Your Greatest Resource is Each Other

The very best thing someone did for me when I entered banking was introduce me to a peer group. It was just an informal lunch gathering every other month. Since I was new to banking, I did a lot of listening. Everyone brought the topics pressing them at the time. While some were market competitors, all were willing to share.

Almost 14 years later, I’m still meeting with the same group. Our members have changed over time, but the core purpose of the group is the same: success for all, both professionally and personally. We discuss topics from every corner of the bank. We give product recommendations, vendor recommendations and solutions to problems. We celebrate wins.

Sometimes we laugh so hard it causes a scene. That’s the real reason our usual lunch spot seats us in the back. Emails from this group always get read, and they always get a response. The value of a good sounding board is priceless.

Peer groups aren’t new. They have been around forever because they work. What I know is connection is critical, and we need to emphasize those connection points now more than ever.

Don’t have a tribe already? The Future Leadership Division is simply a 400+ member peer group! FLD connection points afford the opportunity to interact with peers multiple times per year through virtual Coffee Club meetings, the Day at the Statehouse and the Leadership Conference. In addition, the IBA hosts several role-based forums, and it’s not too late to join in 2021.

Make an investment in yourself and start a peer group. Make an investment in somebody else and introduce them to a peer group. Special thanks to Randy Sizemore, First Federal Savings Bank, Huntington, for organizing our little band of bean counters.
 

This Month's Guest Writer

Emily Boardman
SVP & Chief Financial Officer
Crossroads Bank, Wabash
2021 FLD Advisory Board President