Memorial Day is a great summer kick-off celebration for so many families. And rightfully so…June is just around the corner, the kids are finishing up school and the weather is perfect for cookouts. But it’s also more than that.
With its origins in the postbellum landscape of 1860s America, Memorial Day started as a way to remember fallen soldiers and decorate graves with flowers. It’s still a day of remembrance in the modern age.
When you link the cookouts to remembrance, summer festivities become recognitions of sacrifice and freedom. Without that link, you miss the deeper point and risk the holiday becoming trite.
The same thing happens at your community financial institution. Daily procedures and even long-term goals transform into “going through the motions” when disconnected from your North Star.
But how does this happen? And how can you link behaviors back to your guiding bank or credit union vision once again?
You might not notice the change. It occurs so slowly you tend to miss it. But one day you look up and say, “what happened to our once great culture?”
There was probably a communication breakdown somewhere along the way. Initiatives stopped being important because leaders stopped overcommunicating their importance. Employees didn’t understand their place in your plan. You stop referencing your vision.
Labor force changes contribute too. Turnover occurs and new people think this is just another job, not something with greater meaning. Or maybe the new “Big Stay” trend encourages quiet quitters to collect a paycheck for minimal effort.
Then, there’s burnout. Constant conversion cycles and big projects wear out teams. And frustrated people question the reason behind their work.
Disconnection from your bank or credit union vision is a slow burn, but there are ways to fight the fire.
A successful bank or credit union vision requires consistent engagement with employees from the beginning. You need to tell them your vision and why it matters.
You want new hires to say, “this place is different.” And yes, you want to scare away people who aren’t ok with your bank or credit union vision. So, make onboarding about more than teaching employees how to open accounts or conduct transactions. Instruct new employees about your brand and emphasize how living the brand vision is a mandatory part of your culture.
Then, don’t let up! Constantly retrain your team on the vision and how its critical to success. Storytelling is one great way to continuously link vision to action.
Any great story has stakes.
And your community bank or credit union vision needs stakes too. You are part of a story with heroes, villains, good outcomes and negative consequences. But people don’t recognize this reality automatically. You must tell them!
As Steve Jobs said, “The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values and agenda of an entire generation that is to come.”
As a leader, you must set that agenda day in and day out. What are you fighting for? Remind your team. Then remind them again. It will be a constant battle but one worth fighting to keep the story alive.
Do you need guidance on your bank or credit union vision? On The Mark Strategies can help. Book a free consultation to craft a vision that enhances you culture and makes an impact on your community.
