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the door was always open for employees, customers, and communitymembers.Is that still doable? Roundtable bankers differed significantlyin their policies and preferences.“I don’t have a door,” says Founders Bank’s Beard, “so thecommitment is pretty sincere on my part.” But this isn’t justan accident of architecture. Beard explains that when the bankbegan 21 years ago, this attitude was part of the culture thefounders intended would set it apart from competitors.“That’s part of being a community banker,” agrees Bentley.“It does throw a wrench in things at times, but I feel that it’spart of my job. I want to be accessible to customers.”“There are times when I have to shut my door to focus onsomething or to take a conference call, but other than thatI’ll usually be fairly open and accessible,” says United Bank’sEdwards. “Now, internally, most of the time you learn prettyquickly who is going to come to you with real issues, and whomay be worrying you to death and complaining. You need todeal with that, and not let that happen.”But Edwards wants to be in touch with what’s going on, and“you need to have that kind of accessibility, and you can’t dothat on a tight schedule—at least I haven’t figured out how.”“This isn’t Wall Street—this is community banking,” saysFunk.Farmers and Merchant State Bank’s Siebenmorgen believesin accessibility, but finds the best way to grant it, and yet controlhis time, involves a two-part approach.First, he says, remember that “it’s hard to hit a movingtarget. So I try to walk around the bank and get through everydepartment, every day I’m in the bank.” He starts his day onfoot, coffee in hand, unless he has a morning meeting. This ismore efficient than having “someone coming into your office,sitting down, and wasting 20 minutes of your time [on preliminaries].If you walk around, you can answer many questionsquickly.”Others also are big believers in what consultant Tom Peterscalls “management by walking around,” but Siebenmorgengoes a step further back at his desk.He insists that those who want to see him personally makean appointment. “People don’t go for a haircut without an appointment,”says Siebenmorgen, “so why do barbers’ schedulescommand more respect than ours do as bankers?” Reprinted by permission from the February 2013 issue of ABA Banking Journal, copyright2013 by the American Bankers AssociaonARIZONA BANKER Spring 2013 15