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If you are planning a career in the credit union movement, professional development and networking are key to your success. As a leader, it is also important to have a plan to ensure that your team has a clear plan for developing their skills and network. Southwest CUNA Management School is designed to challenge you, your team, and your credit union forward.
If your find yourself or members of your team identified in the word picture to the left, you have a match for the profile of a future leader and SCMS student…enroll today!
Visit www.wordle.net to create your own "word cloud". It's a great tool to see if something you're writing has the emphasis where you want it to be.
The secret’s out. Southwest CUNA Management School Students have been profiled. The PTP New Media & CU*Swag team caught one of this year’s third year students, Jason Duplant (Neches FCU) on tape. Look and listen closely to get an insiders’ perspective on the value of the school.
Careful analysis of this year’s 1st year enrollees reveals what a typical students looks like:
Who
Students come from credit unions ranging in size from under $1 million to nearly $1 billion. It’s exciting to see mutually beneficial relationships develop when Davy and Goliath are side by side in the classroom.
Students range in age from 23 to 62. Oh the lessons the generations learn from each other when they spend eight days on a college campus for three years. New for 2010 we have a special scholarship, networking, and mentoring C2C initiative for students under the age of 30 by August 1, 2010.
Experience levels cover a wide range.
Years on the Job: 1 to 26, averaging just under 6 years.
Years in Credit Unions: 2 to 31, averaging 11 years
Years in the Financial Services Industry: 2 to 33, averaging just over 13 years.
As for job titles, you name it and we probably have someone enrolled. The school is designed for everyone from management trainees to mid and senior level management to CEOs.
When July 11-21, 2010
Where Classes are held at TCU (Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas)
Students may be coming from as far as Africa. The majority of the students are coming from Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
What
Intensive classroom training, world class faculty, unique networking opportunities, and developing a detailed two year strategic business plan for your credit union. Specialists gain an appreciation for how the various pieces of the credit union come together to complete/affect the entire company. Smaller credit unions get the opportunity to dream and think about how to strategically position their credit union forward. All students build a strong network of friends and experts to help them face challenges down the road.
Strategic alumni have been collaborating and brainstorming about providing additional value. As a result of numerous discussions, new opportunities are available for credit union folks to take advantage of what SCMS has to offer.
Day Students: Any league affiliated credit union may attend ½ to a full day, or even a couple of days on a day rate basis - $275 per day, lunch included, on own for accommodations. No homework. Click here for the full schedule.
Full Year Option: CUNA Management School alumni are invited back for a full year experience, living on campus, learning and networking with the class of their choice. This is offered as either entire 1st, 2nd or 3rd year options. Same price as a full time student, though no scholarship opportunities at this point. No homework.
If you, or one of your credit union’s talented up and coming stars, specialists, or seasoned vets are looking for challenges, fresh perspectives, innovative ideas and aha moments, the time to enroll in the school is now!
Contact Janine McBee for further information if interested: jmcbee@scms.coop or tweet @SCMSJanine
·David Goldsmith, MetaMatrixConsulting Group, Inc., is about to have a book published on strategic planning. He’s the final class for 1st year students, charged with sending them out challenged and future focused.
·Mike Petrone, CFE, CFSA joins us from CUNA Mutual Group (CMG) for the 1st year Risk Management course. In 2002, Mike was honored with the 2nd annual Michael G. Hallinan Risk Management Choice Award.
·Shawn Temple(one of last year’s Award of Excellence recipients), Bossier FCU, joins the team to work with students on the project (a two-year strategic business plan) requirements.
·Amanda Vega, Amanda Vega Consulting brings real world experience to help second year students make strategic decisions related to social media and theircredit unions.
For a complete faculty team and course listing, scholarship information (deadline this week), and school application, visit www.scms.coop.
Excitement mounts as registrations come in for this year's first year class. To give you an idea of what students looks like:
They are coming from Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas and possibly Africa.
They hold titles ranging from President, Manager, Director, COO, VP, Accounting, Business Services Representative, Branch Manager, to E-Branch Manager and more.
The credit union asset sizes range from under $20 million to around $1 billion
The students range in age from early 20's to 50's. They have 2 to 28 years service in credit unions, with 2 to 33 years in the financial services industry.
Education backgrounds range from Masters Degrees to High School Grads.
Thank you Bossier FCU for enrolling three in the first year class and to numerous credit unions who continue to enroll credit unions year after year!
When I was introduced to SCMS, my first thoughts were:
I have a degree – no more school for me – “CompSci til the day I die”.
I have friends – I do not need more.
I am not good at networking – what would I say?
How will this help me and my credit union?
My first summer day of SCMS:
I met great people – yes, the first day.
I now had lots of instant friends who were in the same world as me – credit union.
We had fun while we were acclimated to more credit union business.
What I learned:
Time definitely does fly.
You are never too old to learn.
You know more than you think you know.
Your questions can help others.
Sharing is still a wonderful feeling.
You are never too old to meet new friends.
How SCMS helped me:
I was new to the credit union industry and SCMS was the orientation I needed.
I learned more than I thought was possible.
We are a small credit union but I have made contacts and never feel isolated or alone.
I know where to go for help when we need it.
And I never have to re-invent the wheel. Resources are there waiting for me.
What happened to me after SCMS:
Those instant friends are now my BFFs.
I started out as Technical Operations Administrator and am now Manager of the credit union and now confident in this new role.
When our staff turned over 75%, leaving me as the sole leader, I had no need to panic because I knew at least 10 people who had gone through this before and they became my mentors. I had and still have a great support system of people who supported me through SCMS and continue to support me in anything I need. Without my SCMS support, I would have had a major meltdown, but I did not because I knew where to go.
Guest Post - Iris R. Netters, Class of 2008 One of the "Great 08" Class Members Manager, New Mount Zion Baptist Church CU
Thanks go out to ConversationAgent by Valeria Maltoni for a little morning inspiration! Time to put your thinking caps on.
Transparency, authenticity, honesty and passion are commonly thought about and addressed as people navigate a wide variety of social media channels. If they are not being thought about, warning, do not pass go. Please slow down and give these areas serious consideration. You owe it to your customers, employees, board of directors, share or stock holders. What are the norms for your business environment? Your team?
Take a moment to hop on over to a blog referenced by a tweet from @ConversationAge:
Should your organization have degrees of transparency?
Is it important for your audience to know who writes copy for your communication channels? To know who is responding to them?
Do you have content strategy? Communication goals? Are you having conversations and building relationships?
How personal should your social media, public conversations be? As work and personall communication channels blurr, when are you simply yourself and when are you representing your company? Both 24/7/365? Are we ready for that?
I can truly relate to this post as I love what I do and do what I love... working with credit unions to help them connect and build relationships with members. However, sometimes I can get so busy and into what is going on at PTP NEW MEDIA, I sometimes get lost in my own little world and it becomes hard to disconnect when I get home and have some downtime.
Have you ever had the same challenges? As we live in a uber connected world, the boundaries of work and personal cross more and more. It is important to be aware of burnout and the stress it can cause for us and the ones around us.
Check out the guest post below by Susan Fletcher, Ph.D., psychologist, author and speaker who specializes in helping individuals, professionals and organizations apply strategies for fast improvement. Her Smart Zone™ strategies provide ways to be a top performer at work and home. To learn more about how to be in the Smart Zone please visit her website at www.FletcherPhD.com.
One thing I hear when working with managers and executives who work long hours is that, at the end of the day, it is difficult to shake the feeling of being at work. Even when they get home they don't feel "at home." They feel disconnected and preoccupied with what took place during the workday or are anticipating the problems of the next day.
Part of the issue is that the intensity during our workday is different than the intensity of our home lives. Although our home and work life both take considerable mental and physical energy we still have to shift gears when we walk in the door at home.
In my business we provide strategies to stay in the Smart Zone that will improve productivity at home and work. But don't do this! Here are Smart Moves for leaving stress at the office:
Do you leave work and then use that same part of your brain at home? When I work on my financials at the office and then come home and work on bills, my brain is going to get overwhelmed. I've recently started taking serious Yoga classes near my home so I can balance how I use my body and my brain. As my instructor Carlos says, "Bring peace and calm into your world."
Are you finally energized by 3:00 in the afternoon? Eat a late afternoon snack that is high in carbs but low in fat and protein - like a granola bar, fresh fruit or a bagel. This type of snack jump-starts the amino acid in the brain that promotes a relaxation response.
Do you immerse yourself in work related content 24/7? What is by your bedside? Business books, financials, proposals? I have taken a sabbatical from business books to read bestsellers so I am exposing myself to more than just business and psychological literature. Right now, want to know what is by my bedside? The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb. All 723 pages. I will be sorry when I finish it because it is such a great book.
Set aside 10 minutes after lunch to return personal phone calls. This will eliminate your need to talk on your cell phone on the drive home at the end of the day. Instead you can listen to good music or an audio book. Click here for ways to maximize your lunch break. Carve out transition time. Devote the final hours of your workday to some of your least-pressured tasks. I like listening to music on Grooveshark and doing paperwork. Thanks to my buddy Rex, I've now got speakers mounted on the inside of my desk so I can really enjoy my end of the day paperwork. You will feel a sense of accomplishment by completing at least one thing before day end.
Don't talk about work when you first get home. When you walk in the door at home resist the urge to immediately start talking about your day. Cooper and Sawaf, authors of Executive EQ, call this a "transitional buffer zone." This is time to renew your spirit of being home. Don't run to your computer to return emails. You might first greet your family, get your children a snack and change into some comfy clothes.
Shout back with your thoughts about how you disconnect and leave stress at the office. We would love for you to innovate, communicate and collaborate to help us all grow together.
Southwest CUNA Management School Grad School - Social Media Lab: Credit Unions Get Down & Dirty
It’s time to stop talking about social media, roll up your sleeves, and experience some of the tools first hand. James Robert Lay, Brad Garland, and Kent Sugg team up to divide you up. Attendees will divide into work teams to create various social media elements. You’ll discover that with some strategic thinking, nominal investment, and time, you can effectively take advantage of opportunities afforded you through blogging, polling, podcast, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and more.
Unlike other events where you or your staff attend and get excited about the potential of social media, only to return and hit a dead end because you have no idea where to start, you’ll be in real life scenarios to help you better understand and work with social media when you return home.
Visit the school site for the full Grad School curriculum, schedule and related details.
Open Invite to Credit Union Professionals to Attend the SCMS Fireside Chatwith Robert Gallman and Susan Mitchell - no charge to take advantage of this event and experience the excitement of SCMS!
Swing for a cause - the development of credit union leaders! The 21st Annual SCMS Scholarship Golf Classic is open to all.
It's not too late to enroll as a 1st year student! Plan now to connect with tomorrow's leaders. Enroll today!
It’s time to rethink strategies and find innovative solutions to today’s challenges. Seeking ways to maximize the return on how time and money are spent is crucial. Southwest CUNA Management School (SCMS) is an environment where applied knowledge and networking are structured to help students find innovative and sound strategies to help position their credit unions forward.
This is the year to seriously consider enrolling yourself or key staff in SCMS — the place to connect with professionals dedicated to the future, an industry think tank.
Two innovative credit union communication tools students initiated over the last year:
YouTube Video (Bank vs. CU Novella) - Kudos Alex Rascon, (SCMS Class of 2010 president, GECU)
This blog, CU Grow - Thank you James Robert Lay and Natasha Melugin (SCMS Cl of 2009) for your vision, commitment, heart and passion!
- Opportunity to be part of shaping the future of credit unions!
The school is intense. Less than 80% of a first year class make it to graduation. Successful completion of the school is something to take pride in. A three-year commitment, this summer's session is from July 12-22.
SCMS offers professional and personal development opportunity, providing a strong base for credit union leadership. Take the challenge. Make the commitment. Enroll today!
With the current market and some corporate credit unions in conservatorship; how do you differentiate your credit union? What message do you send to your members to let them know just because they hear the word “credit union” on the news it doesn't mean yours?
Jack McAdoo, former CEO of Enron FCU, has experience in dealing with the media and negative press in credit union world. Talk about stressful situations; the Enron credit union was inside of the Enron building at the time of the Enron collapse. The morning after the news of Enron filing bankruptcy, there was a line wrapped around the credit union of people ready to pull all their money out. He and his team saved the credit union, which is now Startrust FCU, through an event most credit union CEO's have nightmares about. According to the NCUA, Jack accomplished the impossible. McAdoo guided the credit union through a successful name change, relocation and field of membership expansion — all within a seven-month span. Jack is currently CEO at Beacon FCU in LaPorte, TX. I recently interviewed Jack McAdoo about his experience:
Challenges are here, both in the economy and in the workplace. As we deal with challenges and seek solutions, opportunities often present themselves. Now, more than ever, it's important for us to creatively connect both inside and outside of the credit union movement. Together we can find and capitalize on opportunities. I have just the place for you to connect with professionals dedicated to the future.
To help position your credit union forward and develop leaders, consider enrolling yourself and key management team members in Southwest CUNA Management School (SCMS). The SCMS curriculum has been celebrated for years. The growing list of professional credit union leaders to have emerged from the three-year school continue to shape and develop the credit union movement in innovative and positive ways.
To maximize both your personal and professional ROI for this intense school, students should arrive on campus with a strong determination to focus on:
Being ready to capitalize on the broad networking opportunities. Students and alumni represent a wide range of credit union expertise.
Planning to take advantage of the vast expertise offered by faculty. Many bring international experience to the classroom, challenging students with crucial topics. Faculty also encourage students to pursue innovative concepts.
Arriving prepared to actively participate, incubating ideas and contributing to the overall educational experience by offering their own unique perspectives.
Being a part of creating and shaping the future of the credit union movement.
When students arrive determined to take advantage of all SCMS has to offer, the rewards both personally and professionally extend well beyond the year of graduation. Shape the future and make a positive change in the credit union by enrolling in SCMS today. Enrollment is limited to the first 50 students. Seats have been going fast. Only 26 1st year student slots remain.
Students and alumni are encouraged to take full advantage of networking options by also utilizing the SCMS groups in LinkedIn and on Facebook.
Watch for information about the SCMS Grad School on July 22. One of this year's sessions will feature a hands-on workshop about how to create various social media forms of communication.
Very interesting video on change and where the world is going. Now that you do know, how does this affect your credit union? Do you know? Blog back and tell us how!
Mike Hayashi is a 7th Degree Black Belt and has been a Personal Safety & Empowerment Corporate Trainer to the Fortune 500 since 1986. He has created this upbeat, empowering session for all attendees to walk out with tools to face adversity and find the positive energy within themselves in an informative, but light and humorous format.
Check out the video below and shout back at us with any helpful information regarding how you keep your fellow peers upbeat, positive, and happy.
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