3 Ways Your Branch Manager Should Be Supporting Your Career

Most branch managers will tell you that building a great team of loan originators is never easy. It’s not just about skill set. It’s about finding players with the right fit. A great team plays to its strengths when it has what it needs and knows what it wants. It’s the branch manager’s responsibility to meet those needs and know what each individual wants.

To do this successfully, a branch manager must do more than motivate and inspire. He or she must support you in your career and help you achieve your true potential.

How can they do this? Here are three main ways.

1. Your branch manager should be helping you leverage your strengths.

Identifying and utilizing an individual’s unique talents and skills is a key part of the branch manager’s job. They should provide opportunities to encourage and exhibit your individual strengths and motivate using constructive criticism and praise whenever possible. They understand that individual recognition is key to building personal and professional confidence. They let you know when you’ve done well and share your success story with the team to illustrate the concrete value individual contributors bring to the team and the company.

2. Your branch manager should be guiding you toward a path for career development that also accommodates your personal priorities.

A successful branch manager knows no one wants a job when they can have a career. They build a relationship with you, understand your personal and professional aspirations, and acknowledge milestone events in your life — engagements, weddings, births, etc. They know where every member of their team sees themselves in three to five years and works hard to get them there.

3. Your branch manager should be enabling you to do work you enjoy.

A successful branch manager appreciates the fact that you spend a third or more of your life at work. They know the office should be a place you want to — not have to — go. They ensure individual workspaces are comfortable, well-maintained, and well-lit. They provide additional meeting space where you and others on the team can brainstorm and collaborate. They assist you by removing obstacles across the organization and make sure each of you has the marketing and technical tools you need to succeed. Your branch manager should provide an environment that encourages creativity and fun while maintaining the appropriate level of professionalism.

The Bottom Line

A great branch manager knows that a successful team is built on trust and shared commitment. He or she recognizes that a certain amount of competition is necessary and that every member of the team is accountable when it comes to delivering desired results. Ultimately, every LO needs a leader who’s supportive of their individual goals, is clear about their expectations, and who recognizes and rewards those who meet or exceed their goals.