Secure Consistency! Protect Your Agency!

A year has passed since I began talking full-time to agencies nationwide. I found the main concern of 99.9% of the agencies to be consistency. Is everyone in your agency performing procedures the same way? Probably not, but there is no simple solution. The three key elements to consistency are to document procedures, review procedures, and then continuously review procedures annually.

I cannot reiterate enough times the importance of verifying that your entire staff is involved in the documentation process, whether it be Commercial Lines, Personal Lines, Life-Health-Employee Benefits, etc. Still, most management prefers to document themselves, and let everyone know what the procedures are in every department. Most agency employees are so overwhelmed by their daily schedule, they lack the time to read a book. It just won't happen.

Involve all employees in documenting procedures in rough drafts by delegating major and minor procedures effectively. Allow only two weeks to complete this task. (One week is just not fair; and one month is just too long.) They will still complete the procedures' documentation within the last two days before the rough draft procedures come due.

After the rough drafts arrive, review the procedures with the entire department. Schedule weekly one-hour review meetings spanning four or five areas. Since have only one person's version of a procedure, make sure any questions are answered to attain your goal of consistency within the office.

The most important step in this entire process is to make sure there is total participation. Your employees become the experts, because they know the ins and outs of your agency. They are qualified to review and find which procedures work. You might be shocked to discover how little your employees know about procedures.

Consider the several key questions to ask your resident experts during the process. Keep in mind that the rough draft copy is only one person's way of performing the task. It is imperative that you receive everyone's input. For example, when reviewing binders, make sure to ask: (1) How can we make this procedure more efficient? (2) How can we save time in its completion? (3) How can we increase revenue? (4) How can we increase productivity in this area? (5) How can we secure against errors and omissions? (6) Does everyone agree positively that this procedure will be consistently performed by all personnel in this department? (7) If you answered 'No' to No. 6, what areas need to be changed to make sure all personnel are performing this procedure consistently?

You have achieved consistency. I warn you in advanced: when conducting these review meetings, nobody in the meeting intimidates the others. Command total participation or your efforts will be wasted.

This process should only take three months. Once completed, it is time to type your final procedures and make sure everyone receives a copy of the document. The document will now serve as a reference and training tool. When questions arise, workers can easily retrieve the document and clarify problems. Valuable time will be saved throughout the department.

Even though you have attained procedural consistency, the process never ends. To secure guarantee consistency, repeat this process every year, ad infinitum:

1. Rewrite Procedures
2. Review Procedures with the Experts
3. Ask Key Questions
4. Copy Everyone