If you travel as much as I do, you’re bound to be a frequent customer at the dry cleaners. Since my move to Sugar Land, I found a cleaning business conveniently located on my way to work; they are very efficient and have been a delight. However, upon closer inspection, a shirt of mine was damaged by the cleaners--bummer, it was one of my favorites, an UnTuckIt shirt I wore often. I returned it to them and spoke to the owner; we went over the shirt damage, and while she asked good probing questions, she never indicated they were not at fault with the shirt. This is in stark contrast with my previous experience with a South Georgia cleaner who treated me like a cheat and miscreant over a similar issue. She finally agreed to “look into the issue and get back with me.” Luckily, she did; …
Innovation ThinkTime
Our Future is in Good Hands
As a frequent speaker to financial services audiences, I talk often about the future customers of financial institutions, including Gen Z, the youngest generation, who are mostly still in some form of school as I write this. So when I have a chance to interact with an actual Gen Z member, I generally ask a lot of questions; about how they interact online and, even at a very young age, pay for things online and just how they think generally. So it was on a beautiful fall day, I was engaged in serious conversation with my great niece, Avery. Every time I am around Avery, I have renewed hope for our future as a species. If even half of her generation is as smart, thoughtful, and energetic as she is, we will all be OK. She is truly a renaissance young lady, active in volleyball and a …
Can We Really Trust Our Memory?
Current events have placed old memories into our watercooler conversations, and it just so happens that I have been binge listening to Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast series called Revisionist History. In season 3, he provides a series of episodes on memory. In these, he documents, in his unique professorial style, every detail fully researched yet with an everyman, engaging delivery; how what we KNOW to be true as a memory is almost always not exactly so. One of the examples he gave is how people remember 9/11. Since this was a seminal event, it has a “flashbulb” effect, one that would sear deep into your memories. Yet, Gladwell relayed a conversation he had with a close friend who was certain that he had told her about his certain flight the next day, and that it would be OK, since it …
It Was My Fault and I Quit AVIS Anyway
As a frequent traveler, I get the opportunity to accumulate travel award points. This summer, while in Colorado to teach at the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Colorado, I rented a car so I could travel up to the mountains to fish and visit with friends. Since I had many American Express mileage points, I used some to get two $200 AVIS certificates. When it was time to turn in the car, the service center counters were backed up 10 deep. I figured since I was such a loyal AVIS customer I would be able to call them, give them the certificate numbers and they would credit me the $400. My initial contact with AVIS was favorable, it appeared they would do exactly as I expected. However, I was told nothing could be done until the car was checked in through their …
What True Leadership Looks Like
On a hot and humid Saturday in Houston, Texas, I was honored to facilitate offsite strategic planning for Cy Fair Federal Credit Union. Cy Fair is a former education-based credit union, transformed into a community CU charter, but the board substantively consists of current and former educators and administrators. The CEO is Cameron Dickey, and the subject of this innovation-driven growth blog is his leadership. I have facilitated many strategic planning sessions, and it’s truly difficult for a senior leader to sit back and let other people drive the conversation. The impulse is to speak first, give your opinion up front and then let people comment on it. That’s a mistake. When the CEO speaks, there is little chance someone who might have a differing opinion would feel comfortable …