As we move into the last quarter of 2015, many people have begun to set their sights on ramping up for 2016. When planning, there is often a focus solely on one critical question: what is the plan? However, many…
Author: Jon Burkhart
Hiring Beyond the Qualifications
In just four short weeks, we’ll be moving into the last calendar quarter of 2015. It’s a time for reflection on the year, but also a time of preparation for 2016 — setting a new budget and, often, beginning to…
Embracing Change
Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with a commercial lending executive in Oklahoma City who made a very keen observation about the banking industry: “If there’s anything constant in banking, it’s change.” It gave me pause, as I couldn’t…
Decisions, Decisions (and Asking the Right Questions)
Recently, we’ve seen an abundance of employers looking for candidates even more candidates looking for a new opportunity. This is the ideal environment, right? Well, yes and no. If you’re a candidate, this is an ideal market. For employers, however,…
Who Will Pick Up The Mantle When You Retire?
“We are on the precipice of the greatest retirement crisis in the world.” This famous rallying cry from Forbes in 2013 has come to define many aspects of retirement for Baby Boomers. This could also be the mantra for what…
Your February 2015 First Friday Preview from Jon Burkhart
How is Your Team’s New Year So Far? In 2013, Forbes.com research indicated just 8% of people achieve their New Year’s Resolutions. For many of us, January saw the start and finish of a few resolutions. While we often hear…
How to Ensure Your Team Has a Banner 2015
The last month of the last quarter in 2014. For some, that thought triggers major anxiety and the need to scramble to make their team productive. For others, this is a time to focus on building a pipeline to make…
Sticky Customers, Stronger Revenue: The Importance of Selling Ancillary Services
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of speaking with a top executive with one of the largest national banks in the US. The insight he provided echoed everything I’ve been hearing from many bankers in every part of the U.S. As…
No Longer the Only Bank in Town
In the third quarter, we saw banking become an increasingly customer-driven market. Some may argue that it has always been customer-driven, but it’s more evident these days that your bank is far from the only one in town, with an…
Revenue Is Key
This month, I had a very insightful conversation with a commercial lending team lead in North Carolina. When asked about the state of his business, his response was, “We are like every other community bank right now — expenses are…