Context: the missing ingredient in new hire training
Although it’s often true the more things change, the more they stay the same, there are some valuable insurance industry practices that have unfortunately faded over time. The move toward specialization and technological advancement with an eye toward speed and efficiency has left little room in busy schedules for picking up the more subtle art of the business.
This art need not be lost if managers, supervisors and mentors would just a little time to help their employees, particularly the new ones, by sharing a critical training practice that has sadly become the missing ingredient for too many–context.
One definition of context: “the interrelated conditions in which something exists,” hits what’s missing dead center. The brightest of employees can learn what to do, what to say, or what to send to whom to a high level of perfection, but without context, their execution lacks understanding of the bigger picture. Context helps employees think through complex problems in the absence of their seniors.
Distinguishing effects
Context equips employees to distinguish between laws, rules, contractual obligations, traditions and whims. Context tells employees who the impact players in their industry are and why. It gives employees the reasons some grow to love this business, not merely practice it. Context energizes service and encourages growth. It is vital for long-term success.
Context is not a concept with sharply defined edges. It is fuzzy at best and perhaps therein lies part of the problem. Maybe we can narrow the focus. Consider as a substitute, then, the stories told by those with some gray on their heads.
I have been lucky to have had a few gray-haired mentors. They told rich stories during lunches, over coffee, or on long drives to see clients. They had stories to tell about policies and coverage, agency practices, carrier practices, even paperwork and procedures.
Their stories were about people and the decisions they made in the past. They were about companies–who was who, who bought who, who went under. The tales were about decisions they and others made, both the stupid and the smart. They were about personalities and motivations. They were about whom to trust and respect. Sure, those kinds of stories can go on forever and waste valuable time, but they don’t have to. They are part of the learning process. They give context.
Think of all the things a new employee in this business is challenged to learn. There are complex contracts of every variety, dozens of pages long. There are underwriting and manual rules and rules about binding. There are rating plans with credits for this and debits for that. There are cancellation rules and financing issues, and ways to split commissions. There are endorsements and certificates of insurance. That’s not even counting automation systems and customer service procedures.
Yet, for each and every aspect of the business there is a rationale, a history, a story that explains why it needs to be done. The stories make all that we do make sense. Puts it in perspective. Without them, my advice for anyone trying to learn it all would be, “Run.”
How can an agency emphasize context in its training?
First, recognize its value and make time for it in your training plan. Not huge chunks, but small bites. Work face-to-face when you can. It could be over lunch or during a drive. It could be at the end of the day when those last 15 minutes are often wasted anyway.
Second, let others into your training plan. Some of the best stories come from those in your organization who may not have regular contact with your new hires. Schedule short question and answer sessions with those who have a little gray. Chances are they will enjoy the exercise, too.
Third, encourage questions. Coach employees to write down all things they’ve noticed but don’t understand to ask their mentor.
Fourth, instead of looking for a specific result, look for well-rounded growth in the employee. The more they learn with context, the more their confidence will grow.
Fifth, quiz them on why things are done, and let them guess. Challenge them to think.
Finally, don’t stop. Remember that the goal is not to train robots, but instead to help the untrained grow into responsible, respected and accomplished professionals who make good decisions.
Paul Martin is director of education for the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas and can be reached at pmart@iiat.org