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... as war. In general, their influences have been more personal and individual. They'll learn that job security isn't guaranteed. It's being replaced by opportunity earned through skill and knowledge. Their world will include risk and reward — individual challenges. The future leadership provided by the Baby Boomers will be the key factor in curing their foundation. The core competencies of leadership, such as integrity, vision, energy, courage, passion, and perseverance, will still be needed. Success or failure will hinge on the application of these competencies. The successful leader of the future won't command and control like the Silent Majority, but instead will earn the right to lead a more diverse, independent, and in-demand following. To assure the right leadership fit for the future, you must determine: In what arena will you operate? (In the short to medium term, you'll have a global arena.) Who are your internal and external customers? What are their expectations? What are the needed functions in your operation? What resources and skills are necessary? Who can unify the personnel? Who can create energy and top performance? When you've answered these questions, assemble the staff you need, involve them in defining your vision, and commit the time and energies needed to determine how to realize it. Adjust your direction as needed. Encourage constant learning and improvement. Go for it! Michael Manes can be reached at Square One Consulting, 625 Weeks Street, New Iberia, LA 70560, cell 337-577-3885, e-mail or [email protected] . Login or Register (for FREE) to ...

... . Suppose the root of your anxiety is a fear of rejection. Explore that issue. Who is likely to be rejecting you? Your job is to supply Life leads to producers - so if anyone is rejected, it will be them, not you. If you fear that producers will reject your leads, think again. If some of the leads don't pan out, the producers will probably ask for more, not less, of them. As a CSR, you are the producers' life support. They will no sooner scorn you than an emphysema patient will tear a respirator from his nose. 2. Put the change you want to make into perspective. In the movie Hoosiers, a small-town basketball team makes it to the championship finals. As the team of kids enters the arena where they are to play their final game, they balk at the scale of it all: The hugeness of the auditorium, the rows and rows of bleachers. Very sensibly, their coach puts the game in perspective for them. He gets a couple of the kids to measure the basketball court, the height of the baskets from the ground, and so forth - and proves to his team that the distances and heights are exactly the same as on the courts they are used to playing. The kids realize that though the trappings are different, the game is the same. So it is with the P/C CSR who starts generating Life leads. The process of getting leads is the same as ever, and only some of the information is new. The game is the ...

... a business may suffer are a direct correlation to the specific emergency activities taken by the business as the disruption is unfolding. This step includes the prior planning and preparation of activities, which again can be performed in advance of any event, and which will aid in the methodical, rational and coordinated approach towards dealing with various hazard disruptions. Post-disruption recovery. A major assumption inherent to operating a business is that every risk' can be eliminated. While the previous two steps are designed to reduce or mitigate risk, the recovery step is designed to expedite the rebuilding and restoration process. One of the most misunderstood concepts of BCP is that this process is conceived solely for computer technology. Many businesses assert a strong dependence on central and distributed computer resources. Historically, BCP has been initiated within this arena. Prior to any event, companies are able to assess their risk and threat environment' and mitigate various hazards and weaknesses associated with their processing environment. The losses a business may suffer are a direct correlation to the specific emergency activities taken by the business as the disruption is unfolding. This step includes the prior planning and preparation of activities, which again can be performed in advance of any event, and which will aid in the methodical, rational and coordinated approach towards dealing with various hazard disruptions. A major assumption inherent to operating a business is that every risk' can be eliminated. While the previous two steps are designed to reduce or mitigate risk, the recovery step is designed to expedite the rebuilding and restoration process. One of the most misunderstood concepts of BCP is that this ...

... about everyone agrees that building extended relationships by cross-selling to customers is one of the best ways to stave off competition and increase retention rates. Why is it, then, that relatively few agencies have established Life and Health Departments- or for that matter, even have ad hoc marketing programs to focus on rounding out their books of business? It's certainly not for lack of trying. The Property/Casualty landscape is littered with the bones of many a failed Life insurance venture. The problem is that in the real world, the differences between Life insurance and Property/Casualty make it extremely difficult to carry out a comprehensive marketing plan. In Life insurance, the supply is relatively stable, with few market swings, and the salesperson's biggest challenge is to stimulate demand. In the Property/Casualty arena the demand is stable but the supply fluctuates, often dramatically. This leads to differences between the two product groups in the underwriting process as well as in the agent/client relationship. Life producers who send leads to the Property/Casualty producers often have a hard time understanding why they can't get the end results that they want. Or the Property/Casualty producers might feel that the Life people are not sensitive enough to the finer points of maintaining client relationships. As a result, initial enthusiasm wanes and follow-up calls are not made on either side. Another part of the problem is that many agencies are simply looking at the Life and Health arena as a means of rounding out existing Property/Casualty accounts and are not expanding their vision into the development of a true stand-alone profit center ...

... helpful. A reasonable pre-hire signed non-compete will generally be enforceable without any additional consideration, as long as employment was conditional upon signing the agreement. Getting the job itself is part of the consideration. New restrictions on an existing employee, even one who has only worked for a short time, would require new consideration, such as a meaningful promotion, discretionary raise, or cash bonus, or adding a "no-cut" guarantee of employment for several years. Restrictive covenants between the owners of the agency are a different matter. The reciprocal nature of the burdens and benefits will often result in enforceability of a non-compete embedded in their shareholders buy/sell agreement even though they only made the agreement after being together for years. Non-competes are highly state-specific, and states vary widely on protecting employers in this arena. For example, in some states, merely promising to retain an employee and continue their training for a minimum period might suffice. In other jurisdictions, it's enough to inform all employees that their continued employment will depend on signing at least a non-disclosure/confidentiality agreement, which would be set forth in a signed agreement that would allow the employer to follow through by terminating those who refused to sign. In the best-case scenario, an existing employee should enjoy reasonable "fresh" consideration in exchange for giving up rights they would otherwise enjoy to compete freely in the marketplace. Agency Value It's important to appreciate that failing to protect an agency's intellectual property by non-competes with key employees and/or partners could significantly reduce the value of your agency to a future buyer. In one major Washington State ...

... THE FREQUENTLY MISSING RISK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM SEGMENT Prepared by: RICHARD H. SOPER, CMC, CSP Principal SOPER & ASSOCIATES, LTD. Presented to: WASHINGTON CHAPTER RISK AND INSURANCE MANAGEMENT SOCIETY SEATTLE, WASHINGTON DIVISION I CRISIS MANAGEMENT INTRODUCTION SECTION 1.0 FREQUENTLY MISSING RISK MANAGEMENT SEGMENT 1.1 Risk Management Program Void All too frequently, creative risk and insurance management programs lack the vital, but elusive, Crisis Management Plan segment. Even when logical, proven risk and insurance management techniques and effective loss control activities are utilized, crises must still be anticipated. Many major organizations devote from one to ten percent of gross revenue to annual expenses of insurance purchasing, risk funding and loss control as well as internal and external risk management administrative activities. In addition there are significant capital expenditures in the risk management and loss control arena which are seldom considered as segments of crisis exposure mitigation. A few examples include automatic sprinkler systems, building code compliance and duplicate MIS installations. Many of these major organizations allocate significant operating expenses and capital investment to risk management and loss control, yet have not implemented a Crisis Management Plan. 1.2 Warranted Crisis Management Plan As with many other management challenges, crises are inevitable and should be planned for. This requires agreed upon executive support and established action priorities to be implemented upon crisis occurrence. The results of a loss can definitely be minimized through the adoption of a Crisis Management Plan which encompasses: life safety, risk funding, contingency planning, loss control and legal compliance management techniques. A crisis management plan is normally justified through sound management reasons including insurance premium and funding expenses reductions, ...

... have to sacrifice timeliness, accuracy, convenience, responsiveness or enthusiasm to place their coverage through a particular agency, they'll be much more receptive to other opportunities, particularly those that come with a lower price tag. In setting up a client-driven marketing plan, the first thing to keep in mind is that the agency probably can't effectively meet the needs of all customers. It's far better to pick certain groups to target and to concentrate on exceeding their expectations rather than to do a mediocre job trying to serve everyone. By focusing on more narrowly defined segments of the market, you'll be able to maximize advertising/public relations dollars, company relationships, personnel selection and training, and use of technology to produce the greatest benefits. The producers will be more in touch with what's happening in that marketing arena, and less time will be wasted on trying to place risks that the agency has little chance of either landing or keeping. Picking broad market segments for the agency to serve is a little like niche or target marketing, but is generally more strategic than tactical. It's a long-term decision that should set the course for other major strategies over a three- to five-year period, whereas a niche-marketing program is often built around an insurance company program and may have a life span of no more than one year. What you should look for from a strategic perspective is a market segment where the agency can do something important for the clients that they can't do for themselves, and where the agency can efficiently provide the products, services, and qualities that are really valued by that particular kind of ...

... Many clients are willing to pay somewhat higher premiums to get it. But, if they have to sacrifice timeliness, accuracy, convenience, responsiveness, and/or enthusiasm to place their coverage through a particular agency, they'll be much more receptive to other opportunities. When setting up a client-driven marketing plan, keep in mind that you probably can't meet the needs of all customers effectively. It's far better to target certain groups and to concentrate on exceeding their expectations, rather than to do a mediocre job trying to serve everyone. By focusing on more narrowly defined segments of the market you'll maximize your advertising/public relations dollars, company relationships, personnel selection and training, and utilization of automation to produce the greatest benefits. Your producers will be more in touch with what's happening in that marketing arena and waste less time trying to place risks that they have little chance of landing or keeping. Serving broad market segments is a little like niche or target marketing, but is generally more strategic than tactical. It's a long-term decision that should set the course for other major strategies over a three to five-year period. A niche-marketing program is often built around an insurance company program and might have no more than a one-year lifespan. From a strategic perspective, look for a market segment where you can do something important for clients that they couldn't do for themselves, and provide the products, services, and qualities that this particular kind of buyer really values. The Property/Casualty insurance industry doesn't promote product differentiation or innovation, even in Commercial Lines; the core coverages are effectively the same. ...

... the holiday season was about joy! Now I always place my renewals and new business by December 10. Here are the steps you must take to secure your large renewals and successfully obtain new accounts in December: Identify and isolate your key accounts. Ask yourself: What are my most significant year-end renewals and new business accounts? Stop reading right now and write them down. Take inventory of your client knowledge. What information do you have about these accounts? For new accounts, if the X-date is all you know, you only have fool's gold. For current accounts, are you familiar with such issues as client financial concerns, business expansion plans, and changes in buying style? Establish value. Identify three ways that your firm has been of value- outside of the commodity and price arena- to each existing client during the past 18 months. These should be ways in which your organization provided resources and expertise that reduced the client's cost of risk, which can be measured in many ways other than premium. Now comes the tough part: Demonstrate your value now, not in December. Remember, on a large account the buyer has many yardsticks with which to measure you- particularly, against other brokers. If you wait until December to establish your value, it'll be too late. Independent brokerages nationwide have horror stories to relate about losing some of their top year-end renewals. In many cases, these accounts changed hands on broker-of-record letters, with no changes to the insurance policies. Think hard- doesn't this sound familiar? The reason is simple: The holding agent/ ...

... continue: What is public relations? ' And we keep asking until PR is satisfactorily defined. Usually the definition of PR boils down to something like how we walk and talk, meet and greet, smile and dial. Public relations is bigger than initiating a billboard campaign, running radio spots, or distributing brochures. It is the ongoing process of developing bonds with effective people and businesses in your community. It means sharing your knowledge with people who are important to you - in other words, educating them. Public relations focuses on making a positive connection with society. Who has time to embark on an all-out public relations campaign? You do - if you take it one step at a time. Two tools help you do this: membership in organizations and newsletters. ORGANIZATIONS Organizations provide an ideal arena for meeting and greeting' - that is, networking with people, which is one of the first objectives in an effective public relations campaign. Contributing to an organization is a meaningful way of developing yourself. Because most organizations consist of voluntary membership, they usually foster an atmosphere of trust. They provide a forum for new information and ideas for action in the areas of technology, demographics, social concerns, economics, and legal and political issues - all of which you need in any public relations campaign. Your membership in an organization can also provide you with individual skills, such as leadership, management, parliamentary procedure, and more; and, happily, these skills can be learned and improved upon at no expense to your work environment. Some types of organizations you may look into ...