If you knew what the very top-performing banks knew, could you become a top-performing bank?

I think there’s a strong possibility.

In banking, there are some secrets that many of the top-performing banks hold close to their chest because they don’t want you to know exactly what they do.

One of the areas where they keep secrets is in how they do strategic planning.

Quite frankly, most banks have terrible strategic planning processes.

They have CPA firms and people who have never really run successful banks that were in the top 5% of peers, attempting to show them how to put together a strategic plan. What they get instead is a list of goals.

Things aren’t coherent, and they’re completely void of any strategies.

Not only that, one of the key elements that is usually missing from strategic planning for banks is the cohesiveness, alignment, and commitment to the outcomes that get created for the executive team, which is one of the most important and beneficial aspects of having a strategic plan.

In addition, the traditional approach of how bank strategic planning is being done — having a one-year and five-year plan, doesn’t work in such a volatile world.

Look back at the last 18 months… did you ever expect the world to be where it is right now?

Of course not.

It has been volatile and changing. This is going to be, in many cases, the new norm of how things are and will continue to shift constantly.

That means your strategic planning process must shift as well.

Otherwise, you will be one of those banks that has the distinct honor of having someone else’s name on your door.

When the last community bank leaves a community, the same thing always happens: The “brain drain” occurs in that town and the small businesses begin to crumble.

A community bank is essential for the success of its community. It’s a bigger game you’re playing. This is not just about your salary or your success as an executive.

This is about your community.

Get serious about doing strategic planning right. Ultimately, the question is, “can you afford not to?”

I hope to see you at the Elite Strategic Planning Fundamentals MasterClass on September 2^nd, where I show you what’s new, what’s different, and how it works.

See you there with your entire executive team and even some of your board members as well.

Until then…

– Roxanne Emmerich