12 Dec E&O Is a Marathon – Not a Sprint
“E&O is a marathon – not a sprint” is an expression I have used many times. As much as everyone in the agency (especially senior management) would like to perfect their E&O culture in the shortest time possible, that is typically not how it happens. Imagine, one day, you decide you will run a marathon, all 26.2 miles. You have some physical abilities, so you decide to lace up your running shoes and proceed on your journey. After a few miles, you are winded and tired and call it a day. You realize how hard this is and that it will take a plan and a means of measuring progress. Achieving the ability to run a marathon takes time and constant improvement. In that respect, this is very similar to achieving a solid E&O culture. It takes time and a plan with the ability to measure success.
“Agencies don’t make mistakes, people do” is also one of my favorite expressions. The goal for each agency is for each of their staff (veterans included) to grow in their awareness and respect for how important an E&O culture is.
With 2024 just around the corner, I would strongly encourage every agency staff person (owners as well) to establish a couple of realistic yet challenging goals to strengthen the agency’s overall E&O culture. You may ask, “What could an owner do?” In the E&O world, it is critical that management “walk the walk and talk the talk.” The staff needs to hear and feel that message. As each person in the agency grows in their E&O commitment, the agency, as a whole, grows.
A valid question for each agency staff member (including owners) is, “Where are you today in your E&O commitment?” This is a key starting point. Then, ask yourself, “What could I do to strengthen that commitment?” Each person may have a different response, and that is fine. Your audit scores may leave something to be desired, or you realize your commitment to documentation is lacking. There are a wide range of issues. If you are unsure what your commitment to E&O is, how about asking your immediate supervisor? This should make for a serious discussion on the topic, and including this E&O development in your annual performance review should be strongly considered. At a minimum, your individual goal should be more than a thought; it should be on paper and detailed with specific objectives.
From the corporate perspective, a number of the agencies I am honored to work with have established an E&O Quality Management Program Committee to complement this further. This committee is made up of representatives from the various divisions. They meet at least quarterly throughout the year and make a report at the agency’s Board of Directors meetings. This type of effort and oversight is extremely impressive and has resulted in substantial growth in their E&O culture.
For many years, I have included questions on training in the annual E&O Plus reviews. If agencies were to ask themselves for three major goals in 2024, there is no doubt that training should be one of those goals. This has always been important, but with the new staff coming into agencies (many with minimal insurance experience and knowledge), its level of importance has probably never been higher.
How many agency staff will retire in the next five years, and how will we fill those positions? This is an exercise that every agency should be determining. When I ask the staff during the reviews whether they are fully staffed, a common response is, “Yes, we are fully staffed, on paper.” In other words, the bodies are in the seats, but the experience level is minimal.
Building a strong E&O culture involves every single agency staff member and the organization as a whole. How will you, as a valuable team member, improve your E&O commitment? The goals should be meaningful, measurable, and achievable. This will make a difference in building a strong E&O culture, one step at a time.