How to deal with the Grinch in your office
Sometimes you have to deal with a coworker who oozes negativity. We’ve all been around someone like that and often we don’t have a great relationship with that person. It’s important to [...]
News Archives
A close encounter of the fifth kind
I recently observed focus group members as they shared their observations and frustrations with recent changes in online and mobile banking applications at their multibillion dollar Credit Union. I came away thinking how impressed I [...]
Get under the hood with your funding sources
Regulatory pressure around liquidity is palpable for the first time in a long time. As a result, we are having funding discussions multiple times a day at CMS with credit unions of all sizes. In [...]
Your brand: From transactional to experiential
It's the end of another year, so let's do some deep-dive thinking when it comes to your staff, culture and brand. Here's a question to ponder as 2017 draws to a close: Can your staff [...]
How to stay productive on holiday break
It seems that every year leading up to the holidays we are overwhelmed with seasonal preparations. Then Christmas comes and goes faster than a speeding sleigh and everything quickly quiets down. Although your calendar may [...]
3 year-end tax moves you should make now
Whether it’s keeping tabs on your holiday spending or thinking about your 2017 tax return, you may be super focused on your finances at this time of year. Here are three year-end tax moves [...]
Son of a nutcracker: Credit union leadership lessons from Buddy the Elf
Walk with me through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly-twirly gum drops, and then all the way through the Lincoln Tunnel to learn a few lessons credit union [...]
What’s your attitude size?
I love credit unions because we often have our own “special lingo” talking about our services and our members. A standard for categorizing in almost every way is asset size, but I have recently begun [...]
72 hours and counting…
A recent survey of executives, managers and professionals (EMPs) found that their average work-week was 72 hours. 72 hours. But a blog post (HBR.org) that analyzed the study really hit on something amazing. It [...]
4 things you should not do at your office Christmas party
Christmas is next week and that means it’s about time for your company to host its annual holiday get-together. Whether it’s at a restaurant, an employee’s home, or just at the office, [...]
Impress your boss by asking these three questions
Take a minute to think about how often you truly interact with your superior. Chances are it’s when you either dropped the ball, knocked it out of the park, or are having your yearly [...]
3 strategies for small credit union success
Small credit union executives wear a lot of hats. It keeps work interesting, but it can also involve being pulled in a lot of different directions. Small credit union CEOs need to be strong generalists; [...]
Positivity for productivity
The smartest CEOs continuously learn, study and observe. They don’t just learn facts, they learn about others, and they develop a keen sense of people. They also learn about themselves. These leaders practice self-awareness, [...]
Surveys show rising health care costs affect retirement savings—HSAs are a solution
Like many Americans, Gavin Smith’s employer is offering only a high deductible health plan (HDHP) next year. Having two active sons and knowing the HDHP has higher out-of-pocket amounts, he is worried about having [...]
How to fully prep for an interview
If you’re hoping the new year is going to include a new job, make sure you’re ready. When you’ve scheduled an interview, it’s easy to get anxious in the days leading [...]