Independent Banker - August 2022 - 5

FLOURISH
" By focusing on the problems
we're trying to solve and how those
solutions will benefit our customers,
we can separate timely initiatives
from those that can wait. "
Rebeca Romero Rainey
President and CEO, ICBA
he road ahead feels uncertain.
Between growing inflation and
fluctuating interest rates, the future
may seem more clouded than ever,
leaving us to ponder, " Where's the
crystal ball when you need it? "
Yet, it doesn't require clairvoyance
to chart our path ahead; we can rely
on our history and our experiences
to map the course. For hundreds
of years, community banks have
stood strong, adapting to market
changes and evolving to serve our
communities. Through industry highs
and lows, community banks have
risen on a foundation of relationship
banking and thoughtful preparation.
Market shifts mean we must come
back to those basics today, focusing
on our strengths. What sets us apart?
How can we best demonstrate our
commitment to our communities in
the products and services we offer?
Examining our strategic initiatives
through this lens will help ensure we
aren't simply reacting to a sense of
urgency but proactively preparing for
what lies ahead.
And we wouldn't be community
banks if we didn't approach our
business from a customer-first
mentality. Fortunately, we have access
T
to tools that enable data to tell our
success stories. We have information
on customer preferences, behaviors
and needs, which, in turn, allows us to
make strategic decisions about how to
prioritize our efforts and get success
stories out into the mainstream.
But with everything in life, we
can't do it all. We need to prioritize
as we enter budget discussions. Our
banks, customers and communities
will benefit when we align objectives
with the potential solutions or
opportunities that are going to make
the most impact. By focusing on the
problems we're trying to solve and
how those solutions will benefit our
customers, we can separate timely
initiatives from those that can wait.
As you read this month's budget
issue, we hope you uncover ICBA
resources to support you in your
planning. From courses with
Community Banker University to
ThinkTECH initiatives to Bancard's
Payments Strategy Guide and the
ICBA Tell Your Story Marketing and
Communications toolkit, we strive to
help you address this post-pandemic
society of instant gratification and
digital transformation in a thoughtful,
strategic manner.
It's no surprise that uncertain times
lie ahead, but I can confidently say
that community banks will continue
to thrive with ICBA by their side. I
don't need a crystal ball to tell me
that, though, because as they say, the
best predictor of the future is past
behavior, and for community banks,
our steadfast history bears repeating
for the customers and communities
that continue to depend on us.
Connect with Rebeca @romerorainey
Where I'll be this month
Like you, I'll be kicking off our budget processes at ICBA, and
with that spirit of fresh opportunities in mind, I'll be dropping
my oldest daughter off at college, and my youngest will be
starting high school.
independentbanker.org Q 5
Photo by Chris Williams
http://www.independentbanker.org
Independent Banker - August 2022

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