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Chris Blough (CEO of Wayne County CU) had a brilliant quote on Liquid Lunch,
“Small Credit Unions need to be like jet skis. We’re not the Titanic. A jet ski would see the iceberg.”
At my old credit union (feels weird to say that), we toyed with all sorts of rewards, incentives and contests. What we generally found is that people rise to the occasion. It didn’t matter the reward – money, time off, a pat on the back, ice cream, or a simple hooray at a staff meeting. If a goal was set, expected, measured and most importantly, communicated well, it usually came to fruition, even if there was a little grumbling. And I always found it fascinating that more often than not we would snake in right at the goal line. Â This, of course, would leave me wondering:
Over the past several years, more and more credit unions have eliminated certain words from their marketing and identity. Words like “member”, “join” and even “credit union” are now taboo in a lot of places, and internet account access is almost always called “home banking.” And when was the last time you heard “share draft”?
When my daughter went off to Kindergarten, a big yellow monster truck barreled through my sweet suburban neighborhood and swallowed my baby girl whole. Ok, it was just a school bus, but it was still hard watching her so easily take those big steps into that prodigious bus. Her new adventure was as scary as it was exciting.
I’ve always been curious why some people solve problems more creatively than others. Is creativity written into our genetic code like eye color or height or is it developed only when nurtured? After all, children are naturally very creative. Their imaginations propel ideas and that curiosity is what allows them to see the world with infinite possibilities.
During Friday’s impromptu Liquid Lunch, Matt Davis and I discussed the perils of blogging. Until then, I hadn’t really thought about why I blog other than I am addicted to it.
I know we’re all buried in planning for 2010, hitting deadlines, running the numbers, and aligning our strategies and synergies to maximize ROA before we’re DOA.
But go outside. Look up.
If you don’t have something that interests me, I’m gone.
So get to the point.
Don’t waste my time blathering on and on, adding copy, bullet points and fine print until my eyes glaze over. Just give me enough to let me decide if there is something there for me.
I’ll admit failure is my worst fear. Well, behind something happening to my loved ones and perhaps spiders. It’s the fear of ridicule, criticism, and poor choices coming back to haunt.
In most companies, management sets the tone for the corporate culture with a focus on either profits or customers. Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos made news this year for working at one of their fulfillment centers in Kentucky, and has made it a requirement for every employee to spend two days every two years in customer service. When a focus on customers comes from the top, it sets the tone for the entire corporate culture, and that gets reflected in every customer interaction.
It certainly takes a small village to raise a credit union. On our management team we have leaders from Compliance, Lending, Member Service, Marketing, Human Resources and Finance. This produces a dynamic cocktail of contrasting perspectives and divergent ideas for my brave and resilient CEO to manage.
I’m in the process of painting several rooms in my home. Over the weekend, I watched my spare bedroom transform from an inconspicuous green to a spirited red. What used to be a relaxing bedroom is now a vibrant home office. I’m intrigued how color can affect your state of mind, since studies show that it can actually change the way you feel. As I was settling on paint color, I became curious about the psychology of my choice and how I could use color to invoke similar feelings with my members:
Someone had to be the first. Too bad it wasn’t a credit union.
National Australia Bank will eliminate overdraft fees as of October 1. This was an Australian bank, so there’s still time to make the news by being the first US financial institution to eliminate overdraft fees. Better hurry.
I have recently developed a strange relationship with shoes. Whenever I accomplish something momentous in my life or reach a milestone, I buy an iconic pair of shoes symbolic of the occasion.
As a small department, I rely a lot on vendor relationships. Vendors, to me, are an extension of my department so I choose them very carefully. I am in the process of switching one of my vendors.