The Bureaucratic Industrial Complex
What is going on with the growth of bureaucracies at banks? Are internal staff bureaucracies now in control of most banks and other financial services players? And has the current focus on ESG…
Discusses the hows and whys of strategy development.
What is going on with the growth of bureaucracies at banks? Are internal staff bureaucracies now in control of most banks and other financial services players? And has the current focus on ESG…
Last week I had a call with a technology vendor that aims to provide banks with a solution which, if effectively implemented, could significantly increase revenues and profits from a business area that many banks either overlook or have managed ineffectively.
A few weeks ago, I was speaking with a young analyst who had been given an assignment at his company, a startup that had become a unicorn. As with many other unicorns, the company was cash flow negative. His job was to look at major cost areas and highlight…
The plan had been developed over multiple years. All the key people, acknowledged experts in their fields, had played a hand in creating the plan. Consultants had added value and reviewed the plans; compliance officers agreed; IT and Logistics had assigned off…
Although in this current woke period many have placed Winston Churchill on the ash heap of history (despite his amazing leadership during World War II), I have long admired Churchill. Yes, like Washington and Lincoln, he was a man of his time and a flawed leader. But…
A few weeks ago I wrote about the RFP process in banks. That newsletter received some helpful feedback, pointing out the need for banks to spotlight this area with greater intensity.At many banks the RFP process needs to be fundamentally rethought in light of…
If you have ever watched Curb Your Enthusiasm you have met Larry David, one of the creators of Seinfeld and the main character in this HBO show. Larry is sardonic, sarcastic, and cantankerous. He suffers fools badly and pushes back against conventions…
A recent article by Steve Cocheo for the Financial Brand website raises important for financial services companies hoping to attract and retain post-Boomer generations. The article is titled “Is Everything Bankers Think They Know About Millennials & Gen Z wrong?” It suggests…
Seppuku, also known as hara-kiri, refers to a type of Japanese ritual suicide. Some banks may be performing their own seppuku as they cut business lines and erode the quality of their customer’s experience in the pursuit of what their consultants are telling them…
It is hard to avoid ads for the Master Class website. Master Class offers top name experts in various fields, offering courses on topics ranging from poetry to mixology to ukulele playing. Each of the individual sessions is short, no more than 15-20 minutes, playing…