NEXTGEN A Season of Change

By: Angela Williams

NextGen Chair

Huggins Insurance

January 1st is traditionally a date symbolic for change. New Year’s resolutions are created, the accounting year starts over, change of leadership occurs, laws change. “To everythingturn, turn, turn. There is a season-turn, turn, turn. And a time to every purpose, under heaven.” If I am being honest, I do not like change. I prefer traditions, same routines, same restaurants, same beauty products…you get the idea. Over the years, I have discovered my resistance to change can cause me to have tunnel vision and I can miss out on something incredibly good in my life. Why is change hard?

In 2023, my first glimpse of change will be as the new Chairman of the NextGen committee. For the next year, I have the pleasure of leading a team of insurance professionals where our goals are to focus on supporting and developing independent insurance professionals who are under 45 years old or have less than five years experience in the insurance industry. As the chairman of the committee, my goal is to partner with agencies and get more young insurance professionals involved in Big I events. It’s important to hire young new agents, and train them up to create the next generation of insurance professionals. Remember it’s important not just to be a boss, but to be a mentor.

As agents, we know change in the insurance industry is inevitable. Change will happen, it’s just a matter of time. Is your office about to embark on a season of change? Change in agency ownership and/or leadership change? New agency management system? New employees in the office? Whatever change lies ahead for your agency, it’s important to get employee buy-in for a smooth transition. First, meet with your team and lay out the vision for the agency. Involve the team and personalize responsibilities. Be consistent and make sure communication is always happening within the team. Always keep the team involved and lead by example with a positive attitude. A positive attitude will give you the power to motivate, the power to inspire and the power to influence others.

What change will you encounter in 2023? A new monarch will be crowned in 2023 with the coronation of King Charles III. This will mark 70 years since the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. Talk about generational and historical change. As you find yourself in the trenches of change, I encourage you to look forward and don’t look back. We can learn from the past, by not repeating the same mistakes. Embrace the future with an open mindset, courage and expectations of excellence. Find your community with family, friends and industry professionals and encourage one another with positivity and tenacity. “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” Winston Churchill