by Sean Galli | Oct 5, 2026 | Strategy
Financial services strategy is important and deserves your full attention. So, tired teams should make planning as fun and focused as possible to keep people engaged and increase buy-in for any plan created. After all, the holidays haven’t even arrived yet and you’re...
by Sean Galli | Sep 30, 2026 | Strategy
Making a good strategic plan for credit unions requires the ability to step away from the tactical, step away from the past even, and focus on the future of the institution. Ultimately, it means you develop solid focus for the future. You can do anything you want…but...
by Sean Galli | Sep 14, 2026 | Strategy
It’s September. They just put up a Spirit Halloween sign on the abandoned building that used to be a CVS. You’re starting to get mail about the upcoming Fall Carnival at your local church. That’s all to say…2027 is speeding towards you. So, what does your credit union...
by Sean Galli | Sep 8, 2026 | Branding, Strategy
Dolly Parton’s recent passing rocked the entire country (and probably the entire world). Her impact, both through her music and philanthropy, touched pretty much everyone. Our Chief Strategy Officer had to stop his planning session for a break when the news came...
by Sean Galli | Aug 24, 2026 | Strategy
Why do you have a credit union strategic planning session? Probably to plan ahead. After all, it’s in the name. But some organizations spend much of planning looking in the rear view mirror: Reviewing last year’s numbers Reviewing budget items Reviewing binders of...
by Sean Galli | Jul 22, 2026 | Strategy
Your credit union strategic planning session is probably broken, and you don’t even know it. You show up each year. You go through the same exercises. You review the same data you already know. You receive binders full of information when what you actually need...
by Sean Galli | Jul 7, 2026 | Strategy, Training
July 4, 2026 marked 250 years since the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence and its founding principles. And 250 years is a long time…quite the legacy! But no legacy comes easy. No legacy is built for free. The American legacy emerges from 250...
by Sean Galli | Jun 29, 2026 | Leadership, Strategy, Training
17.6 years is a long time. Nearly two decades. Almost the full length of time it takes for a person to go from baby to legal adult. Now, what does it have to do with financial services leadership training? Well, it’s also the average length of time Americans spend...
by Sean Galli | Jun 3, 2026 | Strategy
You just took a week off. When you returned, you found a backlog of decisions waiting for you that only you could make. Key initiatives stalled in your financial services strategy. Consumers waiting for answers. Nothing moved forward because your organization...
by Sean Galli | May 18, 2026 | Strategy
Credit union strategic planning starts with your mindset. Whether you are a board member, executive or manager you will never fully develop an effective strategy without first having an effective mindset. People often think strategic thinking is complicated. It’s not....
by Sean Galli | Apr 27, 2026 | Branding, Strategy
You probably know the K-Shaped Economy. We already wrote about how it affects your messaging and your leadership development. But there’s a new descriptive economic model surfacing…the E-Shaped Economy. And just like the K-Shaped Economy, it also impacts credit union...
by Sean Galli | Apr 15, 2026 | Strategy
“Trust your gut.” You hear it all the time in business. And sure, intuition has its place. But your gut isn’t always reliable. Making decisions in the moment or without firmer small business strategic planning may not set you up for long-term...
by Sean Galli | Apr 13, 2026 | Strategy
Tax season has a secret language you should consider the next time you conduct financial services strategic planning. And no, it’s not screams of pain and torment (although that is fitting for many people when they think of taxes). No, it’s something more subtle. A...
by Sean Galli | Apr 6, 2026 | Branding, Strategy, Training
The writer Ann Handley recently published an article about the virtues of slowing down. That’s right. Not moving faster. Not chasing progress. Slowing down. Considering your decisions because those decisions have a lot of weight (especially if you’re a smaller...
by Sean Galli | Mar 16, 2026 | Strategy
Successful relationships require proactivity. If I don’t proactively schedule time with my wife, our relationship suffers. Successful health requires proactivity. If I don’t proactively plan nourishing meals, my overall health suffers. Successful leadership requires...
by Sean Galli | Mar 4, 2026 | Learning & Development, Strategy
The end of February 2026 “marked” (pun intended) a significant milestone for On The Mark Strategies. We’ve been in business for 15 years, and we’ve learned plenty of small business lessons along the way. Why is 15 years so important? Because: 20% of small...
by Sean Galli | Mar 2, 2026 | Branding, Strategy
On a recent episode of “Banking Transformed,” host Jim Marous interviewed Will Smayda, Head of Financial Centers at Bank of America. Bank of America previously shrank its branch presence from 6,000 branches to 3,700 branches. Now, they are opening 150 new “financial...
by Sean Galli | Feb 23, 2026 | Marketing, Strategy
Many credit union member retention strategies think they have a front door problem: member growth. For credit unions, the member growth rate slowed to 1.88% last year (the lowest number in close to 15 years). However, the real problem – net growth – could in fact be a...
by Sean Galli | Feb 2, 2026 | Strategy
“Groundhog Day” is arguably one of the most well-known films of all time. In the movie, Bill Murray’s character (Phil) relives Groundhog Day over and over and over again. The plot revolves around Phil discovering how to escape the time loop and grow as a person. And...
by Sean Galli | Dec 17, 2025 | Case Study, Strategy, Training
“Anyone who’s looking to take their member experience, journey mapping or strategic planning to the next level should go with On The Mark Strategies. We see the results, and we’ve been very pleased.” – Brandon Oliver, VP of Branch Operations, SAFE FCU Many of...
by Sean Galli | Dec 8, 2025 | Strategy
It’s that time of year. Yes, the holiday season. But it’s also top ten list, “best of” compilation and Spotify Wrapped season. Of course, all these lists tend to look back over the year. And while there’s value in reflecting on 2025, there’s also value in using those...
by Sean Galli | Nov 24, 2025 | Strategy
A table full of food means little without people crowded around it ready to partake in the feast. Maybe the table isn’t even full of food if those assigned to bring the side dishes or dessert never arrive. For dinner to be a success, you need others to show up. Your...
by Sean Galli | Oct 27, 2025 | Strategy
It’s bank and credit union strategic planning season! And boy does Shawn Temple (our Chief Strategy Officer) know it. Shawn’s nearly two-month-long strategic planning tour is taking him to institutions across the country…and he’s making great use of the time. Besides...
by Sean Galli | Oct 15, 2025 | Strategy
There’s an old saying that the early bird gets the worm. When it comes to strategic planning for your organization, the early bird gets something even better: clarity, focus and a competitive advantage. Most organizations schedule their strategic planning...
by Sean Galli | Oct 6, 2025 | Marketing, Strategy, Training
Zombies. Vampires. Ghouls. Budgets. All are terrifying to think about…and budgets might just be the scariest monster of all. When discussing his upcoming budget process, one credit union CEO said he was already resorting to prayer to defeat the beast. Yikes! Luckily,...
by Sean Galli | Sep 29, 2025 | Branding, Marketing, Strategy, Training
No organization is a one-trick pony. Sure, everyone has their specialties. But the best organizations still do all core functions competently or even exceptionally. What are those core functions? There are four vital disciplines, or Success Markers, you need to create...
by Sean Galli | Sep 15, 2025 | Leadership, Marketing, Strategy
Clarity and alignment are defining traits of the best organizations out there…but how you acquire those traits is often a mystery. Well, you might only be six questions away from aligning your organization around a purpose and common values. Patrick Lencioni and his...
by Sean Galli | Aug 27, 2025 | Strategy
Strategy is a tricky beast that means different things to different people. For some people, it’s goals over a one-to-three-year term. For others, strategy is nothing less than ten years out. Both can be right. The most successful organizations operate at two...
by Sean Galli | Aug 4, 2025 | Strategy
“How will we grow?” A common question. An important question. It’s probably one you ask yourself constantly in this ever-changing environment awash in new technologies, new payment rails and new mergers. There are many potential answers…but many of them...
by Sean Galli | Jul 30, 2025 | Leadership, Strategy, Training
Winston Churchill once said, “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” That wisdom perfectly captures what separates great bank and credit union leadership from the merely average. Picture...
by Sean Galli | Jun 30, 2025 | Strategy
Now would be the time to insert a pithy quote about looking ahead. Like “the best way to predict the future is to create it” or the line from Yogi Berra: “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” When it comes to your organization, the future is...
by Sean Galli | Jun 11, 2025 | Strategy
Your financial institution isn’t a farm. So why does your bank and credit union strategic planning look like a collection of separate silos? Marketing wants to build awareness. Operations wants greater efficiency. Lending wants application growth. IT wants...
by Sean Galli | May 28, 2025 | Strategy
Bank and credit union strategic planning requires revival…because in many cases, it’s lifeless. Stale. Dull. Awkward. Regardless of what word you use, planning sessions can be painful affairs you undergo (or avoid) year after year. Maybe your facilitator beat the...
by Sean Galli | May 21, 2025 | Branding, Strategy
No matter how you slice it, these are challenging economic times for your bank or credit union brand. According to CNBC, the economy shrank 0.3% in the first quarter. Whether your executive team is using the “R” word or not, the reality is there are headwinds (and not...
by Sean Galli | May 16, 2025 | Strategy
It’s one of the most famous twists in movie history. And it’s relevant to your bank and credit union strategy, marketing, branding and training right now. So, what’s the twist? It’s the climax of “When a Stranger Calls.” A babysitter receives threatening calls...
by Sean Galli | May 7, 2025 | Strategy
Wouldn’t you want a chocolate bunny bank or credit union strategic plan? After all, chocolate bunnies are typically gigantic and delicious. They wear massive chocolate grins, have chocolate ears that reach to the clouds, yell “eat me” at you from store shelves...
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