Volunteers

‘Do One Thing Every Day That Scares You’

Comfort leads to obsolescence and eventual ‘evaporation.’

Peters: It’s Good to be the Little Guy

Large providers can't supply the intimate experience that CUs and other small, local businesses can.

‘Reward Excellent Failure, Punish Mediocre Success’

Don't just change: 'Destroy and reimagine,' management guru Tom Peters implores CUs.

Four Steps to Successful Succession

Does your CU have a succession plan—or just an emergency plan?

Include ‘Golden Handcuffs’ with Succession Plans

CUs face increased risk of losing top talent to other organizations.

Monitor Risks as Employees Use Social Media

Your policies should inform employees that they’re responsible for the content they post on social media sites.

Set Reasonable Expectations for Your Board Chairman

Overreliance on your chairman can lead to poor leadership and decisions.

The Courage to Act

Iraq war veteran and philanthropist calls on people to seize the moments that could change their lives.

Back on Track?

Expect modest growth and stronger earnings in the months ahead.

No CU Is Immune From Employee Dishonesty

Effective risk oversight requires you to focus on all risks a CU faces, including embezzlement.

Credit Union Magazine

‘Do One Thing Every Day That Scares You’

‘Reward Excellent Failure, Punish Mediocre Success’

Peters: It’s Good to be the Little Guy

MBL: If Banks Win, CUs Lose

A Bit of Unpleasantness

Lora has some excellent tips for us on articles we should read. Thanks Lora!

Definitely, we agree. It’s not only important to adapt to the market, but also to ensure that the organization as a whole has buy-in of this growth strategy. Without full commitment, you could be doing a disservice to your credit union and your Hispanic community.

Good points all, Joni, and thanks for putting it in plain English. DigitalMailer has been consulting a number of clients and affiliates on social media, and the question always arises: "Well, what if someone says something bad about us?" The answer is, they might be already. Not seeing it doesn't mean it can't hurt you. Make sure that, if you're not offering an engaging social media presence, you're at least able to monitor the possible threats.

Chris Brogan is simply awesome and this interview is spot on. Hearing Brogan speak at America's Credit Union Conference is worth the price of admission. Every credit union can learn from his wisdom. Social media is about building a community and credit unions can do that successfully with their members. But they can't do it with everyone: they should also target their social media efforts to particular niches.

Bill, your comments are on the mark. In order to demonstrate that the CU truly understands the risk inherent in lending, the ability to clearly articulate a meaningful discussion of the lending rationale behind lending decisions is critical. All too often, CUs leave it up to the sales force to determine a "marketing" direction for lending activity and the sellers are only too willing to fill the void create by a lack of a clear defined lending culture and credit environment. In large organizations marketing and lending should work hand in hand in defining what sales and lending goals are. The marketing culture needs to be informed of the dynamics of the lending environment and the credit culture must understand the marketing opportunities and threats. In smaller CUs the senior lender in conjunction with the board must, as you indicate, clearly document the what and why of the credit culture.