This author has not written his bio yet.
But we are proud to say that Kevin Smith contributed 89 entries already.
Many fall into the trap of chasing efficiency too hard and to the overall detriment of the organization. This is often enabled by the board. Efficiency does not mean running at the edge of collapse. Board members can be asking questions to encourage the productive health of the team rather than chasing a ratio as […]
By Kevin Smith “Companies appear to be discovering that a big talent pool of nonwhite people and women for board seats does, in fact, exist. Some, like Dr. Hammond, have been hiding in plain sight.” Board Diversity Increased in 2021. Some Ask What Took So Long Peter Eavis, New York Times, January 3, 2022 https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/03/business/corporate-board-diversity.html?referringSource=articleShare […]
“Just A Volunteer” or Perhaps There’s a Case for Paying CU Board Members Sometimes the “just a volunteer” attitude can get in the way of the level of work required on the board of a credit union. This a position with legal levels of authority and it should not be undervalued. Some credit unions […]
Bullying in the boardroom can take a variety of forms, but none of them are acceptable. Yet in an environment where no one is the “boss” it can be difficult to control this behavior. Directors have a variety of tools to use to counter the bully including written policy and parliamentary procedures, among others. […]
When there’s no boss in a group of peers, and there’s no paycheck tied to performance, how do you maintain engagement on the board (and committees)? Peer directors must hold each other accountable for the work that they do. But the real key is making sure that the work is meaningful and participants understand the […]
Organizations driven by a clear purpose enjoy many benefits over those that don’t. Credit unions have this kind of purpose baked into our DNA but often it’s not clear enough, or it doesn’t reach everyone. Aligning towards the purpose of changing people’s lives through is a powerful engine that can move mountains. By Kevin Smith […]
Being “too polite” in the boardroom makes for great collegiality and esprit de corps, but can hold back the overall effectiveness of the group and therefore the organization. With a little bit of intention and some thoughtful approaches you can have a positive friction in the boardroom that that leads to higher performance. Reaching […]
Written governance policy is the pathway to accountability, transparency and higher performance for credit union boards. Too often boards will have productive discussion and agreement on an approach only to leave it with the conversation hanging in the air, soon to dissipate. By Kevin Smith Directors – are you writing stuff down? Ok, more […]
Your job as a board member is to push forward, not to hold back. Credit union board members may not always have a good sense of how their behavior impacts the credit union itself, often in extremely negative ways. Lack of awareness of the industry and of self can be at play here. Even with […]
More and more, credit union boards of directors have a staff member who helps with the board’s work. The complexities of the organization require this. This person may go by many different titles and have myriad responsibilities. It’s important for directors to know and understand how this help should (and shouldn’t) work. These “helpers” can […]
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