thirty minutes, then I don’t have to make the decision at least two other times during the day—
once in the morning at 6 a.m., and again at 11
p.m. when I’m setting the alarm clock. Nope, it’s
already a done deal, and it’s going to happen!
The same holds true for managing some of
our regular compliance tasks. If we make them
routine, we are not stuck using valuable energy
to make the decision of what to do, when it
should be done, and how to do it. As Mackenzie
puts it, “If we can turn something into a routine,
it becomes automatic, just a part of our daily existence like a morning shower or coffee. Routine
is stronger than just about any other impulse––
including desire––because it’s reinforced, rather
than undermined by inertia. Routine is our
default position; what we do when we’re not
distracted or diverted elsewhere.”
Sharpen the Saw.
I love how Stephen Covey, one of the most
influential business thinkers of all time, shares
his analogy of sharpening the saw. It is spot on
with how many of us manage our daily lives,
whipping through our to-do lists, shooting
emails furiously, and running from meeting to
meeting. As Covey puts it in his infamous The 7
Habits of Highly Effective People, if we don’t stop
to sharpen the saw, the dull blade will simply
not work as well as if we stopped to sharpen the
tool. We might think we are gaining ground,
and we certainly might in the short-term, by
avoiding taking precious time out to sharpen
the saw. However, the gain is only temporary. In
the long run the dull blade will create inefficien-cies and the end result will be more sawing with
less cutting. Take the challenge to sharpen the
saw. I double dare you take a week-long vacation without checking emails (gulp, I’m guilty of
checking). Sharpen your knowledge with training, and rest your mind with meditation. Or take
some much needed time to retool your policies,
procedures and systems. You wouldn’t go to a
sawing competition without a sharp blade, so
why would you face competition and regulatory
pressure without sharp compliance tools?
Going beyond the scope of mere manage-
ment, it is one thing to manage yourself and
others; it’s another thing to lead them. We man-
age things, systems, and processes; however,
we lead people. As the compliance role has in-
creased in importance and relevance, so must its
leaders. And the only way we will be able to lead
others authentically by example, is if we have
first managed ourselves appropriately.
We cannot lift or lead others beyond where
we ourselves stand. In other words, if I expect
my staff to consistently perform at a 10, it is an
absolute must that I perform at least at a 10. 5, if
not higher. This can be an even trickier task in
community banks, since in many instances we
are managing across different business lines, departments, and teams, with responsibilities arraying far beyond just the scope of compliance.
And this is all the more reason why we should
be taking a pulse and looking at ourselves in the
mirror. Take, for example, your set of wheels.
If something as simple as a car needs frequent
check-ups in the form of oil changes and tire
rotations every so many miles, certainly we as
human beings, with much greater complexity,
need a “gut check” at least as often––likely more
frequently and with deeper introspection.
Be engaged.
In a recently released book on the topic of productivity and profits, Jeremy Eden and Terri
Long assert in Low-Hanging Fruit, “For better or
worse, the things that leaders personally engage
in become the highest priorities for their teams.
There is no substitute for your personal leader-
ship to create focus and energy. Your team will
follow your example. Your motivational emails,
I’ve recently challenged my own team to
sharpen the saw periodically. They have been
given a paid half-day off, out of the office, to
engage in doing something to sharpen, and thus
empower themselves. In return, I’ve requested
they bring back one new idea to consider—
whether it’s a product enhancement, process
tweak, systems change, policy revision, or hey,
even a new boss (oh, how I really wish they
don’t submit that idea, though!). It’s a small
price to pay to have the team recharged and bet-
ter equipped to manage themselves. And who
knows, maybe that one new idea will cut costs
by 25%, increase turn times by 15%, or some
other creative concept that will help me man-
age––and more importantly, lead––the com-
pliance function. But of course, only after I’ve
already first managed myself. ■
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JEREMY GRAY, CRCM, is Vice
President, Loan Review/Lending
Compliance Officer at Rock Canyon
Bank. He is a Certified Regulatory
Compliance Manager (CRCM)
through ABA’s Institute of Certified Bankers, a
Certified Community Bank Compliance Officer
(CCBCO) through the Independent Community
Bankers of America, and is Credit Risk Certified
(CRC) through the Risk Management Association
(RMA). He currently serves as President of the
Central Utah RMA Chapter, is on RMA’s Chapter
Leaders Steering Committee, sits on ABA’s Open
Compliance Committee, ABA’s Mortgage Markets
Committee, and is Chairman of the Utah Bankers
Association Compliance Committee. Jeremy is also
an adjunct finance professor for a local university,
and holds an MBA degree from Regis University. He
can be reached at jeremy@rockcanyonbank.com.
We manage things,
systems, and
processes; however,
we lead people. As the
compliance role has
increased in importance
and relevance, so
must its leaders. And
the only way we will
be able to lead others
authentically by
example, is if we have
first managed ourselves
appropriately
