Every part of your community bank or credit union workflow is important…but it doesn’t feel that way. Some functions get more credit than others. Some talents are dismissed as time-wasting tactics.
By far, the most neglected part of your workflow is at the very beginning.
And the “beginning” doesn’t mean when someone tosses an idea onto the table. There are questions you need to ask even before an idea appears. Questions like:
- What problems should we solve?
- Where is there greater opportunity?
- Should we explore new strategies?
- Are we even doing the right things?
That last question is especially worth asking. Local financial institutions too often explain their actions with “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” If you never ask the right question, you might continue doing things one way forever…even if it’s wrong.
Patrick Lencioni’s Working Genius Model calls this strength for asking high-in-the-sky questions “Wonder.” Let’s learn a bit more about Wonder and how reintroducing it into your community bank or credit union workflow will help you make good decisions.
Productive Daydreaming
Someone with the genius of Wonder seems like a head-in-the-clouds daydreamer. They’re a thinker, and they often take a while to stew on an issue. That means they’re unlikely to produce answers quickly.
It’s far more likely they’ll ask a lot of questions, instead.
These qualities can annoy team members, especially those who enjoy a faster pace. Wonderers may even feel guilty about their predisposition to “daydream.” But they shouldn’t.
The genius of Wonder allows your team to discover truly important threats and opportunities. Imaginative thinking uncovers growth avenues few others found, and these teammates are usually some of the best strategic thinkers in your community bank or credit union workflow.
Produce Better Ideas
All their intense questioning allows Wonderers to exert a positive influence on the next step of your community bank or credit union workflow: invention.
Inventive people are constantly developing ideas and solutions to your institution’s problems. It comes naturally to them. But taking the time to step backwards and examine larger questions doesn’t.
Give Wonder geniuses a seat at the table, and their questions will drive Inventors to generate better ideas.
Here are some examples:
- Asking “How many people will want this?” -> ensures ideas target the right groups
- Asking “Is there anything similar out there?” -> ensures ideas are original or well-tested
- Asking “What happens after launch?” -> ensures long-term effectiveness of ideas
Continued Analysis
For a Wonderer, the thinking never stops. And that’s a good thing!
Anyone with this strength will continue analyzing and asking questions, preparing you for the next idea you’ll need. You may also want a Wonder teammate evaluating your strategic plan. Doing this will help you stay big picture, especially when speedy teammates further down the community bank or credit union workflow get buried in minutiae.
The financial industry is full of numbers and nose-to-the-grindstone tasks…tasks that frequently occupy your daily workload. Many times, your team feels satisfied by simply “getting things done.”
But is it work worth doing? Is it impactful? You need a Wonderer to ask these questions.
So remember: daydreaming isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Take a moment to stick your head in the clouds. To think. And if you can’t, find a teammate who can.
If you want to understand more about the Wonder genius (or the other five geniuses), book a free consultation with On The Mark Strategies to discuss a Working Genius Productivity Assessment. Make the most of your workflow today.
