your credit union cannot withstand in 2011–a return to the status quo thoughts and actions of the previous year.

Don’t get me wrong.  There are plenty of credit unions that did a lot of good things in 2010, and plenty more that set the stage for success in 2011.

But there are new challenges on the horizon.  The credit unions that will survive and thrive in the year(s) ahead will be those that take the time to think about how they will respond.  Note the key word there–respond.  Those who sit back and wait, then react will find their path more difficult to navigate and their choices more limited.

In contrast, those credit union leaders who commit to thinking strategically and being proactive every day will put their credit unions in a better position to succeed.  These leaders will choose to join the conversation and lead the industry in new directions–recognizing that (as Einstein said) we cannot solve the problems we face today by using the same thinking that we used to create them.

ACTION ADVICE: Before the New Year gets a chance to gather momentum and take your mind back to the day-to-day issues, block out some time with your team to discuss the opportunities that are available for your credit union and how you want to pursue them in 2011.  Decide what role you will play in the unfolding and somewhat controversial conversations about the future of the industry.  Make the commitment to lead your credit union in the direction that best serves your members today and in the future, then work every day to create the vision that you have defined.

Posted in Credit Union Strategy, Growing Your Credit Union, Leadership Development, Strategic Thinking | No Comments »

Credit Union Strategy: How Will You Invest the Next 31 Days?

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

Chances are that someone will say this in your credit union sometime tomorrow:  Can you believe it’s December already?

Well it is, and here’s why that matters to every credit union leader.

The arrival of the last month of the year means that you have 31 days left to invest before 2011 arrives…

  • 31 days to wrap up the projects that were going to be completed this year
  • 31 days to celebrate the successes achieved this year
  • 31 days to decide what is not going to get done, to accept it, and to allocate energy where you can make the most impact
  • 31 days to assess what worked and what didn’t, and to decide what’s next
  • 31 days to finalize your action plan for 2011 and get your team excited about pursuing it

It’s an amazing gift, and it’s all yours…31 days to do whatever you need to do to ensure that you end 2010 the way that you want and to plan to make 2011 a great year for you, for your credit union, for your credit union’s members, and for your credit union team.

ACTION ADVICE: Block out an appointment with yourself today an answer the question:  How will you invest the next 31 days?  Then return to the credit union tomorrow ready to take action and create your most impact-filled month of 2010!

It’s Your Turn…Share your plans by posting a comment…what will you do with your 31 days?

Posted in Creative Ideas, Credit Union Strategy, Improving Organizational Effectiveness, Leadership Development | 2 Comments »

Leadership Development: Who Are You Going to Thank Today?

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010

It’s an easy thing to do, and few actions that a credit union leader can take will have a bigger impact.

But it’s also easy not to do, and that’s why it often doesn’t get done.

Yet no act of leadership is more powerful than personal appreciation–the simple act of extending your genuine thanks to an individual employee for something specific that they have done.

For the best impact, follow these three guidelines (and make time to do this every day for at least one member of your credit union team):

1. Deliver the thank you either in person, via a handwritten note, via a letter sent to the employee’s family, or in a public setting at an appropriate time.

2. Make the thank you specific by tying it to something that the person has done versus just saying something like “we appreciate all that you do for the credit union.”

3. Don’t wait for a special occasion or event, but rather deliver the thank you as close as possible to the performance of the act so that you are connecting the behavior to the recognition.

ACTION ADVICE: Identify someone on your credit union team who deserves a thank you and deliver it before you do the next thing on your to do list for the day.  Don’t wait.  Just take action and do it.  Repeat it tomorrow and the next day and the next until you develop the habit.  You’ll be amazed at the difference it will make for your team if every day they see you taking the time to show your appreciation for the specific things that team members do.  And over time the focus of activity will be directed toward doing the things that you are appreciating…which are the things that you need the team to do and the things that will grow your credit union.

Posted in Creative Ideas, High Performance Culture Building, Improving Communication, Leadership Development | No Comments »

It’s Time to Bury the Hatchet

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

Today’s post is a bit different from the norm, but I hope that it will resonate with blog readers, and that they will pass it along to others.  If we all remind our elected leaders of these realities, perhaps we can motivate them to act on the challenging issues that we face today and stop constantly running for the offices they now hold.

It’s been two days since the election, and in my home county that means it’s Return Day.

For the uninitiated, Return Day is an old-time tradition where the citizens journey to the county seat to hear the results of the election.  It dates to the days when we didn’t have the technological capacity to project winners within minutes of the polls closing or know the results before the late night news on election day.

Here’s roughly how it works in Sussex County Delaware.

Around mid-day today the people will gather along a parade route (even though it’s raining today) to watch the candidates, both the winners and the losers, parade past waving at the crowd and thanking them for voting.  Symbolically they will ride side-by-side in horse drawn carriages representing the fact that the people have spoken and the winner now must fulfill the responsibilities of the office.

Once all the candidates have paraded past the citizenry, the town crier will appear on the courthouse steps to announce the results of the election to those who have gathered.  Then comes a powerful and symbolic gesture that we can all learn from and apply in our lives every day.

A representative of each party is called forward and the two grasp a ceremonial hatchet and bury it in a box of sand that is sealed and remains that way until the next election.  The burying of the hatchet represents the end of the election cycle and reminds the newly elected leaders that their job now is to serve the people and put the party politics away until the next election.

It’s a powerful tradition and one that reminds everyone why the election was actually held–to elect those who would fulfill the duties of the respective offices until the next election.  And it’s something that I personally wish every elected official would spend some time thinking about and acting upon.

NOTE:  You can learn more about Return Day by clicking here and visiting the website.

Posted in Creative Ideas, High Performance Culture Building, Improving Organizational Effectiveness, Leadership Development | 1 Comment »

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