December, 2011

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It's a Wonderful Life

Jeff For Banks

'This 1946 Christmas classic is a story about the impact one man made on his family, his business, and his community. It goes beyond the fate of the Bailey Building and Loan. It teaches us to take stock of our lives, to be helpful instead of hurtful, and be thankful for what we have instead of stressed over what we don''t. But It''s a Wonderful Life is also a testament to the importance of community financial institutions (FIs).

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The 17 Fundamental Traits of Organizational Effectiveness

Jeff For Banks

'I recently read Harvard Business Review''s 10 Must Reads on Strategy and reviewed it in this blog. One of the "must reads" was The Secrets to Successful Strategy Execution by Gary Neilson, Karla Martin, and Elizabeth Powers from Booz & Co. I dedicated one blog post: naming it Common Sense to Successful Strategy Execution because I didn''t think it was a secret.

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Power to the People

Jeff For Banks

'I asked the head of commercial lending how best to turn the tide in business loan growth. His response: people. I asked the head of branches how to elevate the results from low performing branches. Response: people. I asked the head of an insurance subsidiary how he intends to improve margins. Again, it''s the people. My firm moderated a brainstorming session with a client on improving profitability in certain areas.