Pub. 10 2019 Issue 4

www.wvbankers.org 14 West Virginia Banker Continuing Education: A Great Investment B enjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” Those of us who hold positions of leadership in the bank- ing industry are products of the educa- tion system for bankers. Someone made an investment in our future by sending us to a state association school, an American Bankers Association school, or a graduate school of banking. Today’s young banker is asking you to make that same investment in them. Every survey about what motivates our young banking leaders has personal and professional development at or near the top of priorities. These surveys list the following priorities: • Personal and professional develop- ment. • Compensation. • Flex time and PTO. • Added responsibility opportunities and professional challenges. • Recognition and respect. • Enjoyable environment, co-workers and experiences. Because a major problem in business today is attracting and retaining talent, we must focus on all these priorities. The list is not long, but it is very compli- cated and intensive. So, today’s article will only focus on the personal and professional development points. First, let’s put ourselves into the shoes of the young banker. When we hit our 20s, it seems like we have spent our entire lives in a classroom. We slowly transitioned from grade school to high school then finally to college or a graduate program. For over 16 years, we have been educational sponges, absorbing information from classes, lectures, and seminars on dozens of diverse topics. We took so many classes, which at the time seemed meaningless and boring. Depending on our personal inter- ests, we were less than stimulated by English Literature, Geology, Calculus or Economics. We believed these courses could never be applied to everyday life. Were you thrilled when you finished that last college paper? By John Jordan, GSBLSU