Why Premium Pricing Is a Leadership Decision—Not a Market Condition [VIDEO]
Most banks believe their market determines pricing. Discover why that belief destroys profitability—and how elite community banks command premium pricing instead.
Welcome to the Top 5 Percenter™ Blog
Strategic Planning Bottlenecks: Part One
It’s been around for decades. The old strategic planning model. You head to the retreat center. Wear khakis. Revise the mission statement until it reads “To be a leading provider of financial services in a four-county area with outstanding customer service, high-quality products, and above rate of return to our stakeholders.” THEN, after that useless exercise, you do the SWOT analysis and create the list of goals with deadlines.
Mission accomplished. Only one problem: it doesn’t work. And when it does, it doesn’t work nearly as well as it needs to work to have the breakthroughs that are necessary to stay miles ahead of your competitors.
What’s wrong? What are the bottlenecks stopping you from an easy-to-follow and implement strategic plan?
There are five key bottlenecks where banks seem to trip the most.
BOTTLENECK 1: No questioning of the questionable
It only takes one great idea to push you ahead into a league where you’re not competing on price and you’re attracting business “in the flow.” Unfortunately, maybe 1 out of every 200–300 bank exec teams will muster an idea like that.
Instead there will be a regurgitation of the old ideas with incremental improvements added on a rocky foundation. No new thinking, and no new results.
BOTTLENECK 2: No clear understanding of what REALLY drives shareholder value, and the best ways to get there
Humans are sometimes tempted to look for a “story” of what might work, versus following the rules of what always works.
There are some hard-and-fast “rules” of business that have a substantial predictability of success or failure (e.g., don’t water down your brand; your differentiation must be dramatically different, must matter to the customer and be stated as an overt benefit for it to justify higher pricing; healthy culture precedes sustainable profits).
There are rules of business that, when followed, work. When they are broken, they almost always create negative effects. Without knowledge of those rules, financial institutions can look smart by creating a plan that seems sound on paper, but because it violates irrefutable rules, disaster is hiding in the bushes.
Look for the last three strategic planning bottlenecks in next week’s blog post.
More From The Blog
The Real Reason Bank Mergers Fail (It Isn’t Your Strategic Plan)
Most merger failures aren’t caused by poor due diligence—they’re caused by poor execution. Discover what separates successful bank mergers from costly disappointments.
AI Won’t Replace Your Bank. Transactional Thinking Will.
AI isn’t coming—it’s already here. Discover why most bank roles are now obsolete, and what your team must become to survive.
The Power of Cross-Sales: How to Grow Relationships Without Being “Salesy”
Cross-sales aren’t about selling products. They’re about becoming a trusted advisor customers rely on for guidance, value, and long-term financial success.
Why Top-Performing Banks Never Delegate Culture
Many banks assign culture to committees and wonder why nothing changes. Discover why executive ownership is the key to sustainable culture transformation and top-tier performance.
Nice Doesn’t Pay the Bills: Why Culture Determines Profitability
Most banks focus on strategy. Elite banks focus on culture systems that produce profitable behavior. Discover why culture may be your biggest growth lever.
Halfway Is No Excuse: The Midyear Execution Test Every Bank Must Pass
Midyear is not the time for excuses. It is the diagnostic checkpoint where elite community banks assess what’s working, fix what’s not, and accelerate execution before year-end.
Stop Letting Pedestrian Thinking Run Your Bank’s Future [VIDEO]
Most banks are not suffering from a technology problem. They are suffering from a thinking problem. Roxanne Emmerich explains why second-order thinking is now essential for community bank executives preparing their teams for AI, change, and the next wave of performance pressure.
Turn Your Banky Award Into a Year-Round Growth Weapon
A Banky Award is more than recognition. Used correctly, it becomes third-party proof that helps your bank stand out, build trust, and become the obvious choice in your market.
Your Bank’s USP Is Either Indisputable—or Invisible
Most banks don’t need another branding exercise. They need a USP that prospects believe. Roxanne Emmerich explains how credibility, systems, awards, and proof points turn differentiation into a revenue-driving advantage.