It’s 2012 and this year is absolutely flying by with my first placement fast coming to a close. I was recently been told that my next placement is in Group Executive Functions based in London. With my Customer Service role about to come to an end I guess it’s natural to look back reflect over my first six months with LBG.
First six/seven weeks:
I was in branch to develop a deep understanding of the who/what/how/why a branch works. The most valuable experience was being trained up to work on the Welcome Desk and going out in the banking hall, interacting with customers and dealing with enquiries.
2nd two months:
I moved to LDO (local director’s office, responsible for 17 branches), there I took responsibility for driving the customer service performance.
For my final few months:
I have been in RDO (regional director’s office, responsible for 10 LDO’s,164 branches and 1,561 colleagues) where I am the regional manager for Immediate Deposit Machine rollout in Yorkshire & East Coast. This launch is a national priority across the entire network and has been a really fast paced, exciting experience. On top of that I also manage the headcount for the region ensuring that by end of year our headcount cost matches our budget. And finally I am jointly responsible for all the Olympic related work that takes place within the region.
Looking back it has been a very structured and complementary role progression, taking me from branch through to regional office.
But things in life are rarely run so smooth; recently I got a call from HR asking would I be interested in taking a role supporting a Network Director on a high priority confidential project starting the very next day. I jumped at the chance and after talking with my line manager we both agreed it was an amazing opportunity. While this new project that has proven to be an extremely beneficial experience, it was also important to me that I try and maintain my existing role to the best of my abilities. I had made a commitment to my placement and didn’t feel it was right to shrug off those responsibilities just because a shiny new project came along. By being flexible and keeping all communication lines open I was able to come to an agreement to the benefit of everyone.
Top tip: BE FLEXIBILE
Being flexible about your location, work hours, work load and abilities can open you up to great opportunities. By pushing yourself you can really add value to your own development as well as to the business.