Hanson opinion offensive

In reading Raymond Hanson’s 0pinion in the June 20, issue of Credit Union Times, “Six common myths, and the realities of strategic business planning,” I found the tone of his generalizations rather condescending, although I understand the points he tries to make with regards to the myths he is trying to address. A statement like “It may be a popular and comfortable way to enjoy golf at the owners expense, but it’s only a token exercise. It’s not enough to re-bless your Mission Statement” seems rather haughty. And the statement “Respected industry experts are wonderful sources of input for your planning session, but by virtue of their expertise, lousy facilitators” is an unfair over-generalization. What bothers me most is his remark “most of what is passed off as a planning process (especially at the Leagues) is either lame or prohibitively time consuming”. Quite frankly, I find this statement arrogant and offensive. We at the California Credit Union League have been facilitating strategic planning sessions for the last eight years to very satisfied credit unions in California and Nevada. I am not aware of any credit union that thought of our processes as lame or prohibitively time consuming. On the contrary, the processes we use are timely and on the leading edge of strategic thought. Once an engagement is booked we work with the credit union to develop an agenda that is specifically designed for it. This allows for a great deal of flexibility and provides the credit union with a variety of approaches to choose from, as we believe that there is no one best approach to strategic planning. I have never thought that putting someone else down to make yourself look good is a very effective way to garner or attract new clients. Offering a good solid product, without trashing our competitors has worked well here and provides us with a steady stream of quality business. Frank J. Cunningham Strategic Planning Product Manager California Credit Union League Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.