Pub. 1 2012 Issue 8

14 l e a d i n g a d v o c a t e f o r t h e b a n k i n g i n d u s t r y i n k a n s a s DRIVING CULTURE CHANGE FOR SURVIVAL AND PROFITABILITY T HROUGHOUT THE TIDAL WAVES OF CHANGE that have rocked banking, one of the few constants remains: The need to survive by transforming a traditionally deliber- ate culture into a dynamic, customer-focused one. Driving culture change is a high-wire act; this step-by-step process helps you attack culture change in bite-size, measurable acts. “Corporate culture” is how an organization expects its people to think and act. That word – ACT – is the key. You may not be able to change how people think. But to remake culture, you can and you MUST change how they ACT. Executives must collaborate with HR to change employeeACTION, or behavior. Each step might cause only a small change, but they combine to create a much more powerful effect on behavior. The six steps are: • Communicating to employees about what’s ahead • Identifying expectations for employees • Creating/revising job descriptions based on new expectations • Training managers and employees in skills required • Engaging in “hands-on” management • Rewarding and reinforcing those who meet the new expectations COMMUNICATE TO MOTIVATE The first step in motivating employees to adopt changes in their work environment is to communicate to all employees why changes are needed and how they will contribute to the company’s and their own continued success. Leaders must consistently communicate industry and company issues, the urgency of culture change, and the results if no change occurs – using all-hands meetings, internal resources, supervisor discussions or a combination of tactics. Ideally, this isn’t a “one-and- done” presentation, but an ongoing dialogue. Leonard Wolfe, president of United Bank and Trust in Marysville, takes a hands-on approach: “The most important thing we do is to make sure all employees are well-informed if the bank makes changes to our expectations or market focus. This is done personally by me using meet- ings in the branches, making sure to visit with every employee.” IDENTIFY EXPECTATIONS CLEARLY Within the broader company direction, managers can identify specific skills employees need to be successful, such as listening and product knowledge. These new expectations supplement current job responsibili- ties, reflecting employees increasingly called on to deliver broad product knowledge and marketing/sales skills. “We need to be able to address whatever our customer’s needs are, from commercial lending to treasury services to trust and investments. Nor can we afford to passively wait on customers to walk in the door,” says Sunflower Bank Wichita market president Jim Faith. “Successful banks will be the ones with employees who are multi-talented and flex - ible, with the ability to sell.” PUT EXPECTATIONS IN WRITING Once new expectations are defined, employees’ job descriptions should be updated reflecting those expectations in specific, measurable ways. In writing job descriptions, describe desired employee behaviors, rather than employee characteristics. “Greeting customers by name” is a behavior; “being customer-oriented” is a characteristic. An easy way to differentiate between the two: A behavior can be seen or heard (greet- ing customers by name), while a characteristic cannot. TRAIN FOR SUCCESS Next, banks must prepare employees to succeed by training them to meet those expectations. Online seminars, presentations, coaching, and rewards for participation can all help train specific behaviors. Amix of different approaches works best to reach a diverse audience. Like communicating about the company’s desired culture change, training is an ongoing project, as customers, banks, and the industry evolve. Mark Schifferdecker, Girard National Bank president and CEO, com - bines online and KBAtraining: “Our bank utilizes the BAI Online Training system. Every employee is assigned a training plan of 8-14 courses a year they must complete to be eligible for a year-end bonus. We also take Teresa Bengtson and Derrick Nielsen