My first real job out of college was with a bank in South Carolina. As I look back in time on my career beginnings, I say to myself, “Crazy, huh?”
Yes, it was crazy; to be a business loan officer was my goal. The bank job was one I fought to obtain. I knew I was supposed to be a business loan officer and a leader. I was turned down initially and told to go back home and seek something else. I didn’t want anything else. I was stubborn. Eventually, they hired me. I’m guessing I wore them down.
As I went back home to pack up my few worldly possessions, I was both excited and fearful. What would happen when they realized I didn’t know squat. Yes, they would put me through a training program that would last a year. Yes, I took finance and accounting courses in college, but I didn’t understand any of it. I kept thinking to myself, “How was I going to succeed?”
Going back to where I would be living my new life, I just kept thinking, “I’ve never even made a loan before; I didn’t understand what a loan was or what it meant to the bank or a business owner. How am I ever going to prove myself worthy of this job?”
I started the year-long training program, and daily I was both excited and terrified, but I was here in this job, this position, and I was determined to be the best loan officer I could be. After the year of training, I received my new assignment. I was promoted to the position of branch manager and would be a real loan officer.
The day I received notice of my new assignment and promotion, I attended a bank party after hours. The senior lender of the bank, Terry Still, almost tackled me at the door. I had never personally met Terry and didn’t know how he knew who I was, but we both were in a bear hug. He pulled me aside and congratulated me on my promotion and graduating from the training program. He pulled me into a corner of the room and, in a quiet, soothing voice, said, “Look, you work here now. You’re part of a team of professional lenders that are the best in the state. You don’t have to prove yourself”.
I don’t have to prove myself? That’s all I’d been thinking about, and now I was being told it didn’t matter?
Before I could recover from my surprise, Terry leaned closer and looked me right in the eye, “You don’t have to prove yourself, but by God, every day, you had better IMPROVE yourself!”
“Every day strive to be a better loan officer, a better communicator, and a visual storyteller. And everything you learn, share it openly with the other loan officers. Improve and share; if you do that, you’ll do fine. If not, you won’t work here long.”
I’ve heard Terry’s words in my head so many times since that day at the bank party, “DON’T PROVE YOURSELF, IMPROVE YOURSELF!” What a gift!
How many countless hours do we waste trying to PROVE ourselves to others rather than spending those same hours IMPROVING ourselves? The shift from proving to improving is a simple yet profound shift in our attitude for how and why we do whatever it is we’re doing.
Proving comes from an attitude of scarcity and competition. Improving comes from the perspective of serving, abundance, and contribution.
DON’T PROVE, IMPROVE. Not just in the skills we learn but in our attitude to life. One more step on the road to Gratitude.
As a Guide to business owners, I can help you improve your skills in understanding and interpreting your business’s cash flow to help improve your operational effectiveness and increase profitability. Contact me at larry@larrytyler.biz for a free consultation or visit https://larrytyler.biz.