Lawrence Berra is an underappreciated American philosopher. His “Yogisms” provide insights into the challenges we all face in banking. As consultants, we try to remember that “You can observe a lot by watching”.  Here are some of our favorite Yogi-isms, organized by banking topic.

On risk management:

• "If the world were perfect, it wouldn't be"
• "It's déjà vu all over again"
• "Never answer an anonymous letter"
• "We made too many wrong mistakes"

On meeting with equity analysts:

• "You mean now?"
• "It ain't over 'til it's over"
• "The future ain't what it used to be"
• "I didn't really say everything I said"

On strategic planning:

• "If you don’t set goals, you can’t regret not reaching them"
• "If you can’t imitate him, don’t copy him"
• "When you come to a fork in the road, take it"
• "If you don’t know where you’re going, chances are you will end up somewhere else"

When in New Jersey, please remember to visit the Yogi Museum at Montclair State University. You can always visit Yogi on the web at http://www.yogiberra.com.