Tons of information was shared among bankers, and it was very gratifying to see this comradery among competitors.


various citywide and county ordinances concerning COVID-19 for a particular location. Both staff and customers adjusted to performing tasks in a new way as more business was conducted through the drive- thrus than normal.


What lessons did you learn? Technology enabled staff to work remotely from home, and we are more flexible than we think. We would have never known this if wasn’t for the pandemic.


What changes do you foresee moving forward? More may work remotely outside the bank, and there may be fewer brick-and- mortar buildings. Customers like to see their bankers, especially in smaller markets, so there will always be a need for bankers.


What lessons would you share with future leaders? Flexibility is key to taking care of customers and keeping staff operating in a somewhat normal basis. Take each day as it comes; there are different challenges every day.


Greg Smith President and CEO, 1st Advantage Bank, St. Peters


How did COVID-19 affect the bank? With any bad experiences or events, there can be silver linings. For Smith, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the banking industry to study how to run their operations outside the bank, from a technology perspective and, from a business standpoint, opened the door to streamline


operations. It also provided a more work-life balance for the bank’s 18 employees, who had great flexibility to work from home. Smith credits his team with quickly transitioning to working remotely, noting that morale is good.


Although the drive-thru is open and bankers are meeting with customers by appointment only, Smith is hopeful that 1st Advantage Bank can reopen its lobby this spring so things can return to normalcy in some fashion. Tis includes visiting customers in their community.


How would you handle challenges differently? Te “what ifs” are explored in tabletop exercises during exams. Staff always talk about


these scenarios, but you may not truly be prepared for what can happen. No one thought something like a pandemic could happen. Look at all the real-life scenarios and plan what to do if something were to happen. Tis includes your hardware; IT was looking for laptops to buy during the pandemic so staff could work from home.


What changes do you foresee moving forward? Allowing more flexibility in operations so people can work from home will attract more individuals to the banking industry because of an enhanced work environment. Working remotely pushed employees out of their comfort zones, but they overcame challenges they never thought they could. Expanding our social media to include videos and blogs presents more opportunities to communicate with our customers.


What lessons would you share with future leaders? We took for granted that nothing like this would happen. Plan for the worst and be prepared because you don’t know what could happen next. Have a valid plan so you are not scrambling trying to figure things out on the go. Maintain a sense of calmness. Great people are your asset. If you hire good people, you can get through anything. You can’t over communicate. Touch base with everyone every day. It’s important for CEOs and upper management to stay in touch with the troops so no one feels isolated.


THE MISSOURI BANKER 19


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32