There have been many times when employees' families have had health issues or needs and both ownership and management stepped up and took extraordinary steps to take care of them. " Γ6BH9 =B;AFBA @<6J7FG 43A> z z z z z says. " Other employees see that happening and know that's how we do business. " As an employer, Midwest Bank encourages its employees to volunteer in and give back to their local communities. Bachman says the community bank itself is also active in the areas it serves. Working together, the bank and its employees help various charitable and community causes achieve their goals. Take Midwest Bank's Employee Jean Fund, for example. Associates are free to get comfortable and wear jeans on Friday, but they have to pay for the privilege. The money collected is placed in a fund and then distributed to various community foundations, organizations and nonprofi ts. 5ecd_]Sbc PS^SŮ d d__ Johnson says the bank's customers also benefi t when employees have the autonomy they need to be able to make good decisions and work as a team to achieve business goals. They also readily accept responsibility and take personal accountability for their actions. This corporate culture has a positive eff ect on customer service. " Our employees know they can make decisions on the spot that are benefi cial to our clients and keep the bank's business interest in mind, " Johnson says. He also notes that employees use their best judgment to contribute to and partake in the community bank's success. " They don't have to always knock on management's door and ask, 'Can I do this?' " he adds. " They have quite a bit of latitude and authority to be able to make decisions. " Bridget McCrea is a writer in Florida. independentbanker.org Q 43http://www.independentbanker.org