September 21, 2020

Pandemic offers lessons, encouragement in adapting to a new normal 

September 21, 2020 | Jim Rine, President & CEO of UMB Bank

Since March, I’ve been able to step back and analyze where we — and other companies — have the opportunity to make proactive shifts to positively impact our associates, customers and business operations during this challenging time. While there are many, a few that stand out to me include adjusting our workforce, adapting our service and business development models, and shifting our culture to meet today’s reality. 

Adjusting our workforce
In mid-March, as many Americans started working from home, most companies had to reevaluate their workforce. This included how their finance department operated, how essential in-office employees would continue to work and how those who needed to work remotely could do so. During this time, many companies found inefficiencies in operations and ways to improve what was long-considered normal operating procedures. 

I’ll be honest, before the Covid-19 pandemic, I wasn’t a big believer in working from home. In banking, so much of our success is based on the relationships we build with our customers, prospects, communities and with each other. I struggled with the idea that any of this could be done from home, even with the technology that exists today. 

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