Part 1:  The Importance of Relationships

GS:

How important have relationships been to your success?

EW:

The vast majority of my success was and is due to relationships, mostly relationships with my bosses.  I have never had a bad boss.  I learned fairly early on how to work with my bosses.  That is something I try to work at.

My first boss here was a retired army sergeant.  He had served 20 years in the army and was the head teller.  We got along terrifically.  I did my job, I volunteered for stuff and I stayed late after work.  I learned how to observe my bosses and how they interacted with people.  Then I tried to get them to manage me in a way that was good for me.  I have been very successful with that, even through today.

The kind of relationships you have with your bosses is important.  You have to ask yourself:  Is it comfortable?  Is it based on mutual trust and respect?  

The other relationships that I developed have also been where people felt that they could trust me, and I am somewhat convinced of that because of what they have shared with me.  They know that I am dependable, reliable, and that they can call on me if they need me in any way.

GS:

You mentioned that you worked with your managers in a way that was good for you.  What do you mean? 

EW:

I don’t need anyone watching over me.  I will do whatever it is that you have asked me to.  If you give me something to be completed in 14 days, you can expect that in 12 to 13 days it will be done.  It will also be done in a way in which you will be pleased with.  Some people need daily interaction, I don’t.  I don’t want it.  It bugs the hell out of me.

People at the bank developed a confidence in my judgment.  They trust my judgment, my level of integrity, and that I will do the right thing for all concerned.  They know I will protect the interests of the bank and make sure that customers are handled responsibly.

GS:

How have outside activities impacted your career?

EW:

I started volunteering when I was just out of the teller area.  It is a big part of what I am known for here at the bank and I would attribute a lot of my success to this.  You want people to know how good you are and what you can do, but you don’t want to have to sit there and tell people.  You can’t do that.  You have no credibility.  But if you are a part of something outside of the bank, and you know that other people are coming back talking to your boss about the terrific job you’re doing, it just goes a long, long, long way.

Inside the bank or outside the bank, having other people carry your water for you is so much more effective.  If you have people coming back and saying to your managers that you did a great job, it just works wonders.  But it takes work.

I am on nine boards outside of the bank, having been on as many as 12 at one time.  I serve on the Art Institute Board, the Adler Planetarium Board, and on the board of Neighborhood Housing Services, a board I have been on for over 28 years.  Each board that I’ve been on has served a particular purpose.

GS:

How did you get on that first Board?

EW:

My first major board was the Adler Planetarium.  Our chairman at that time was retiring and he split the boards up that he was on.  I was introduced to people on that board and one thing led to another and I was invited to join the board.  Each board has been a referral.  The Art Institute Board was through referral.  I was working on a subcommittee, ended up chairing that subcommittee, and then I was asked to join the board.  Now, I have been asked to work on a nominating committee to pick other people for the board.

Part 2:  The Importance of Mentors

GS:

Did you have mentors?

EW:

Well, I didn’t have people that I thought I could go to and talk.  There were no Blacks ahead of me in the bank.  It wasn’t something that even occurred to me – to go to someone and seek guidance.  But my bosses were always very supportive.  They were pointing me in the right direction.  They pushed me.  They made opportunities available to me.  While I didn’t have what you would call a mentor, I had bosses that were very supportive and maybe they were mentoring me and I didn’t know it.  I didn’t know what the concept was at the time, but it worked.

When I talk with people, I tell them that one thing that can help them is to understand what your boss is trying to accomplish and to help your boss achieve that.  If your boss does well, more than likely, you’re going to do well.  So it’s your job to help your boss do a good job.  I’ve always felt that it’s part of my job to help my boss cover his back.  For a boss to know that there are people that are part of a team - in an appropriate way, not compromising themselves, behaving in an inappropriate way, or stepping on the backs of other people – is so important.

Often, your boss will then start coming to you and telling you what he or she is thinking about doing and trying to get your reaction.  You then end up being an advisor to your boss.  This has been the case for me at the bank for the past 20 years.  “Here’s an organizational change we are thinking about, here’s a neighborhood we are thinking about expanding into, here’s a government related item we are thinking about.  What do you believe to be pitfalls?”  - these are the kinds of matters that people seek you out for.

GS:

Have you mentored people at Harris Bank?

EW:

Over the years, I have worked with close to 300 people, mostly on an informal basis.  We have also had formal mentoring programs here at the bank.  I have worked with all types of people in my role as a mentor.

I have also been very involved with the formation of several affinity groups here at Harris.  The Black Resource Group dates back to the 1980s.  About six or seven years ago, I pulled together a group of the Hispanics employees and suggested that they spend more time together.  From that, LPA or Latino Professionals in Action was formed, and they are doing great things.  Three years ago, I worked with a group of Asian staff.  That took longer because they were very reticent to come together as a group.  They are called AACE - Asian American Coalition of Employees. 

GS:

How would you suggest that people, particularly those in early stages of their careers, find a mentor?

EW:

I think, if possible, one should think about having several mentors.  A lot of people look for mentors that are compatible with them, and that’s important.  If you are a mother and you are trying to find a senior woman in the organization that has raised kids and has been down the path of working in commercial and retail banking, that’s fine.  But I think that one should also look at who is doing well in the organization but is an opposite.  You can learn so much more from someone who is not like you versus what you can learn from someone who has walked the same footsteps as you.

Someone who is opposite of you is noticing things about you, things you have said or done that would never occur to you - positive and negative - things that could impact your career.  If you are an African American working with some guy from the North Shore, he is noticing your dress, your diction, your table manners, and other things that someone from the same high school as you may not have noticed – because they, more than likely, are doing the same things.   Those are things that you really want to know – what am I doing that’s sending signals to people that may be causing problems.

When choosing a mentor there are a lot of things to think about.  You should be able to get along, and to gel, but it does not have to be someone that is senior to you.  I have served as a mentor to many people, including corporate directors.

GS:

How important is it for mentees to “drive” the process?

EW:

Mentees have got to seek me out.  If someone calls to make an appointment, I always find time to get together.  But they have to manage the process.  I am not volunteering much, other than my time.  You’ve got to come in here knowing what you want because I will tell you in a minute – "It’s your career and you’ve got to take responsibility for it."  I may share some things with you that I have experienced, but you’re going to do it and you’ve got to know what you’re going to do.  It’s your career and you’re going to have to be the one willing to run it.

GS:

Are there other things that mentees should consider?

EW:

For many of the people that I mentor, there is a victim mentality.  It is very debilitating and self-destructive when you take on the “victim,” the “woe is me,” or the “it’s because I’m Black” roles.  It may actually be what’s going on, but if that’s your cop out, you are never going to succeed.  No matter where you go or what greener pasture you’re looking for, you are going to end up right back there.  That’s your Catch-22.  So I think having a winning attitude and projecting a winning attitude is so important.  If you feel that you are a victim, someone is surely going to make you the victim of something.

I had a young fellow who was sitting here just ten days ago.  He was his own worse enemy.  He blamed management for not putting him in client contact situations, but he had put himself into the position that he was in.  He had made his bosses afraid by starting almost every conversation with “I know, I’m going to offend some people with what I’m about to say” or “I know, I’m outspoken – I speak my mind.”  People were simply worried about him embarrassing the bank, but no one had ever told him that.

GS:

Ed, what would you like to say to young professionals? 

EW:

It relates to the importance of fitting in.  You have to understand the culture of organizations.  It’s not that you are going to co-op yourself, or become less than the man or woman you think you are, but you are not going to change the organization – at least not in the first couple of years.  You may be able to create change over a period of time, but you’ve got to make sure that you fit in the organization and understand it.  You can’t be an outlier or an oddball, not yet.  You’ve got to put that aside.  Young people today have to learn how to stick it out.