Gain strategic clarity for your credit union

As fall strategic planning sessions approach, try this approach to remove any distracting ‘shiny objects.’

by: Jeff Rendel, CSP

If “shiny object syndrome” is distracting your credit union from discerning its true goals, here’s a surefire way to whip it: Embrace it, but only for a little while.

The late Steve Jobs was known to bring together his top 100 executives for a retreat each year to flesh out new and refined ideas for Apple’s future. During a session, he would give his executives an assignment: Draw up a list of 10 strategic ideas that Apple should be doing next. Jobs would take to the white board and write down all of his executives’ thoughts. After much jockeying and lots of ideas crossed off this list, the group would finalize a list of 10. As Jobs looked over the list, he would insist that Apple could only focus on three.

When asked if he was proud of what Apple chose to do, Jobs would reply in the affirmative, but further emphasize that he was equally, if not more, proud of what Apple chose not to do. Focus was key in the midst of great ideas. Perhaps saying “no” was more accommodating than saying “yes.”

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