Independent Banker - November 2023 - 27

Next: Why anticipation is more than planning ahead 
them additional clarity about
career paths. "
Utsey adds that with a solid
foundation of recruitment and
retention, mentorship programs can:
¡ Inform succession planning by
reinforcing the engagement and
commitment of employees
¡ Cultivate networking and
connections, both inside
and outside the bank in the
communities they serve
¡ Foster employee growth-for
both mentors and mentees.
While mentees can deepen their
leadership skills, mentors should
also see opportunities for growth,
development and diversity of
thought for themselves
¡ Reinforce the formal training
employees are getting with
the bank
¡ Give management an opportunity
to get to know their staff better,
understand where skill gaps are
and create a plan to bridge those
skill gaps
¡ Offer a better customer experience
with fulfilled, consistent
employees, leading to customer
loyalty and increased profitability
Set your community bank
up for mentoring success
Before setting out to establish a
mentorship program at your bank,
it's important to understand the
difference between managing
and mentoring.
According to Utsey, " [While] there
is a part of coaching that comes with
management-and managers do give
suggestions and recommendations on
how their employees could do things
differently or approach a situation
to get a different outcome-a
mentorship relationship comes
without performance expectations. "
There are three main pillars of a
successful mentorship program:
1. Connection. Listen to and
understand what an employee's
needs are, then find them the best
mentor match. Utsey's colleague
Lindsay LaNore, senior executive
vice president and chief learning
and experience officer for ICBA,
says, " The bank has to commit to
being a connector and facilitator
of that relationship, allowing the
mentor and mentee to flourish and
build a lasting relationship. "
2. Commitment. A mentor should
be supportive and willing to put in
the time to help the mentee, who
needs to be an active participant
in their own career growth
and development. " Where the
breakdown happens is when the
commitment and promises are not
met, " says LaNore.
3. Outcomes. If you have a
mutual understanding of what
the outcomes are-whether it's
learning specific skills or getting
exposure to other areas of the
bank-you can measure the
" If we are going to
find true authenticity,
it's about meeting
people where they're
at on their leadership
journey. Our belief
system is that everyone
is a leader, no matter
their title or position. "
-ANGIE WOOLRIDGE,
THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK
IN SIOUX FALLS
success of the mentorship program
against those goals.
Mentoring doesn't have to be
by the book
Often, a prescriptive approach to
leadership doesn't fit. As FNBSF has
demonstrated, your bank doesn't have
to subscribe to the traditional idea
of a formal mentorship program to
be successful.
For example, instead of a yearlong
program, perhaps you offer " flash
mentoring, " a one-time meeting
or short-term connection between
mentor and mentee.
Another option is to create a
mentorship program focused on a
specific group of people, such as high
school students interested in a career
in community banking or employees
with disabilities looking to move into
leadership positions. " I don't think
banks have to approach a mentorship
program in the traditional way that
we think of mentorship programs, "
says LaNore. " I encourage them to
think outside the box. "
Once you decide on the mentoring
philosophy that will best suit your
bank, begin building it with the end
in mind. " Know what you want the
end result to look like and figure out
the steps you're going to take to get
there, " says Woolridge.
Then, give yourself the flexibility
to tweak the program as it develops.
" Maybe as you get into it, you
recognize this isn't quite what you
thought it was going to be, or it's
not having the intended effect, "
says Jessica Kippes, performance
development and management for
FNBSF. " Allow yourself to pivot where
necessary and say, 'OK, is this really
what we were hoping for, or is it time
to revamp? Let's look at what our end
goal is and how we can get there.' "
Taylor Hugo is a writer in Colorado.
independentbanker.org // 27
http://www.independentbanker.org
Independent Banker - November 2023

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