Insurance Bartender | Turning Values Into Vision

This month’s magazine highlights the incredible dedication and work of our Board of Directors. These esteemed men and women are very accomplished business leaders of whom I have the pleasure to work with and learn from each day. They inspire their employees and create cultures of success within their respective organizations. I’m always trying to gleam successful qualities, characteristics and initiatives of which I can replicate and instill into the IIAW. This month I thought it would be fitting to write about a topic I have long contemplated and discussed with many individuals from board members to a plethora of professionals from other industries. The topic: turning values into vision.

If you surveyed your employees, they would likely have a variety of responses when asked why they do what they do. Do they universally understand your company’s core values? How do they contribute to the overall vision that drives their success and that of their employer? Once values are determined, it is important to make sure all employees are part of the conversation, and they embrace those values; not just at work but out in your community as well.

Values can be easily stated, but difficult to live out. That’s why it’s important to identify values that your employees try to live by day-in and day-out to incorporate them into the culture of your business. As I converse with our Board of Directors, they all share similar principles, characteristics and ideals that contribute to their vision of how they accomplish success. Many of them hold strategic planning sessions or roundtables to discuss and set company values. Strategic planning sessions and roundtables aren’t just for large companies. Some of the smallest companies I know are very successful in hosting such events to keep the pulse on their office and to set the direction for the future.

Far too often as a society we fail to live up to our expectations and stay true to our values. Let’s be honest, we’re human and can slip up. The question is are you accountable for your actions? Do you understand what causes you to stray from your principles?

According to author Lee Colan, in his article titled “How to Turn Your Values into Action”, “The most valuable type of knowledge is self-knowledge. Knowing your tendencies, preferences, values, personal limits, natural gifts and weaknesses helps you make the right commitments and keep them.” Aside from personal introspection, a good way to learn about yourself is to capture data on how others perceive you. For example, regularly ask your team what you can “Start, Stop and Keep” doing to be a better leader and support their success. You can have a “Start, Stop and Keep” discussion after finishing a project, wrapping up a meeting or during a scheduled review. Another important aspect of self-knowledge is to have a clearly thought out set of personal values, a few things that are vital to you and reflect your uniqueness.”

For example, my personal values are to respect, serve, motivate, advocate and empower others. For each of these values, I have specific behaviors that I strive to demonstrate each day. Your values should dictate your decisions and behavior, not your circumstances or fleeting feelings. Being a reliable and reputable person not only means doing what you say, it also means doing what is right.

These are just a few of the values that been ingrained into our organization by the fine men and women who serve and have served on our Board of Directors and by our staff who live by them as they seek to provide you with the best possible member experience.

As I wrote the previous paragraphs, I found myself searching for an example to reference in which people make decisions that seem to go against their values. Not on purpose, but on accident and without them ever knowing it or the damage it could cause. This time of the year brings about a lot of change. Whether its mergers and acquisitions, adding or losing personnel or perhaps new technological initiatives, changes tend to occur at the end or beginning of the year for a myriad of reasons. I like to think a new season motivates individuals to make a positive change. I bring this topic up because (like death and taxes), rumors are certain to rear their ugly head this time of year. Over my last eleven plus years at the Association, I have heard from many agency owners and principals who have asked me to let them know if I hear others talking about their agency, and what types of things they might be saying. As we all know, it’s easy to forget our values and spread (potentially) negative information despite adverse consequences.

Our industry is especially susceptible to this type of activity because it is a close-knit group of competitors and acquaintances. Being in a sales-driven industry makes us good “talkers”. Wisconsin has many strong professionals who share education and information for the many families and businesses they insure. As professionals, we are held to high ethical standards and even have mandatory courses to complete every two years. These courses remind us to focus on the values and principles of our business, yet some individuals can lose sight of this.

My message here is to remind yourself and your colleagues to discuss your personal and professional values and how you can use them to drive success. Spending time on these discussions will translate into a more positive culture and will leave a positive impression on employees. Individuals should be encouraged to emulate positive behavior inside and outside of the office and look for truth before passing along information about their competitors in the industry. As we reflect on the past year and set the course for a bright and prosperous new year, there is no better time to engage in these ethical conversations.

I will leave you with this: To live a life of integrity, stay true to your values. We are limited not by our abilities but by our lack values that defines our vision, our missions, our passion.

CEO, IIAW

This drink puts a fall spin on a Wisconsin Classic.

• 1/4 cup apple cider • 2 ounces quality bourbon or whiskey • 1 teaspoon maple syrup • 3 drops of bitters • 1 apple slice, for garnish • 1 orange slice, for garnish • Cinnamon stick for garnish (optional)

1. In a lowball glass, stir together the apple cider, whiskey, maple syrup and bitters until combined. Add in a large ice cube and top with an apple and orange slice and a cinnamon stick.