“Strategy is not the consequence of planning, but the opposite: its starting point.” (Henry Mintzberg) What business strategy is all about – what separates it from all other kind of planning is its focus on competitive advantage. The one goal of strategic planning is to enable your credit union to gain, as effectively as possible, a real and sustainable edge over your competitors. Join us July 18 for “Craft Your Own Digital Playbook,” a live webinar based on the principles outlined in David Rogers’ book “The Digital Transformation Playbook.” Learn how to drive digital business transformation at your credit union In addition, each webinar participant will receive a free download of the Credit Union Digital Transformation Playbook research report, created exclusively with “Digital Transformation Playbook” author David Rogers for THINK 17. Register now. In the meantime, here are the most insightful reads of the week: Interesting Wharton study: Mapping critical knowledge for digital transformation. “Digitization for the sake of digitization is not the way to go. Deep attention needs to be given to what digitization of what knowledge should be undertaken and why.” ‘Being Digital’ means being more human. “For companies born before the digital era, the transition to being digital is often much more complicated than for digital natives. For these companies, executives must resist the temptation to simply do digital. (…) The journey to digital success begins with a true understanding of what it means to be human.” What a digital organization looks like. “Digital isn’t just abour organizations that deliver primarily digital products and services, either. A digital organization is one that can operate effectively in our digital age – which means leaders in all organizations and from all sectors need a basic level of digital competence, curiosity and confidence.” 7 steps to improve customer onboarding. “Onboarding should be as flexible and frictionless as possible. When customers see the speed, ease, security and convenience you demonstrate during onboarding, their positive perception of your brand – as well as the likelihood they will become a customer – is reinforced. Do It the Hard Way: Channelling your inner Bette Davis. “In today’s consumer culture we’re endlessly seeking seamless experiences and frictionless interactions. At work we celebrate agility, speed and pragmatism. We like to find the easy way. But we should remind ourselves occasionally to take the high road, not the low road. Sometimes - not all of the time - we need to dig our heels in, refuse to budge, in the name of quality and fairness; in the spirit of aspiration and excellence. Sometimes - just sometimes - we need to channel our inner Bette. And do it the hard way.