Big Ideas for Credit Unions
How to “do the right thing” without bragging
Credit unions are the perfect example of people banding together to solve a problem, and accomplishing more through cooperation. Since their beginnings in mid-1800s Europe, credit unions have embraced the values of “honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.” Today’s credit unions continue to “give back” to their communities everyday – which is a…
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CU Numbers Need Marketing Love, Too
Quick, what’s your CU’s current Net Worth/Total Assets ratio? How about Total Loans/Total Shares? What percentage of your members are borrowers? How do these compare to other CUs like yours? Where do you even find these numbers? Now go deeper… WHY are these numbers what they are? Where does your CEO want them to go?…
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3 big money questions from a new father
2024 has already been a crazy year, or maybe that’s just because I’ve spent most of it as a brand-new, first-time-ever Dad. Yes, parenthood is wonderful, watching my daughter grow and change is breathtaking, and I really, REALLY miss getting a full night of sleep. But this article isn’t about that. Instead of talking about…
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Turn your staff into an Idea Factory.
Your credit union’s biggest assets are not on the books, but in the heads of the people who work there. Their experience has given them very specific insights, that when combined with some creative thinking become invaluable to your credit union’s future. So how do you turn those assets into something tangible? Turn your staff…
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Move with the future or get left behind
My job has had a learning curve since Day 1, and I hope it continues. Because I’d rather move with the future than get left behind. It has been a powerful evolution I’ve been a graphic designer for over 40 years. My profession has transformed from markers, drafting tables and T-squares all the way up…
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5 short, sweet ways to avoid CommitteeThink
The rationale for allowing committees to make big decisions sounds good – a small group of stakeholders with diverse backgrounds combine their experiences to solve a problem as a team, efficiently and quickly, in order to benefit the most people. So why doesn’t it seem to work that way? Why do some people see committees…
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How to make your credit union’s Board of Directors cool
We’ve seen a lot of conversation in the past few years about the member aging problem and its impact on the future of the credit union movement. Yes, it’s undeniably an obstacle, but more than a few credit unions could benefit from examining themselves, particularly the Board of Directors, along with their membership. To put…
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Why are our Board Members so Old?
Now that I’m on two Boards, I finally understand why there is so much gray hair on so many Board Member’s heads. They’re old. Like me. Not that gray hair is a negative. Because of my Dad’s mostly shiny dome, I’m just happy to have some hair up there, regardless of color. And there are…
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Candid Conference Conversations
In the last month, I’ve been to two state credit union league conferences (the Virginia CU League‘s Growth Conference, and the Indiana CU League‘s Convention right here in Indianapolis). Wondering what’s on the minds of CU leaders right now? Fresh from the schmooze-a-thons, here’s a quick recap of some of the problems and solutions we…
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How credit unions fit into the digital marketplace
Most credit unions have a heartwarming story about putting cash into the communal cigar box. That mental image is great, and it resonates with people who want to be community-focused. But how many people under the age of 35 remember the last time they paid for something with cash? We’re living in a world where finance…
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