Posts by Kent Dicken
Re:Re:Fw:Re: = 13 weeks of email every year
How much time do you spend on email? I know, that’s an odd question from a blog post that you may have clicked on because of an email. According to one study, we spend 28 percent of our time in the office on email. Sound about right to you? I can certainly believe that I…
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Maybe they don’t really want a relationship with you
Building a social media presence/online community for your credit union can be a lot like dating. You dress up nice and are friendly to the world, but don’t always get the attention you deserve. Well, according to various studies by the IBM Institute for Business Value, what you are experiencing could simply be one of…
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Seriously, go for the grin.
If ever there was an industry that could use some help in not taking themselves so seriously, it would be financial services. So why are so many credit union Boards and CEOs against using humor in marketing and branding? It can’t be because humor is unpopular. From court jesters to comedians, humor has always been…
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Five things credit unions need to know about my generation
As a college student, apparently I am a demographic that lots of credit union marketers are eager to reach. So I have been asked to write about what my generation wants and needs from credit unions, and the world in general. Okay. You asked for it: 1. We want to be treated like adults.…
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Things I learned on my vacation
My son spent the last semester at the University in Barcelona, so my wife decided we needed to visit Spain while we had a bilingual translator. I have to say I learned quite a bit in the two weeks we spent there. Creating something amazing can take awhile. Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia cathedral designed by Gaudi…
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The best advice I got
Over the years, I have gotten lots of advice on my career, my business, and even my relationships with other people. While a lot of it hasn’t been worth remembering, and some of it was actually more damaging than helpful, there have been a few gems that have stuck with me: 1. It’s nothing business,…
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Creativity hacks
Did you ever think someone would tell you to daydream, get sleepy, go on vacation, or have a drink before doing your job? Well, Jonah Lehrer, author of Imagine: How Creativity Works, has several suggestions on how to get creative: Have a drink. Researchers at U of Illinois compared sober and intoxicated students solving word…
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Hot hands? Too easy.
Anyone that follows basketball knows about the “hot hand.” That’s when someone gets on a roll, making several baskets in a row. Teammates pick up on it and start feeding him the ball. Defenders start double teaming. The audience gets louder with each consecutive basket, and everyone expects him to make his next shot. Yet…
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Carrot or stick? I prefer a club.
Everybody knows that a carrot is the reward for doing something right, and the stick is the punishment for when you don’t. Well, banks have typically used sticks instead of carrots to get people to act in a certain way, and lately, some credit unions have followed their lead. Instead of enticing people with carrots,…
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The-Word-That-Must-Not-Be-Named
Harry Potter reruns have been on TV lately, and every time I hear “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named,” I start thinking about other words that are rarely spoken for fear of retribution. “Profitable” is one of those words that you may never hear at a credit union. At least, spoken out loud. Yes, I know that credit unions are…
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