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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 ...

... your job site's safety and health protection. These consultants do not issue citations, propose penalties or routinely provide information about you or your workplace conditions to the federal inspection staff. State government agencies deliver these services which are funded substantially by federal OSHA. To request a consultation, you need to contact a state office. The addresses appear later in this CD literature. Because employers, not employees, are subject to legal sanctions of the Act, you will have the option of deciding whether employees or their representatives will participate in the on-site consultation visit. Consultants, however, will be required to explain that OSHA allows employee participation during inspections. While the on-site consultants do not write citations, issue proposed penalties, or routinely provide consultation information to the inspection staff, it is expected that employers will cooperate broadly with the recommendations of the consultants and achieve compliance with the job safety and health law voluntarily. Any conditions of IMMINENT DANGER identified by the consultant must be resolved immediately. Such conditions are rare, but if they are found during an on-site consultation visit, you must take immediate corrective action. Please note that if immediate action is not taken, OSHA requires that the consultant immediately notify his or her supervisor so that appropriate enforcement action can be taken as prescribed by regulation. The agreement between OSHA and the state to provide on-site consultation also requires the consultant to ensure that any serious' hazards be eliminated. These are hazards from which it is reasonably predictable that death or serious physical harm could result. When a consultant finds such a situation, he or she must notify you and give ...

... 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 ...

... option of not selling. Even in these situations when it seems the seller must sell to one specific buyer, your authors have encountered many prospective sellers who would literally rather wind the agency down over time than feel like a "loser" in the negotiations. &# 160In almost every case, both sides will lose as soon as either side believes they have "lost" . Even if circumstances are such that the "loser" decides not to withdraw from the negotiations altogether, there will almost certainly be multiple ways the "loser" can try to even the score. Once this kind of thing starts, everyone loses, including the side that thought they "won" . Rule #2 : The sale must "work" for both sides. &# 160The buyer and seller should cooperate to improve the overall tax effects of the transaction for both sides. Tax savings can sometimes be dramatic, and this can help bring a buyer and seller who are unable to agree on "price" back together. After all, the only part that counts is what you get to keep after giving the IRS its share. The seller should cooperate to structure the sale in ways that will "pencil-out" for the buyer. This often means part of the sale will be seller financed, and it might include an "earn-out" provision that adjusts the price based on future results. If the sale must be an "all-cash deal", the seller should recognize that the buyer must still justify the money spent based on the cash flow the buyer thinks is likely to be available following ...

... aren't serving the customer, you'd better be serving someone who is. Service America Because friends and neighbors know that I work in the insurance industry I periodically receive calls asking for information or referrals. That is, until this year. Since January, I've been overwhelmed with calls from frustrated and angry friends. This consumer angst crystallized for me when I attended a barbeque and the topic of insurance surfaced. Everyone was complaining about bad service and had a horror story to tell. I leaped to the industry's defense gallantly, but as expected, these consumers had little interest in our problems. As customers, they expect fast, professional service with no hassles when they need help. To get the customer's perspective across, I'll share four of the stories from the barbeque. Since my friends were in a cooperative mood, I gathered these statistics: Number of customers 18 (nine couples) Average age 51 Total annual insurance premiums $189,000 (Auto, Home, Life, Disability, and Small Business) Average annual investments $200,000 (RRSPs, Stocks, GICs, etc Number of days to untangle service problems 48 (three per household) In the day-to-day busyness of our professional lives, it's easy to lose sight of what drives the insurance business: creating long-term relationships with profitable customers. Maintaining empathy for customers, especially when they're upset, can be even harder. As the industry has focused on improving financial results, many executives have ignored the impact on customers, confident that they'll accept the latest price increases. Although this is probably true, when we combine hefty rate ...

... 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 ...

... 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 ...

... Editor , Troy Campbell This content has not been rated yet. The day of the annual performance review is the one you most look forward to during your work life. (Ha!) Systems for evaluating performance have been developed by personnel specialists over the years in an attempt to improve productivity. Many of these systems remain in place without much focus on what's happening today. The intentions of the review are honorable, but the productivity results are dismal. Often, the review only causes dissatisfaction and unhappiness. The apprehension many share about evaluations usually include thoughts like, How much of a raise am I (not) going to get, ' or, How bad am I going to get reamed? ' Instead, the focus should be on obtaining quality feedback to improve technical skills, team-member cooperation, or self-esteem. It's no secret why IBM is known for its incredible service. All staff members establish quarterly, measurable goals with supervisors, then receive quality feedback each quarter relating to those goals through their work performance. In Michael LeBoeuf's book, The Greatest Management Principle in the World, what gets measured and rewarded gets repeated. It is our responsibility to help management understand and agree what a good job looks like, attach measurable and observable behaviors to it, then earn the appropriate reward. Incorporate reasonable accountability into your job performance, criteria, and review standards. While you work, improve customer services, increase sales, and account-develop activity. Try not to let clients cancel easily. Provide prompt turnaround for service requests. Follow up, especially with those not expecting to hear from ...

... that require answers, and create a credible message. It's also a good way to develop a working crisis response team. Every company needs a crisis response policy — a carefully crafted understanding of how a company will react to a potentially damaging situation. Whatever else it might do, it gives you a way to turn lemons into lemonade. Here are some basic elements for such a policy: TAKE IT SERIOUSLY No matter how insignificant or trivial a problem might seem, take it seriously. More often than not a crisis catches management off guard. When this happens, management will try to downplay any potential impact. When a manufacturer unearthed 100 drums of toxic waste, it took the problem very seriously. It called in state environmental officials to review the situation, developed a clean-up plan with the cooperation of the town where the waste site was located, and invited the press for a briefing. This cooperative effort won the praise of town fathers and state officials. While the company didn't overreact, it demonstrated that it wasn't taking the problem lightly. It not only avoided a potential environmental nightmare, but press reports portrayed the company as proactive in its clean-up efforts. DON'T ASSUME IT'LL GO AWAY Although it's common to hope that a dark cloud will pass without causing a storm, playing the let's sit tight and see what happens' game only exacerbates a possible problem. Whatever the facts, the public often believes a company failed to act when problems come to light. Problems don't go away. In fact, they often get worse. The longer the delay, the more suspicious and doubting ...