Independent Banker - January 2021 - 22

PORTFOLIO LEADERSHIP AT ALL LEVELS
this is a good time to rethink how
to approach communication in
this environment.
 Teamwork. Are they working
with others and supporting
team goals? Are they welcoming
team opportunities versus just
singular action?
 Culture. Are they acting in
the spirit of the organization?
Is their behavior modeling
the standards set out in your
community bank's mission?
Perpetual connection
By Lindsay LaNore, ICBA
T
he beginning of a new year is
a perfect time for leaders to
refl ect on how they connect with their
employees throughout the year.
In Independent Banker's 2020
Best Community Banks to Work For
survey, community bankers weighed
in on what attracts an employee to
an employer. Two popular responses
were effective communication and
the potential for advancement.
It's very clear that employees
crave constructive feedback from
their managers and that they
are looking for opportunities for
professional development. Instead
of only addressing these issues
during required performance
evaluations, make a plan to connect
and keep connecting.
Whether you set up periodic
meetings or touch base informally,
these connections are valuable time
between the employer and employee.
They're an opportunity to review
current projects, the employee's
role and upcoming priorities, but
they're also a chance to learn about
each other, strengthen the manageremployee
relationship and focus on
professional development.
So, how can leaders incorporate this
conversation throughout the year?
It starts with making time and
using it well. If you have an hour for
a meeting, develop a baseline agenda
for it. Cover the essentials, then leave
roughly 15 minutes for feedback and
career discussion, covering some of
the following topics:
 Attendance and commitment.
This goes beyond employee
timeliness. How present are
they? Do they take a focused
interest in achieving desired
results for the bank?
 Communication. Is it clear,
concise, timely and appropriate
to the audience? Recognizing
that communication is everything
from written and verbal to
nonverbal is important. If
remote working has become
commonplace for your teams,
 Time management. With
priorities changing frequently
and a nimble nature becoming
mandatory, is their use of time
growing and evolving?
 Innovation. Are they willing
to think creatively and beyond
tradition? How do they explore
new opportunities and raise
the bar?
 Learning. Are they open
to learning new skills? Do
they approach work with a
positive attitude?
It should go without saying, but
honesty throughout this process is a
must. Be clear that you are open to
questions. Sometimes just making the
invitation is enough of an opening for
your team member to get to the areas
of feedback they are looking for.
It falls upon leaders to ensure they
give appropriate time to this feedback
loop throughout the year, so commit
to continuing the process by setting up
regular times to meet. Connecting with
your team is critical to their overall
success, and, ultimately, happier
employees lead to greater results. 
Lindsay LaNore (lindsay.lanore@
icba.org) is group executive vice
president and chief learning and
experience off icer
22 Q ICBA Independent Banker Q January 2021
Independent Banker - January 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Independent Banker - January 2021
