A favorite issue I've spoken with bank leaders about over the past couple of decades is finding a balance between micromanaging branch activities and encouraging bankers to use their creativity and personalities to enhance customer experiences.
I'll concede that these might seem like broad parameters, but in practical terms, they are sensible. Some things warrant micromanagement, while many don't. The term "micromanaging" often carries a universally negative connotation.
It's typically used to depict overbearing managers who obsess over details, sapping the joy out of the workplace. I often pose a question to groups: "Who here wants to work for a micromanager?" Predictably, no hands go up.
Then, I follow up with, "Alright, who among you hopes that the pilot flying your plane, the surgeon about to operate on you or the individual managing your investments is a micromanager?"
Hands always go up, and chuckles fill the room. I then observe, "So, we don't think we want to work for a micromanager, but we certainly appreciate one when we're dealing with important stuff, don't we?"
Again, I'll concede that this might be an overgeneralization. When many of us think of a micromanager, we imagine someone who frequently "gets in the way" over relatively trivial matters.
There's a distinction between having attention to detail and becoming an obstacle to those trying to do their jobs effectively.
A recommendation I've often made to leaders is to keep the list of "nonnegotiables" they give employees as short as practical. This makes some uncomfortable. However, I am not suggesting that team members should be left totally on their own to determine what's important and what's not in their daily tasks.
My point is that we should insist on — and manage for — near machinelike uniformity and execution of tasks, policies and decisions that are critically and/or legally essential.
However, we should also allow and encourage branch teams to be creative and personal in shaping the customer experience within the branch environment.
My fascination with the subject began decades ago when I started collaborating with banks to enhance both their marketing campaigns and customer service ratings within their branches.
Almost invariably, branches that received guidance — but also had some latitude to be inventive and tailor their environments — outperformed those that simply followed the "take whatever marketing provides and just slap it up" strategy, or the "just recite the sales script" approach.
When some inevitably worry about what would happen if frontline folks were given too much freedom, I reminded them that these people are trusted with access to the vault.
So, a table display or decoration or two may not be an existential risk.
I've had several senior managers insist over the years that a uniform branch experience is critical, because customers want to know what to expect whenever they walk into one of their branches.
Putting aside the fact that its likely only a small percentage of your customers physically visit more than one of your branches in a year, the idea that uniformity guarantees better customer experiences is dubious.
I would go so far as to say that some of the least-engaged branch personnel I've encountered over many years were found in institutions with some of the more rigid edicts concerning every customer experience factor imaginable.
Georgia United Credit Union is collaborating with the income-verification fintech Argyle to combat submissions of false documents and other crimes.
Overmanaged teams tend to disengage, failing to take true ownership of their branch experiences. Instead, they merely "check the boxes" of assigned tasks. They may stick to the script but are either unprepared or unwilling to improvise when the situation calls for it.
Top performers — in fields ranging from business to sports, music, emergency medicine and teaching — excel at improvisation. They possess the training, confidence and talent to adapt to diverse scenarios and deliver superior results.
When we prioritize training and support for teams to meet the nonnegotiable, micromanaged aspects of a branch, they tend to become more at ease in adding their personal touch and facilitating productive, open-ended conversations.
Another benefit I've observed is that empowered bankers in branches often create "learning laboratories." Great ideas and even improved sales and service practices often emerge from individuals who are given the freedom to innovate.
These ideas and processes are almost always applicable elsewhere and can be shared with peers.
Empowerment and trust — paired with guidance — cultivate innovation and drive higher employee engagement and superior branch experiences for customers.
Find the right balance and you'll find happier, higher performing teams.
