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... x No Thanks Loading.. Agency Team Building 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Eric Moberg This content has not been rated yet. AGENCY TEAM BUILDING by Eric Moberg &# 160 The internal workings of every agency depend on the employees interacting effectively on a daily basis. Cooperation and communication among employees is necessary for them to do their jobs and for the agency to prosper. None of them can work in a vacuum. The exchange of information regarding changes in the marketplace, new policy provisions, and new underwriting guidelines-not to mention the communication of agency procedures, successes, and failures-is essential for people to perform their jobs. As we gain information, it's very important to communicate it to our co-workers. INTERNAL COMMUNICATION The exchange of information within the agency occurs in numerous ways. One of the most common is through employees' informal conversation; one employee may become aware of some important information and relays it to another employee in normal conversation. Although this can be an effective method of communication between two people, it doesn't pass the information on to all who may need to know it. To make sure that information is properly communicated to everyone who needs to know it, a more formal method should be used. Communication between departments is essential to serving the insured effectively. In many cases, an agency's departments don't effectively communicate with one another. They need to, because Commercial accounts can become Personal accounts, and vice versa. Almost all accounts have the potential to become Life, Health, or Group accounts. Opportunities exist to benefit the agency as well as the ...

... x No Thanks Loading.. Voluntary Protection Programs 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor This content has not been rated yet. INFORMATION DATE 19920602 DESCRIPTION USDOL Program Highlights, 92-10 SUBJECT Voluntary Protection Programs U.S. Department of Labor Program Highlights Fact Sheet No. OSHA 92-10 VOLUNTARY PROTECTION PROGRAMS Do you have an effective safety and health program? Is your injury and/or illness rate lower than the average for your industry? Do managers and employees work together to prevent accidents and eliminate hazards? Would you like to develop a more cooperative relationship with OSHA? If so, your company may be a candidate for one of OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs-Star, Merit or the Demonstration Program. Designed to augment OSHA's enforcement efforts, these programs encourage and recognize excellence in occupational safety and health. Only those companies which demonstrate commitment to workplace safety and health beyond the requirements of the OSHA standards-especially at senior management levels-are eligible. Participation exempts a worksite from OSHA's programmed inspections. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS An effective, ongoing safety and health program. A strong safety and health program exemplifies commitment to the prevention of occupational illness and injury beyond satisfying the requirements of OSHA standards. It is the central element which qualifies a company for participation in the Voluntary Protection Programs. Companies participating in Merit and Star are expected to have comprehensive programs including elements such as employee participation and annual comprehensive self-evaluation. OSHA assesses the effectiveness of the program through a number of measures including on-site review. Cooperation. A cooperative atmosphere is essential to make voluntary protection work. Construction companies are required to use a labor-management approach which includes joint labor-management safety and health ...

... the duress of frustration on both sides. Communication leads to smoother claims handling and a more satisfied insured. The second advantage of a claims management understanding is that it can specifically provide a means for the insured's input. The role of the insured or the group in the claims management process should be designed around the goal of advancing the appropriate and effective management of the losses under the program. Some of the obvious activities in that role are delineated in the Conditions sections of a standard insurance policy, such as reporting losses promptly to allow the investigation process to begin within the earliest possible time frame. Although especially important in Workers Compensation claims because of statutory time frames imposed on those responsible for paying benefits to injured employees, prompt reporting is important in every line of coverage. Another activity is to cooperate fully with the investigation efforts, including relaying all the facts as they are known, allowing access to knowledgeable personnel, and encouraging an open interchange of information as claim facts develop. An insured attempting to control the scope of the investigation by withholding pertinent information, regardless of the motivation, could limit the ability of the claims person to structure a competent defense. Claims people make their living investigating, evaluating, and resolving losses and complying with statutory requirements and court procedures. The insured person or group is rightfully concerned with the challenges, opportunities, and limitations for furthering the business purpose of their organization and the impact of claims on that business. Claims people welcome input and cooperation within areas of the insured's expertise. This vital contribution, based upon the insured's area of greatest knowledge and experience ...

... necessary objectivity and financial skills. Purchasing Officer. In the past, the purchasing officer often had the responsibility of buying insurance. It's now more clearly understood that insurance is not a commodity to be purchased, but an element of a total risk-management program. Except in rare instances, the purchasing officer should have little or nothing to do with insurance or risk management. Chief Engineer. The chief of public works, chief engineer, or similar official may be responsible for maintaining building values and informing the risk manager of any changes-deletions or additions of properties and change in costs or values. This person will also frequently supervise the issuance of contracts to contractors. These contain insurance and indemnity provisions that should be carefully worded and supervised. The chief engineer may also design and maintain loss-prevention equipment, so close cooperation with the risk manager is essential. Counsel. The chief legal officer writes contracts that usually contain indemnity or insurance provisions. His work strongly affects risk assumption. He may also have a responsibility for supervising liability or Workers Compensation (except for large liability claims), although this is a specialized function better handled by specialist claims adjusters. Whoever carries the mantle of risk manager will need to communicate closely with all the officer just mentioned. When Is a Full-Time Risk Manager Justified? As an organization grows, its risks become more complex, insurance premiums rise, and loss assumption capability grows. A point will be reached when a full-time risk manager should be placed on the staff. Though each situation is unique, some guidelines can help. There are two points that, if quantified, will ...

... trigger the change that makes them ready to buy. If you're positioned in prospects' minds and hearts as the trusted advisor, they'll seek you out for your counsel. Even if the best decision for them is not to work with you or buy what you offer, you've made a friend and performed a service that will reward you many times. Sometimes, in our fast-paced rush to win people over, we may lose sight of the real reasons we do our work. In some measure, you work to serve others. To achieve this, it may be the right thing for you to recommend an alternative that you can't supply. Would it surprise you that in some industries, 11% to 21% of all new business is referred by the "competition"? Sounds more like cooperation to me. And that's the essential ingredient in every mutually beneficial, win-win business and personal relationship. Trust and respect must be earned by each side. If buyer and seller believe in one another enough to be associates (not adversaries) and cooperative (not confrontational), then each will obtain the highest and best result. This leads to a true partnership. On the other hand, when one party attempts to take advantage of the other (to get the most for themselves), neither party reaches the best payoff. The best is immediately compromised. Making a fair profit is best for business, and seeking the highest ideal for both parties is good karma. To help you identify a person's state of readiness, I developed a simple seven-step process, "Seven Steps to Qualifying ...

... This applies for both the setting of appointments and the expiration dates. Most secretaries will have the renewal date information but won't know the relationship the owner has with their broker, or whether their company will in fact be taking bids during the renewal time. Instruct the callers to find out who's in charge and then find out from that individual only, what are present carriers, and when they come up for renewal. Also, instruct them to ask how long have they been with their broker, what is their broker relationship, how many employees are there, and how many years they have been in business. Have the callers spend the time with these people confirming the spelling and asking more than once whether they'll be open to meeting with a new company during renewal time. If they're not cooperative in revealing all this information, they most likely won't be very cooperative during bidding time. Much of this type of qualifying will really depend on the callers instinct, so whether an inhouse caller or a service is used, keep the callers up to date on the results of the leads they've provided. FOLLOW UP SYSTEM With this amount of information the makings of a very profitable marketing program now exists. All that is needed is to keep it going. Keep up that communication with the telemarketer on the quality of the in-coming leads. If changes need to happen, make sure they do. Think of the telemarketing program as a machine. When the machine is not running smoothly, tune it up. Confirm all appointments before going to them. This might just give the opportunity to talk ...

... your employer to correct the hazardous condition and remove endangered employees from the area. If your employer refuses, OSHA may post an Imminent danger' notice and may seek from the nearest federal district court for an order requiring the employer to remove the danger. Before the OSHA inspectors leave the workplace, they will inform all affected employees of the hazard. Refusing Dangerous Work OSHA can protect you if you are discharged or otherwise disciplined for refusing to perform a task that would expose you to imminent danger of death or serious injury, providing you have sought and been unable to obtain a remedy from your supervisor and there is insufficient time to have the condition corrected through filing a complaint with OSHA. You may also be protected by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) if you refuse dangerous work in cooperation with or on behalf of other workers. OSHA and the NLRB cooperate in refusal-to-work cases involving health or safety hazards. You may contact either agency to discuss your case if you have been punished for refusing dangerous work. You Cannot Be Penalized For Reporting A Hazard Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, it is against the law for your employer to punish you for reporting a safety or health hazard. You cannot be discriminated against, fired, demoted, or otherwise penalized for complaining to your employer about a hazard, requesting an OSHA inspection, participating in union safety and health activities, or otherwise exercising your rights under the OSHA Act. If you believe you have been illegally punished, you must file your complaint with OSHA within 30 days for it to be timely. OSHA can take ...

... TDD message referral phone: (800) 326-2577 OSHA HANDBOOK FOR SMALL BUSINESSES To the Small Business Employer Small business employers may have special problems in dealing with workplace safety and health hazards. Frequently, large corporations can afford the full-time services of safety engineers and industrial hygienists, whereas small firms often cannot. Yet the workplace hazards that cause thousands of injuries and illnesses every year are as prevalent in small businesses as in larger firms. That is why we have prepared this handbook to help small business employers establish their own safety and health programs. This booklet advises employers on how to manage safety and health protection at their own work-sites, and tells how to obtain free, on-site consultations by safety and health professionals. We at OSHA hope that each small business owner will recognize the value of positive, cooperative action-among employers, employees, and government- to provide safe and healthful workplaces throughout the nation. Tell us what you think, how our advice can be improved, or anything else we can do to help you in this vital effort. Dorothy L. Strunk Acting Assistant Secretary Occupational Safety and Health Administration CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION A Profit and Loss Statement Developing a Profitable Strategy for Handling Occupational Safety and Health II. A FOUR-POINT WORKPLACE PROGRAM Using the Four-Point Program Point One: Management Commitment and Employee Involvement Point Two: Work-Site Analysis Point Three: Hazard Prevention, and Control Point Four: Training for Employees, Supervisors, and Managers Documenting Your Activities. Safety and Health Record-keeping Injury/Illness Records Exposure Records and Others III. STARTING YOUR VOLUNTARY ACTIVITY Decide to Start Now Designating Responsibility Get Some Help ...

... Obviously these personalities and goals come into conflict with each other. Without management intervention these differences could cause schisms that embitter the employees against each other in general terms. They will pick at each other at every opportunity to impress on you, the boss, that the other group is less concerned with the agency than they are. The answer to these conflicts lies in team building. The long-term goals of both producers and service/marketing staff are the same: grow the agency (and their compensation levels) through new business and the maintenance of renewals. In truth, these groups need each other because without the relationship and sales efforts, the agency would not achieve the growth it needs, and without the care to detail the agency would not maintain the relationship with the carriers that promote their cooperative efforts on behalf of the agency. In the heat of the battle, both groups forget this mutual dependence. Team building forces them to acknowledge their codependence in such a way that each group would certainly fail without the other. Team building begins with the assignment of producers and marketers/servicers to account development and maintenance. Making each responsible for the same accounts in practice requires them to work cooperatively. More importantly, cross-pollinating their compensation programs makes the teams work effectively. This means compensating the producers, in part, on the hit ratio of the marketers and compensating the marketers, in part, on the volume of new business written by their corresponding producers. The service/producer relationship is managed the same way based on compensating servicers on book of business growth (usually through added accounts ...

... rated yet. This week, I received a call from an agency principal, who told me the difficulty he was having getting his employees to work together. We were in the process of putting procedures together, and each employee was asked to complete four areas of the fill-in-the-blank manual. One employee stated that she didn't have the time-it was the end of the year, and it just couldn't be done. Once she said this, the rest suddenly said that they were also too busy. Have you ever had an employee like this one? Has an incident like this occurred more than once? Does it seem like your staff is just not operating as smoothly as it should? Working with employees can be very stressful. Many agency employees simply have too much paperwork, so their reluctance to cooperate can be understood. Although I can't make the paperwork disappear, I can offer some ideas for building teamwork. MAKE DECISIONS TOGETHER Start making decisions as a group with all employees. Meet regularly to solve problems and discuss issues. Go around the table and ask each person what he or she thinks about the issue and way to solve the problem. Get all employees involved-in stating the problems and in brainstorming for solutions. If you have several offices, consider telephone conferencing to save travel time and decrease disruption of the workday. When conferencing, be sure to get feedback from all employees on the other end of the phone. When decisions are too complex to make in a single meeting, have employees do a little more research on the subject before the next meeting-or vote on the issue and ...