Independent Banker - May 2021 - 7

FROM THE TOP
" Culture is more than just
how bank staff interact with
one another; it's about how
we convey who we are to
our customers. "
Robert M. Fisher
Chairman, ICBA
clarify our tactical focus around our
mission for that week.
Robert Fisher is president, CEO
and chairman of Tioga State Bank
in Spencer, N.Y.
hen it comes to the impact of
culture on an organization,
business visionary Peter Drucker
sums it up best: " Culture eats strategy
for breakfast. "
Culture sets the tone for everything
in an organization, and research
backs this up. Studies point to the
correlation between positive culture
and performance: Companies with
strong cultures are more likely to
report high revenue growth and
retain employees, among countless
other benefits.
But what constitutes strong
culture? As leaders, we need to instill
a common sense of purpose for our
staff-not just at the 30,000-foot
level, but in day-to-day operations,
too. It ensures we are all rowing in
the same direction. For example,
my community bank holds a weekly
all-staff huddle where we run through
upcoming activities and spotlight an
area of the organization. It helps us
W
That type of open information
exchange creates an environment
where innovation flourishes. We
encourage our staff to offer ideas and
suggestions to improve processes-
many of which are put into practice.
For instance, one of our core
values is " care for our community. "
A member of our team pointed out
that to truly live that value, we should
offer employees time off to volunteer.
Now we provide a full day of volunteer
time, in addition to paid time off, to
support our staff and reinforce our
My Top Three
No matter how
strong your culture,
it can always
improve. With that in mind,
here are my top three
workplace culture reads:
1. Good to Great
by Jim Collins
2. The Culture Code
by Daniel Coyle
3. Start with Why
by Simon Sinek
Connect with Robert @RobertMFisher
core values as an organization.
But culture is more than just how
bank staff interact with one another;
it's about how we convey who we
are to our customers. Everything
we do rounds back to supporting
our customers and community,
but to do that well, we must have
teams that buy into our mission. If
you treat your employees like you
want your customers to be treated,
everyone wins.
While these points set the tone for a
strong culture, every bank is different,
and we can learn from one another's
successes. So, as we read this
month's issue on the best-performing
community banks, let's take a
minute to look beyond the metrics
and consider the drivers behind
them. How are these banks creating
environments where their teams look
forward to coming to work? How can
we leverage their stories to strengthen
our banks' cultures and better serve
our communities?
Because at the end of the day, we are
all relationship bankers, and our bank
cultures serve as our foundation. Let's
do the work to make sure they reflect
who we are and where we want to go. 
independentbanker.org Q 7
Photo by Heather Esposito
http://www.independentbanker.org
Independent Banker - May 2021

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