Today I am sharing an extract from my book MY LIFE AS A BANKER.
In the picture, I am standing at the extreme right with the Managing Director of the Bank and my Assistant at a customer party.
The large cake was baked by the owner of a popular bakery in South Trinidad - Master Baker.
"While in Los Angeles on vacation, I dreamt that I received a transfer to another branch.
Upon my return to work in early August, I received a call from the Managing Director’s Assistant who requested that I visit him at the Head Office.
When I went to see him, I was sure he would tell me about a transfer to another branch. I had no writing paper or notepad with me.
He congratulated me on my accomplishments at the Penal sub-branch and confirmed its upgrading, but said he would withhold for a later date.
He explained that he required my expertise in another area.
The Bank was seeking to set up the first Corporate Division to deal with large commercial accounts.
They wanted the first such division in the South.
He had already decided on the staffing for the division.
He had already told the Senior Corporate Manager and the Corporate Manager of their new appointments.
They were proceeding on vacation and would not be available to give me any help until the date scheduled to open the division in September.
My new job would be Senior Credit Analyst, of the Division.
He wanted me to do all the groundwork to make sure that the division could throw open its doors in September.
He advised me of the names of the other staff members and said none of them could leave their current duties until the opening of the division.
It was my full responsibility to ensure that the Division was ready for opening on the scheduled date.
Without handing me a sheet of paper to take notes, he opened a large file and related further details of how he expected the division to operate.
I was stunned that he was giving me such an awesome assignment to complete in such a limited time.
This was early August and he wanted the Division to be set up and running on 6th September.
While I was astounded that he placed such confidence in me, I questioned myself.
Can I do this?
He asked if I had questions.
I was in a daze and could think of none.
That situation was such a new one and he caught me unawares.
He shook my hands, wished me the best of luck, and told me to hand over the sub-branch to the new Manager before starting the project.
As I drove back to the South after that meeting, I realized that my dream had come true.
Thoughts crowded my mind.
How was I going to handle this assignment on my own?
Was this a test?
Should I have told the M.D.’s Assistant I could not do it in that short time?
Suppose I failed?
Worse yet, I had taken no notes and had to rely on my memory.
I once again prayed to God for his aid.
I was not the kind of person who gave up easily.
My motto was and still is, Never give up. Reach for the sky.
When I returned to the branch, I advised the staff of my transfer and new assignment.
They were sorry that I had to go.
The sub-branch had accomplished a great deal under my management and they felt it was too soon for me to leave.
The new Manager reported to the branch as scheduled and I handed over to her.
The Manager’s Assistant, Administration organized a lovely farewell party for me.
They gave me an unusual tall ceramic vase for my home as a parting gift.
I appreciated the kind gesture.
CORPORATE DIVISION
When I went home, I worked out a plan as to how to proceed with my new assignment.
I reported to the High Street Branch the next day to plan and execute my strategies.
It was another challenge in my career and I was going to accomplish that feat.
I was not going to fail.
It was necessary for me to identify the accounts and request the files of the corporate customers from every branch in South.
That meant meeting with all South Managers at their branches to go through the files.
I met with them, exchanged discussions, did the paperwork, and obtained the files.
I designed the systems and procedures for dealing with the customers and their accounts and prepared a Handbook.
With the permission of the manager, I worked in the kitchen of the Pointe a Pierre branch because I had no office.
I also had to supervise the construction of the building.
The building, which was to house the new Corporate Division in Pointe a Pierre, was still under construction late in August.
The Premises Manager in Head Office ordered the furniture from an office furniture store in Port of Spain.
To my surprise, the owner of the office furniture store was my friend, Sylvia, who had travelled with me to New York, Canada, London, and Germany.
She had left the bank after the trip and opened her own business.
We had lost contact with each other because of our busy schedules.
Sylvia had exquisite taste and she ensured that the furniture matched the decor.
On the day that the Corporate Manager took up his assignment at the Division, the furniture arrived and Sylvia came to help to arrange them.
When I showed the Corporate Manager the work I did on the systems and procedures, he complimented me on a job well done.
When the Senior Corporate Manager turned up for work, he commented that the Division looked as if it always existed.
He too complimented me on the Handbook I prepared and the customer files I selected from the branches.
The next day when the other staff members reported for duty I again received kudos.
The secretaries had desks and materials to work with, and the other analysts found their workspace well laid out.
They were happy to work in an office where everything was in place.
The biggest test was when we threw open the doors to the customers and everything worked smoothly.
The Managing Director’s Assistant came to visit the Corporate Division one month after we opened to the public.
He was impressed and told me I did an excellent job and he would bear that in mind.
In October, my dear mother passed away.
All the family missed Saturday evenings we spent at her home.
We all gathered at her home every Saturday without fail.
She never wanted us to leave without having dinner.
Her helper prepared the meal.
Many bank staff attended her funeral.
I had lost both of my parents.
I threw my energies into my work to rid myself of a deep sense of loss.
As we had a small staff in the Division, we became a close-knit unit.
On special occasions, we each took a dish and had a hearty lunch together.
We invited the bank's attorneys to join us sometimes since we had a close association with them.
They handled mortgages, debentures, releases, and other legal matters for the bank’s clients.
We had fun while we worked and I recall those days with pleasure.
The Corporate Division South was a great success and the Bank decided to open a North office.
The Managing Director’s Assistant sent a staff member, who worked in one of the north branches to learn from me the various procedures for establishing the North Division.
She got the job of Senior Credit Analyst when the North Division opened."
The Managing Director's Assistant was promoted to the Managing Director of the Bank.
[He is in the picture above]
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