Independent Banker - January 2022 - 7

FROM THE TOP
" Let's rediscover what it means to be
community bankers. Let's exercise our
nimble natures to exceed customer
expectations. Because as community
bankers, it's what we do. "
Robert M. Fisher
Chairman, ICBA
Robert Fisher is president, CEO
and chairman of Tioga State Bank
in Spencer, N.Y.
imble. That just may be
community bankers' word of
the year. Because during this time of
continuous change, our agile natures
are the key to our continued success.
As we enter 2022, we are balancing
low margins, high wages, too much
liquidity and a lack of loan demand,
and we have our work cut out for us.
But by releasing rigidity and giving
our banks the space to adapt to the
environment, we will unleash new
opportunities.
N
have business models as diverse as
the communities we serve, so there's
no silver bullet to answer all of our
needs. That's where thoughtful
planning comes into play. We need to
evaluate how we performed against
our plans last year. Where did we
meet our budget? Where did we fall
short? Why? We need to ask ourselves
how that previous plan stood up and
where there were innovative ideas
that were put on the back burner due
to COVID-19 or other factors. Then,
local market and economic trends
can guide us in creating the right new
products and services.
Considering our communities'
needs is critical to our success as well
as theirs. Beyond supporting our
own bottom lines, taking the time to
align resources and vision enables
us to continue empowering our
communities.
My Top Three
ICBA helps
For example, fintech partnerships
may allow us to offer services in ways
we've not considered previously.
Mergers and acquisitions in our
markets may lead to opportunities
to draw in new customers. Flush
customer accounts may enable us to
position wealth management services.
Emerging options like cryptocurrency
may warrant strategic consideration.
The beauty is that opportunity is
not one size fits all. Community banks
community banks
in many ways, but here
are the three I plan to take
advantage of this year:
1. ThinkTECH Accelerator
cohorts
2. ICBA LIVE networking
3. ICBA Securities'
investment options
And while in today's environment
this may seem like a particularly
daunting task, ICBA offers resources
that can help. For instance, the
ThinkTECH Accelerator brings to
market the fintech solutions that will
allow us to better serve our customers.
ICBA Securities can help us find
sound investment opportunities
to keep our money working. ICBA
Bancard can support us in keeping
pace with evolving payments trends.
And Community Banker University
provides needed education to stay on
top of our changing landscape.
There's no doubt 2022 will be a
tough one, but with great challenge
comes great opportunity. So, let's set
our missions to excel amid difficulty.
Let's rediscover what it means to be
community bankers. Let's exercise our
nimble natures to exceed customer
expectations. Because as community
bankers, it's what we do. 
Connect with Robert @RobertMFisher
independentbanker.org Q 7
Photo by Heather Esposito
http://www.independentbanker.org
Independent Banker - January 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Independent Banker - January 2022
