I've recently had the opportunity to travel across various regions of the country, visiting a few dozen branches for a bank team I've known for over two decades.
These visits allowed me to spend time "on the ground," engaging with managers, bankers and, frequently, customers.
These were not "
While I respect the value of mystery shops in certain contexts, I've found that far too often, they can create as much resentment among bankers as they yield meaningful insights for management.
My visits were unscheduled, meaning I met whoever happened to be there at the time.
Sometimes I met with managers. Other times I spent time with their teams. These were not "gotcha" visits, but genuine opportunities to observe, listen and exchange ideas with
I was reminded again and again of something I've told bank leaders for decades: The most valuable insights for successfully running your business often come from the people who already work for you.
When I say that, many leaders assume I'm referring to the most seasoned and/or successful members of their teams. And yes, there's a great deal to be learned from having top performers share what they do and how they do it.
But there's also much to be learned from the employee who's
The team member approaching their first anniversary often brings a different and valuable perspective compared to someone who's been on the job for over a decade.
The person who joins a branch or department that has recently struggled will have an entirely different experience than someone who joins a seemingly well-oiled machine.
I often joke with senior managers that it's ironic how many of us only have deep discussions about work when we interview employees before they are hired, at a time when they know absolutely nothing about the company or its operations.
Learning how someone handled problems or faced challenges in a previous role is valuable. It is also useful to understand which aspects of their past jobs they enjoyed and which they did not.
Bank professionals largely agree that the customer experience shapes the way work is performed within their organization. However, there are some issues that get in the way of a customer-centric approach.
I'd suggest that discovering that type of information from folks currently on our teams is exponentially more beneficial.
For one, current employees can speak about challenges they're facing right now, not hypothetical or past scenarios. That context is relevant and often actionable for improving your operations.
These folks also have firsthand knowledge of your specific systems, culture and customers. Their feedback is now tailored to your environment, not based on assumptions or comparisons.
With just a little encouragement, I consistently find that teams in the field readily share honest reflections that can serve as an early alert for potential problems. Mind you, these are not "gripe sessions," but genuine conversations about what people are thinking.
As a great bonus, asking current team members what they enjoy or find frustrating sends a clear signal that leadership values their input. In my experience, it is not necessarily difficult tasks that discourage solid team members. It is feeling unheard, unseen or unappreciated.
Beyond that, unlike job candidates, your current team includes individuals at every stage of tenure and experience. Their diverse insights can help identify patterns or gaps that might otherwise go unnoticed until they lead to negative consequences.
While formal feedback tools have their place, nothing is quite as effective as personal conversations for truly understanding how people feel and think.
Even if certain circumstances or policies can't be changed, being heard is powerful. And when change isn't possible, taking the time to explain why things are the way they are still matters.
People are much more capable of accepting what is happening when they understand why it's happening.
Beyond that, the simple act of a leader being present in the field can communicate as much as any words. Few things reinforce the value of an employee, a team or their work more than the physical presence and undivided attention of leaders they rarely interact with.
And as often as not, leaders walk away just as energized and inspired as the teams they visit.
The most valuable insights often aren't found in formal reports. They live with the people doing the work every day.
Even in today's digital world, few things inspire trust, spark ideas and strengthen teams more than leaders showing up, listening and engaging in real conversations on the ground.
