Pub. 5 2016 Issue 3

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 12 T HE 2016 TRI-STATE Leadership & Human Resource Conference was held at the InterContinental Hotel in Kansas City, MO. This conference is a joint effort among the Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska bankers associations. KBA Chairman Bob Leftwich opened the conference with a statement on goal setting, managing people and associating with successful people. AmyK. Hutchens was a punch of energy in her keynote presentation that focused on how “life, leadership and relationships are guided by the words you say and the things you do.” She noted that life and leadership happen one conversation at a time and she provided tools for practical application. Much of her program was centered on activities that taught key skills in conversations such as how to ask questions that will engage others in a way to make them think. Then she took it further to demonstrate how to engage them to come up with the best solution rather than just venting. This very interactive session included multiple group and partner activities that allowed participants to practice what they were learning. She discussed what makes a great leader, great team and great client/customer relationship. They worked on what the parameters are for a great decision and how to have a team meeting that is more than a “download data dump.” A team meeting requires face-to-face thinking and problem solving rather than just reporting. AmyK led an activ ity around the 3 D’s of leadership: discuss, debate and decide. The activities taught participants how to have a discussion with planned questions to guide the conversation with pros and cons, in front of leadership. This promotes thought and good decisions. They then moved into real world issues and ideas on how to get to a solution by having volunteers provide a high level issue and in teams of 10 they used the tools to find the best solution. Tools to frame what you need and questions to help you have a critical conversation was the next topic and road mapping for goals was the final activity. AmyK demonstrated that whether it’s a tool to help you or a tool to help someone else, they are question based. Pete Smith gave a presentation, “It Starts with You – Building Stronger Organizations by Building Stronger People.” Following his basic premise that great organizations are created by great people, Pete explained that if you do three things well you will be significant. The first thing is based on identity. Identify your organization. Imagine how different your pitch would be if you didn’t describe your bank by asset size but rather by what you want to be known for. You should hire based on your identity. Identity trumps feelings when the team buys into it. You invite people to be part of something bigger than themselves in this process. The second thing you should do well is maintain the significance of the seemingly insignificant. An example he gave was a building with a broken window that isn’t repaired. The impression others get is that no one is paying attention or cares. If that broken window isn’t repaired then others will be broken and then graffiti, etc. At work, unaddressed issues may have the same impact. The third thing you need to do well is to see what others don’t see. Significant leadership involves looking at things from a panoramic perspective. Look at the changing landscape and help change your perspective on people. People can rise to meet their own expectations. You can help establish their expectations when you expect more from them. See your staff as people and not just those who fill positions. Becky McCrary is a story teller and led attendees through examples of how to get things from people by understanding who they are. She had many funny stories about her sisters and life experiences they have encountered. She drove home her philosophy that when you want something done you need to win people over to your way of thinking by ensuring there is something in it for them and allowing them to do what they do best. The conference included multiple concurrent sessions: “Kicks, Keeps and Karats,” by Pete Smith, “Getting a Grip on Change,” by Becky McCrary, “Human Resources and Seven Rules for Management,” by Karen Shannon. The next Tri-State Leadership and Human Resource Conference will be at the DoubleTree Hotel in Overland Park on March 28-29, 2017. Pictured left to right are Andrew Krab, Adams Bank & Trust, Ogallala, NE and Tonya Fuchs, Merit Bank, Overland Park, KS. KBA Chairman Bob Leftwich opened the conference with some points on leadership. TRI-STATE LEADERSHIP & HUMAN RESOURCE CONFERENCE