Many employees fall into the trap of thinking promotions are handed out like lunchmeats and cheeses at the deli counter. At the deli, you pick a number when you get there. All you have to do is stand around and wait, all the time deciding what you want. When it is finally your turn, you place your order and–presto –get exactly what you want. Unfortunately, those employees don’t fully realize what they truly need to do to succeed in today’s workforce.
I spent a year writing a book that offers employees tips to be successful in work as well as in life. Many employees are looking to make banking their career and relish opportunities for promotions and higher pay. While the drive for success is high, managers are finding their employees are not putting forth the proper effort needed to be prepared for promotion. In fairness to employees, many are not sure what steps they need to take in order to advance their career.
For starters, employees should look for a mentor to help prepare them for success. A mentor should be someone they can look up to and emulate, someone who is successful and well-liked. If the employee has a hard time finding a mentor in work, they can look for one in other aspects of life. In my book, Promotions Are Not Served at the Deli Counter, I offer a name for everyone to consider using as a role model: Batman.
While it may seem whimsical at first, Batman is a great mentor for new employees. He had a cause and a belief that drove him to develop skills to be productive. Lessons learned from watching Batman have provided us with five basic rules for becoming a successful employee:
1) It starts with hard work. Batman possesses no real superpowers. Instead, he relies on intellect, deductive reasoning and technology to succeed. These are all important traits to possess, and are traits which are developed and honed over time.
In the credit union, employees are promoted because they excel at different areas within their department. Many start at an entry-level position, such as a teller, with little prior knowledge of banking and work their way up through the ranks. Along the way they learn various important duties and responsibilities within their department. They attend training classes, read through procedure manuals and ask questions. They learn from their mistakes, and gain invaluable experience along the way.
2) You can’t survive with only one tool. One of the most famous features of Batman is his utility belt. His belt is equipped with every tool imaginable to get the job done. Batman knows not every perilous situation can be solved with a bat-a-rang or a bat-gripper. He needs to maintain a constant supply of tools in his belt to help him succeed at his job. Employees need to possess a wide assortment of tools to tackle the challenges and problems that come their way. Managers, who are authorizing promotions, expect their employees to possess tools such as basic skills (reading, writing and arithmetic), communication and listening skills, personal skills, such as cooperating with others and serving members, and problem solving abilities.
3) You need some help from your friends to win the fights. Batman could not be successful without the help of his sidekick, Robin, and loyal butler, Alfred. In the branch, tellers and MSRs must work together to meet branch goals. The branches must be able to work harmoniously with lending and mortgage departments to meet their goals as well. Regardless of their position, employees should develop a network of co-workers in various departments whom they can refer to for guidance and support.
4) You have to stay fresh and embrace change. Batman first appeared in comics in May 1939. In over 70 years through comics, television shows and movies, the Batman character evolved. The banking world changes, too. In the last few years banking regulations and NCUA assessments have drastically altered the way we operate. Add new technology, computer systems, products, services and increasing member expectations and change in the credit union is constant. An employee looking to advance must keep up with the changes to stay successful.
5) Be punctual. If Batman told Commissioner Gordon he was late because he got stuck behind a school bus, would he believe it? Credit union managers won’t believe it either. Managers need their employees, and they need them on time. This includes reporting to work, returning from breaks and completing assignments. If managers cannot depend on employees to be on time, then they may not be able to depend on them for other things either. If managers cannot depend on their employees, then those employees should not expect their “promotional number” to be pulled at the deli counter.
These are five rules anyone can implement in their work life. Employees who follow these rules will see themselves developed and promoted in their credit union career.
Michael Patterson has over 20 years experience in banking, including 11 as a trainer. He is currently AVP/training and development for TruMark Financial Credit Union, a 300-employee, $1.3 billion institution in Southeastern Pennsylvania. His training topics include leadership, coaching, employee retention and emotional intelligence. Patterson recently authored the book Promotions Are Not Served at the Deli Counter, a straight-forward, but light-hearted guide for employees to succeed at work.
