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training methods and measuring the success of training programs in
Chapter 7.
SunTrust Banks, based in Atlanta, operates the eighth-largest U.S.
bank. It also has several subsidiaries offering other financial
services such as mortgage banking, insurance, and
Investment management. The bank serves customers in Florida,
Georgia, Maryland, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and
the District of Columbia. As the banking industry struggled to
recover from the recent financial crisis and recession (and new
regulations) that followed, SunTrust’s management decided that the
key to the company’s future lay with fully engaging employees in
serving customers. That approach is consistent with the company’s
mission of “helping people and institutions prosper.”
SunTrust began to restructure its banking business in accordance
with three guiding principles: (1) operating as a single team; (2)
putting clients first; and (3) focusing on profitable growth. This
principle-driven approach to growth requires managers who know
how to foster employees’ commitment to their work and their
clients. To that end, SunTrust has made it a priority to develop
managers’ leadership skills. First-line managers receive training in
how to coach and lead others. Middle managers work with mentors
on their leadership skills. Upper level managers use assessments by
peers, subordinates, and others to identify areas for growth and,
with coaching, develop leadership skills taught during a three-week
training program. SunTrust also selects its top 3,500 managers to
receive training in employee engagement. For training aimed at
emotions to be relevant, it must enable better job performance. The