Nothing ordinary about the extraordinary!

Citi, the firm that drew me out from B-school with its promise of showing me the world was shrinking its view of the world. Global Consumer Banking was to be barely global, anymore.

While this announcement has been telegraphed for a while, it has brought a mix of hand wringing, plaudits and even ill-disguised glee.

It's no secret that some of the best consumer bankers in the industry come from the fiery crucible of Citi. And so, the banking world awaits the rare glory of snagging prized assets, including people. But many ‘impacted’ bankers face up to the prospects of life beyond Citi, with some trepidation.

Here are some reflections that may help, both. Know these to hire, or be hired!

Disclaimer: Based on first hand experiences and some artistic license!

1. Expecting the Unexpected

“Citi is global. It gets touched by most things.”

But we learnt to let it roll off our backs.

We did not cry for Argentina when it faced yet another crisis, nor lose our nerves amidst the sabre rattling solvency claims of US Congressman Dingell. We were shaken but not stirred.

We withstood with stoic reserve, the ebb and flow of funds from a Gulf war. We kept our nose to the ground when the acrid fumes of the Asian crisis wafted past us. And hunkered down.

2. Constancy of Change

 “At Citi, one always seems to be (pyro)maniacally living on a burning platform.”

Not all fires were exogenous. Some are man-made: to fire things up.

And through the fire, we’d innovate, or open new doors. It seemed everyone was entrepreneurial — from the librarian to the CEO. But when in trouble, help was always on hand. It was a bigger crime to brush things away than to own up to a mistake.

3. Diehard Resilience

"'If it doesn't break you, it makes you'; 'You have nothing to fear, but fear itself'; 'If you think you can, you will'; 'Failure, is not an option!"

These were not just rallying cries made famous by Braveheart, or Apollo 13, but apocryphal lines from Citi townhalls.

But we also learned to live these lines. When the chips were down we’d usually get going. More than once, with our backs to the wall, we’d claw back, taking back lost ground, and often more.

4. Collective Entrepreneurship

“At Citi, success transfer is a way of life. Copy shamelessly.”

You didn't have to be the first. Or the most creative. Just better.

And, in any case, history showed that pioneers perish first. Some of the biggest successes came from re-launching things with new positioning.

We would've built a better mousetrap if it caught more mice than others. And with few suffering from the ‘we are different’, or ‘not invented here’ syndrome, there was openness to embracing successes from elsewhere. And become a bar raiser.

 5. The Audacity of Hope

“Citi loves setting Big Hairy Audacious Goals.”

We all faced one of these monstrous goals at some stage in our lives, either creating it or moving toward it. But we knew the fine line that separates brashness from self-confidence.

The difference was depth of knowledge, and courage of convictions. We’d take pride in saying what we’d do. And doing what we’d say. Cause you’d never want to be caught being a shallow smartass. Or a moaner.

 6. Boundless Drive

“At Citi, big transformation starts with a 45 day Citi Challenge.”

With a clear bias towards revolution than evolution, these 45 day projects were a transformer's dream in terms of resources, but a nightmare on timelines.

The forerunner to the sprints of today, extreme agility was the ask. Being picked up for one was career defining (or limiting). But it took mind-bending drive. No guts, no glory.

 7. A Breed Apart

These are but some traits that set this breed of bankers apart.

One can find them across functions and levels around the industry. Any place you see storming, forming, norming behaviours, you’d probably find a Citibanker in the fray.

After all, you can take a banker out of Citi but never Citi out of the banker. Although, this time around it is Citi that is leaving the banker, while their blood still runs blue!

BAU is boring

One parting word of advice to those looking for talent: most Citibankers are catalysing forces for change. Give them room.

Empower them, and they’d sizzle. Constrain them and rein them in, you’d see them fizzle.

Treasure the Citi DNA

And to those eyeing the prospects of life outside Citi, in a ‘normal’ world — you may find normalcy wearing, even stultifying.

Know your worth. Pick right. Don’t get caught in superlatives. Remember, the biggest job may not give you the biggest satisfaction, Instead, look for jobs with headroom to grow and runway to run.

Above all, remember, there is no Citi outside Citi. But its spirit lives within each of you. It's a strange brew and hard to create again. So cherish it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ga_M5Zdn4