Community Bank CEOs: The 3 Celebration Dinners You Need After Closing
The deal closed.
You're exhausted. Relieved. Maybe a little emotional.
Now what?
Many CEOs skip straight to "What's next on the list?"
I've done it myself.
We're competitive.
We move fast.
Celebrating feels like wasting time.
But here's what I learned:
Most people aren't obsessively self-motivated like you.
They want acknowledgment.
They need to hear from their leader that a win was truly a win.
Worth celebrating.
You need three separate celebration dinners.
Each serves a different purpose.
Each honors different people.
Celebration 1: Your Management Team
When: Six to nine months after closing
Who: Management team and their spouses or special guests
Why the timing: The chaos has settled. Some team members may have moved on but invite them anyway. This dinner celebrates the people who built what you sold, not where they are now.
The purpose: Acknowledge their transformation.
This isn't about the present.
It's about recognizing how much they've changed.
Start by asking them to think back to their first day.
Who were they then?
What did they know?
What could they do?
Now look at who they've become.
The skills they've developed.
The challenges they've conquered.
The leadership they've shown.
Tell them directly:
"You've changed. You're different now. You're stronger, more competent, more capable.
Congratulations, you did it!"
They need to hear this from you.
They can't read your mind.
Nobody can take that transformation away from them.
It's permanent.
It's theirs forever.
Make it memorable: Choose a very nice restaurant. This celebration should match the magnitude of the accomplishment. It demonstrates your appreciation.
Memorialize it with words, not just a nice meal.
Say out loud why you're celebrating.
What they overcame.
What they achieved. How they grew.
The team needs to know their leader recognizes their growth and values what they accomplished together.
Celebration 2: Investment Bankers and Deal Team
When: 30 to 60 days after closing
Who: This varies. Options include:
- Deal team only
- Deal team plus spouses/guests
- Board members
- Board plus spouses/guests
- Management team
Any combination of the above
Your investment bankers will likely host this dinner. They may give you options on who to invite, or they may have their own plan.
We chose deal team only. Here's why:
The deal team and investment bankers formed a tight bond during the process. They worked closely together under pressure. They share stories and context that outsiders wouldn't fully appreciate.
At 60 days post-closing, conversations naturally revolve around the transaction. Keeping it to the deal team made sense for us.
It was a wonderful evening. Our team appreciated it greatly.
Your situation might be completely different. Your investment bankers might not offer a closing dinner at all. Or they might have strong preferences about attendees.
That's fine.
This is about honoring the partnership that got the deal done.
Celebration 3: Your Board
When: 90 days after closing
Who: Board members only. No spouses. No deal team. No management.
Why: These were the people there from the start.
This dinner needs to be just the board so you can speak freely about the entire journey.
Conversations can go back to the founding of the bank. Through all the major decisions. Through the sale process. Through closing.
No need to provide endless context for spouses. No need to moderate stories for people who weren't there.
Why the timing: Ninety days gives everyone time to decompress and reflect. The transaction has settled. Emotions have leveled out. Perspective has returned.
This is your chance to thank the people who trusted you, supported you, and made hard decisions alongside you.
Why Celebrating Matters
Here's what competitive CEOs miss:
Celebrating isn't about you.
It's about everyone else.
You're already motivated.
You've already moved on mentally to the next challenge.
But your team needs closure.
They need acknowledgment.
They need to know their leader sees their growth and values their contribution.
Skipping a celebration sends the wrong message:
"What we just accomplished wasn't actually that important. On to the next thing."
That's demoralizing.
It tells people their effort didn't matter.
That transformation doesn't count.
That wins aren't really wins.
How to Celebrate Well
The celebration must be:
Proportional to the achievement. A major accomplishment deserves a significant celebration. Don't cheap out. Choose nice venues. Make it special.
Memorialized with words. Don't just have dinner. Say out loud why you're celebrating. What it means. How people changed. What they accomplished.
Focused on transformation. The point isn't reviewing what happened. It's acknowledging who people became in the process.
Separated by audience. Different groups need different conversations. Don't combine them all into one generic event.
Your Choice, Your Timeline
I'm sharing what we did and why.
Your situation will be different.
Your preferences matter.
Your team's needs might vary.
The specifics are up to you.
But don't skip celebrating altogether.
Don't move straight to "What's next?"
Pause.
Acknowledge.
Thank.
Celebrate.
The transformation happened.
The win was real.
The people who made it possible deserve recognition.
Give them that gift.
They earned it.
The Bottom Line
Plan three separate celebration dinners after closing: management team at 6-9 months to acknowledge their transformation, investment bankers/deal team at 30-60 days to honor the partnership, and board at 90 days for candid reflection on the journey. Make celebrations proportional to the achievement, memorialize them with specific words about growth and change, and don't skip straight to "what's next" without acknowledging what your team accomplished.
P.S. I'm not a lawyer, an accountant, or an investment banker. Just a former bank CEO who has been in your shoes.
There are zero hacks or tricks in this newsletter. Just proven tactics that help you choose the right path for your bank.
Your path will:
- Inform your strategic plan.
- Guide your annual business plan and budget.
- Clarify priorities.
- Define your message so it can be communicated with confidence.
This is how savvy bankers navigate.
They build smart and valuable banks and choose the best time to sell on a timeline of their own choosing – serving the needs of the shareholders and the board.
I hope you found this short lesson helpful.
What are your thoughts?
I’ll see you next week.
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Additional resources, including the Community Bank Value™ Playbook, are available at kurtknutson.com.
