Embracing Change While Empowering Your Teams

As our industry continues to experience significant change, we remain focused on keeping our transformation moving toward better processes, enhanced comprehension and more collaboration at Arvest Equipment Finance.  

 There have been many catalysts for our change, including adopting a Google workspace, implementing enhanced features within our origination system perfecting our “young” origination system, and adding a dedicated trainer to our division. But key to our transformation efforts is a focus on supporting and empowering our associates through the change to bring about better service.  

It has been exciting to see how our associates have adapted to the new systems and how change leaders have emerged from all roles within the division. We see this growth in professional development as a clear reflection of our company’s core values of Communicate Openly, Strive for Excellence and Drive Change. Take a moment to consider your company’s last considerable change and how you were able to embrace it and empower your associates. 


There is currently a significant desire to build awareness and education around the equipment finance industry regarding the opportunities that exist and the vastness of all the roles that support equipment leasing and finance. One way we’re doing this is through a dedicated trainer, which has enhanced our training and development of equipment financing for our associates. New associates now have the opportunity to go through our internal equipment finance acceleration program, which allows the new hires to hear from each manager, learn about the other roles and shadow a team that most interests them. This holistic view helps our associates to see how they are part of a larger puzzle; maybe they are a middle piece that works with many other teams or they are an edge that has less contact with other teams. No matter where they may be, we are all connected by our mission and vision.  

Regardless of the temperature of the economy, investing in your associates is a critical component for successful business transformation. We have instituted multiple opportunities to empower our associates while driving change. For example, we have taken advantage of our credit team’s knowledge to offer our sales team consistent credit training opportunities, enabling them to enhance their credit skills and better assist their customers out in the field. Additionally, we have 13 associates that will spend 10 weeks together this fall studying for the Certified Lease and Finance Professional (CLFP) exam, in which our previous CLFPs will pour back into the program by leading the study sessions. With our dedicated trainer, we are also offering refreshers on industry topics such as Uniform Commercial Codes (UCCs), Master Finance Agreements (MFAs), loan documentation and more to strengthen our associates’ comprehension and knowledge base. How do you plan to invest in your associates?