Keystone bank ranks top among inclusive, innovative financial service firms

As part of efforts aimed at cultivating fresh ideas and bolder thinking, Keystone Bank recognised the need to develop a culture of stronger inclusiveness and innovation.

To this end, the bank is embarking on a management development programme, that seeks to train senior team members across the organisation on how to build stronger bonds of empathy with their teams and customers, as well as how to become more receptive to new ways of thinking.

The payoff for the bank is in the delivery of better customer service and improved market offerings, a greater emphasis on customers’ varied challenges and goals when designing products; increased employee agility.

Speaking on the development, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of The Listening School, Mrs. Ebele Chukwujama, said, “The average person remembers between 25 per cent and 50 per cent of what he or she hears, according to most studies. That means that when you talk to your boss, your colleagues or customers, they are likely to retain less than half of the conversation. It’s not so much that we have poor memories, rather, it’s that most of us simply don’t listen well. To compound matters, the diversity of our workforce only makes listening more difficult. Therefore, by cultivating exemplary listening concepts, mindsets, and behaviour, organisations can transform themselves into customer-focused innovation pacesetters.

Effective Listening behaviour creates a flywheel effect of value, helping companies develop a self-sustaining innovation and inclusiveness culture that spreads organically throughout their organisations.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Keystone Bank Limited, Mr. Olaniran Olayinka, also spoke on the initiative saying, “Listening Intelligence is a major catalyst in talent attraction, building resilient teams and serving the customers. Listening Intelligence for Leaders and Teams provides clear concepts of listening to activate inclusive organisational behaviour, inclusive decision making and services targeted at customers’ needs.”

A member of the Senior Management Team at the bank acknowledged in her takeaway from the training, “When we listen from our own perspectives, that means we’re not listening at all. Understanding the type of listener our audience is and acknowledging it in our communications is key to allowing others to feel heard and committed to performance.

The Listening School partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important communication and leadership challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. The Listening School is the pioneer facilitators of Listening Intelligence in Africa as a Leadership Strategy. Today, they work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholders, empowering organisations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive social impact through Effective Listening Strategies.

The firm wants to continue to help organisations create a more inclusive workplace and a culture where people feel comfortable and confident to do their best at work. It wants to remain very conscious about adding value to corporate organisations, focusing on advocating listening Intelligence as part of its leadership strategy.