I don’t want any lessons to be lost or forgotten, so here is my list of the top twelve lessons that I learned from Steve Jobs.

Virtually everyone has now heard about the “cloud” and most of us even utilize it to one extent or the other.  Unfortunately, very few of us really understand what the cloud is and how (or if) it interacts with what we generally refer to as “IT”.  Both IT and the Cloud are available in many [...]

Few modern day platforms have created the exposure delivered by Apple’s iPhone. It’s a tool itself, and a vehicle for distributing what’s “in” – including some of the hottest games. Among them is the game sensation Archetype that hit the…

Everyone talks about having, finding, or developing “motivated” employees. Why? Because the “right people” with the “right passion” are two of the four basic competencies necessary for an organization to grow, change and create success. We need employees who are willingly accountable, capable of making real change…

There are a lot of technology developments happening right now for consumers and providers alike, and there are more to come. Ten years from now, the IT department in all organizations will be fundamentally changed. The new IT department will be a team that discovers and customizes…

Experts recommend the following decision making approaches:   The Balance Sheet Approach Randy Komisar is Managing Director at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, where decisions mean either funding the next great company (like Google) or losing millions of dollars.  In an interview with McKinsey, Komisar offers a simple balance sheet technique for [...]

“What is your business model?” This is an important question that can be difficult to answer.

Every business needs a clearly defined, rigorously tested, and aligned business model – especially amid the challenging environment most organizations face today. Taking a systematic, design approach to your business model will improve…

At Lexus, top executives talk with five customers a month. It’s part of their intense focus on value, customer satisfaction and retention.

There is a big difference between “doing service” and “delivering experiences”. If members/customers are not consistently taken aback and surprised by how great your experience is, then you are simply doing service rather than delivering an experience that will set your organization apart. This leaves you with an important decision… either change your core strategy to emphasize convenience, price, or information/marketing – or make plans to revamp your experience so it is unparalleled.

“Above all, there was the ability to build and build and build – never stopping, never looking back, never finishing – the institution… In the last analysis, Walt Disney’s greatest creation was Walt Disney (the company).” – Richard Schikel, The Disney Version Few of us would refute that there are many good reasons to be [...]

The market realities are clear – there’s a critical need for a single, centralized, and organized “library” of merger expertise, resources, and best practices. The right mergers enable CUs to acquire more talent, improve purchasing power, expand services, and advance member convenience. C. Alan Peppers, CEO of Westerra Credit Union articulates the benefits well, “More [...]

This newsletter applies to a broad range of business interactions that vary as widely as merger negotiations, provider relations, leadership, and teamwork. It also complements the work on sales and service documented in the December 2003 and March 2004 issues of The Strategist. You must assure that your CU’s value to members is stellar, but “the rest of the [...]

This newsletter applies to a broad range of business interactions that vary as widely as merger negotiations, provider relations, leadership, and teamwork. It also complements the work on sales and service documented in the December 2003 and March 2004 issues of The Strategist. You must assure that your CU’s value to members is stellar, but “the rest of the [...]

Business gurus constantly rave about change. “Change is the only constant… Change or die!” In the words of Dilbert’s boss, “You must become change masters in an ever-changing, change-adaptive environment.” We got it. We must change. But what’s missing is clear knowledge and practical direction on what this means. Stratospheric mantras are fine, but we [...]

Over the next ten years, the profitability and health of your credit union will increasingly result from the actions of one group. Many progressive financial institutions are beginning to court these already avid consumers. They are the sizable and widely discussed Generation Y. These 74 million Americans born between 1977 and 1995 – also referred [...]

This article, “Part II” describes the building blocks that comprise the business plan and performance improvement. In combination with Part I (last month’s article on the strategic plan), this article completes the 16 essential building blocks of planning and development. As Michael Hanson said, “To will is to select a goal, determine a course of [...]

This article, “Part I” describes the entire array of planning and development building blocks and details those that comprise the strategic plan. Part II (next month’s article) details the building blocks of business planning and performance improvement. In July 1999, Lance Armstrong captured the world’s attention by overcoming the odds and winning his first Tour [...]

If you want to make a lasting difference in peoples’ lives, here is a major opportunity. By developing just one habit you will make significant strides in your leadership, improve the development of your staff, and positively impact your credit union’s bottom line. Take a moment and ask yourself, are you truly committed to the [...]

Never has there been so much to look forward to… But why is this true? The economy looks good one day, bad the next. One day your people surprise you with their effectiveness, the next day they floor you with their incompetence. Indeed, looking strictly at today, life may appear moderate and ho-hum. But if [...]

The drama surrounding a credit union’s ability to sell in our industry is amazing. We constantly face shrinking margins, continually increasing competition and ongoing challenges of ever-new kinds of competitors, which now include franchise mammoths like Bank of America, Starbucks and other quirky-named providers that are hastily popping up on every street corner. In order [...]

To continue our celebration of the twentieth anniversary of The Strategist, this newsletter will present Strategist Highlights – Part 2. This issue is also expanded to feature timeless excerpts from three additional Strategists we feel have most influenced and enhanced the credit union industry and it’s leadership. We believe each of these newsletters continue to [...]

This year marks the twentieth year that Nice Enterprises, Inc. has published this monthly newsletter. Through the years we have challenged conventional thinking, inspired creative change and provided solid and applicable information for the credit union industry and leaders within that marketplace. We have also been willing to step out and speak truth when necessary, [...]

What can you, your employees, board members and family learn from a 5-ton killer whale? A lot more than you might think. In the recently published book, Whale Done! The Power of Positive Relationships, Ken Blanchard and his co-authors explain that both whales and people perform better when you accentuate the positive. We all need [...]

No topic consistently sparks more discussion, passion, and fervor with credit union executives than that of credit union volunteers. If you are a CEO or are in senior management, you may wish you could replace some if not all of your board members. In many organizations, the board and management have declared an uneasy truce. [...]

If you have been a leader in the work place for any length of time, you have probably faced the reality pictured in the passage below: “After her first two weeks observing at ‘Decision Tech,’ Kathryn Peterson, its new CEO, had more than a few moments when she wondered if she should have taken the [...]

A quiet revolution is occurring all around us and although we may not have been aware of it – each one of us are an active part of it. Consumers, and that includes you and me, have been sending a clear message, “I want you to give me what I need (honesty, respect, trust). If [...]

Recently, the concept of accepting personal responsibility was driven home in a new way. My daughter, through no fault of her own, was late to her Taekwondo class. Her instructor told her it was disrespectful to be late to class and instructed her to do twenty push-ups. When she attempted to let him know that [...]

We all need to know that we are valued. Although the degree of need varies from person to person, we all desire to know that our efforts are noticed and appreciated, and that we make a real difference or contribution in this world. Affirmation provides that necessary feedback. An affirmation is far more than just [...]