Ms. Elkin is also very active in the Spokane community and supports many regional non-profit organizations. She is currently on the boards of Greater Spokane Inc., the Inland Northwest Chapter of Boy Scouts of America, Leadership Spokane, Spokane County United Way, the Spokane Symphony and The Spokane Club. In addition, Ms. Elkin is dedicated to the success of Mobius Kids and previously served as the president of the board of directors for Mobius Spokane and the Children's Museum of Spokane.
In the lecture she presented on the banking industry, Ms. Elkin provided essential advice for the students ranging from general to individual tips for success. She covered important employee characteristics to have in the banking industry. One key piece of advice was not to get discouraged when you are turned down. For example, failing to get a job or position does not mean you should give up and stop trying to reach your goal. There could be a better opportunity for you down the road. It is also beneficial to know the value of life learning and professional training. Companies who forgo long-term investment training for short term profits are more likely to deal with deterioration in the expertise and skills of their employees. Her last general tip for success was the importance of having realistic expectations of who you will be working with and for. Knowing how to manage the people around you is essential to maintaining a supportive and productive work environment, because you will not always agree with everyone.
Ms. Elkin recommended developing the following employee characteristics for success in the banking industry:
- Demonstrate optimism at all times.
- Treat others (especially clients) how you would want to be treated. "The Golden Rule".
- Assume total responsibility for all communications.
- Own the entire interaction with clients from start to finish.
- Find a way to say yes.
- Exhibit a collegial spirit, empathy, and unity.
- Anticipate and accomodate the clients' needs.
- Elevate the client experience in usual and unusual ways.
To conclude her presentation, she gave the class 7 tips for individual success:
- Maintain the right level of anxiety for youself.
- One needs to find the perfect balance of stress in life. You do not want too much stress to the point where you shut down and cannot function, but you do not want so little as to not motivate you to strive for excellence.
- Walk towards your fear to get to the opportunity on the other side.
- If you avoid your fears in life then you will not experience growth as an individual which can limit you from achieving your fullest potential.
- Reach the acceptance phase of grief faster than the people you lead.
- When you are in a position of leadership it is your job to set the example for those under you who look to you for guidance. Therefore, if something does not go as planned or there is a setback, you must be the first to accept what happened and lead your team to find a solution.
- Learn the art of balancing shortfalls ( of time, people, and money).
- For anyone in a managerial role, especially small business owners, learning how to manage the different areas of your life is critical. If you can learn how to juggle these things, you will raise your image and improve your working relationships with your peers, clients, and other companies. This balance will ultimately lead to a more successful career.
- Manage your boss, get along with your peers, and lead your people.
- The key to being successful in the workplace is to learn how to "lift your boss up". You want to make sure that they know they have your support. The return on that support will benefit you. Never try to manage your peers. Make them your work friends and learn to cooperate with one another, and if you are in a leaderchip role lead them as opposed to ordering them. This allows for a more productive working relationship.
- Worry about your boss's boss's problems and you won't have any problems.
- If you take the time to think about what your boss's boss's problems are and work to meet those expectations then you will be ensuring that you are doing everything in your power to make their jobs easier.
- Crack the code on extraordinary hiring.
- Hiring is an important part of any business and people are meant for jobs that fit their skill set. Hiring an employee whose skillset matches the job description is the key to productivity. The right training combined with good hiring practices will be a long term investment to your company.
- Student Contributors: Jonathan Palmrose, Idris Lasisi
