Pub. 8 2020 Issue 1

www.uba.org 8 WHY YOU SHOULD SIGN UP FOR THE EMERGING BANK LEADERS MENTORING PROGRAM T he Emerging Bank Leaders Mentoring program is a great way to tap into the knowledge and experience of high performing bank leaders across our industry. Finding a mentor may be the most important invest- ment you make in your career and can help you develop your career path, address a specific situation you are need- ing help with, or increase your experience, education, and exposure. Through the Mentoring Program, participants also have the opportunity to be a Mentor to someone. Being a mentor can help your career. You’ll be challenged to stay at the top of your game to provide your mentee with the best advice. This will make you even better at what you do and a more valuable employee to your bank. When you share what you’ve learned and the mistakes you’ve made with an emerging banker, your organization will progress at a faster pace and with greater productivity. Ultimately serving as a mentor will likely also inspire fresh ideas as you learn from your mentee. If you are nearing the end of your career or are already retired, sharing your experience will help to keep you connected to the industry that you love. Our Emerging Bank Leaders Mentor Match program reflects our commitment to you and your professional development. This unique online networking and career development tool helps you find, connect and share experiences with others. Your mentor or mentee can be in the same city or on the other side of the state, allowing you to expand your network even more throughout the banking industry. “I enjoyed the time spent visiting with Rick Anderson about the banking industry. I am new to the industry and was unsure of certain parts of the financial industry. He educated me with his knowledge and helped me feel more comfort- able with my current employment and its future.” — Bart Cowley, loan officer, Utah Independent Bank “I have loved my experience with the mentoring program because I was able to connect with someone in a similar position to mine who had a similar transition into software leadership from a nonrelated field. We have been able to discuss the challenges of creating new roles, establishing best practices, and the people skills required to accomplish the transition successfully. Even though we have similar backgrounds and experience levels, we can learn from one another and make both banks more successful in a shorter period of time. This is the kind of connection that is much harder outside of the EBL. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the mentoring program and the EBL!” — Dave Forsyth, product manager, Software Products, EnerBankUSA "When I was facing a unique and critical challenge in my career I decided to reach out to a mentor with the EBL. I connected with a senior manager at another bank and learned that he had faced a similar challenge at a bank that he had previ- ously worked for. We were able to meet and discuss his approach to his challenge and it gave me a sounding board on how to resolve my chal- lenge. It was a great experience for me to not only connect with another banker in the industry and develop a deeper relationship but to also get practical, imme- diately implementable ideas to improve my daily job. My EBL mentoring experience has been a highlight of my year." — Bryan Halverson, operations manager, VP Business Banking Service Center, Zions Bank