Iked

When our corporate office was severely damaged two years ago by Hurricane Ike, we assumed that our temporary office arrangement, co-located with a Banking Center and Commercial Banking team, would be short-term.  A number of factors caused this temporary situation to last for 2 years. 

Though we were severely space constrained, a number of positives emerged. Of course the banker and customer relationships that resulted are #1.  And by being able to directly and consistently interact with retail and commercial bankers on a daily basis, we developed a deeper understanding of the joys and challenges they face.  Because meeting rooms were limited, we utilized previously under-utilized spaces.  The rut was also broken for standard venues for out-of-office breakfasts and lunches, as our Houston geography moved from 610/290 to Westheimer and the Beltway.  Oddly enough, I also realized a timing benefit.  The past 2 years are the first in my long career when an in-office end time became important.  When the Banking Center drive-through closed at 6:00 p.m., I knew I had a maximum of 20 minutes before the security system would be set. 

Change is always disruptive. When we accept change and look for silver linings, we're often rewarded in unexpected ways.