I gave a keynote address today in Madison, Wisconsin for the Wisconsin Bankers Association. This particular keynote was called “Who Moved My Customers?”, and it highlights a growing issue that banks face of low in-branch visits. Basically, due to the rise of the virtual branch and mobility, fewer people “have” to go to a bank branch, so they don’t. But the bank’s real estate sits there, too big and too empty. My keynote basically explains how banks can turn these slower branches into strategic assets, and challenges conventional thinking.
After a keynote, people generally come by and say thanks, and I also frequently get something along the lines of “Great presentation!”. Always good to hear. But on this particular day, I received perhaps the greatest compliment I have ever received in over 2,500 presentations. A bank CEO came up and said to me, “Thanks for the presentation. You made me uncomfortable.” Now, I must admit, my first thought was, “Oh no, what did I do?”, thinking that he was complaining about the presentation! So I said, “How so?” and he said this: “I was sitting there all satisfied that our institution has been doing well and thinking that we were set for the future, and now your presentation informs me that we have serious strategic issues to address.”
As a speaker, any day you can stir even one person in the audience to challenge conventional thinking, and to consider alternatives not previously in their minds, is a very, very good day.
Who is challenging your conventional thinking?
Do you surround yourself with people who act and think only as you do?
Or are you open to having someone make you uncomfortable?