REFINING YOUR SKILLS FOR THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTUREAlex Gallacher,EngageHR

FRIENDS, THIS IS NOT DISNEYLAND.

AND OTHER GUIDES TO NAVIGATING THE RIVER OF CHANGE

Alex Gallacher MBA, CHRP, SHRP, ICD.D

EVER BEEN WHITE WATER RAFTING?Here’s what we know going in:• Wear protective gear!• Mental and physical strength are required.• Listen to your guide. • The river can be unpredictable, with lots of hidden dangers.• The river moves fast. You can not stay in the same spot. If u don’t navigate it properly, the river will knock you around and could overturn your raft.This adventure is not for everyone. If you fear it, here is one critical fact to consider….

THIS IS NOT DISNEYLAND;THE RIVER CAN’T BE TURNED OFF!

Let’s apply the WWR metaphor. Good news: Running a brokerage today can be as exhilarating as a good WWR adventure.Bad news: The environment we are in todaymakes it tougher and tougher to do this successfully. Why? We are reactive about:• Political environment driving consumers • Economic environment (M&A activity, direct writers) • Shifting demographics • Constant technological changes We have no control over these forces. The rate of change will only accelerate.

Reality CheckA May 2014 Canadian Auto Insurance Study published by J.D. Power/McGraw Hill Financial reveals:

26% of respondents rated “Interaction” as the #1 factor in customer satisfaction.

InteractionPrice

Policy OfferingsBilling & Payment

Claims

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Customer Ranking

Bigger Reality CheckThe study also found that as compared to last year:• Interactions with Local Agents or Brokers is 6%

lower.• Interactions with call centre representatives are

4% higher.• Website Interactions are 2% higher.

WHAT CAN WE CONTROL?We can use what we know about the external environment to better prepare for and navigate that fast moving river.

• Question: What is the most critical and yet underleveraged tool in your business?

• If you guessed your BMS, think bigger, more expensive, more fun and more challenging.

People

How to better leverage your people before you hop onto the river:

Hire for competencies that enable change:• Flexibility / Adaptability• Relationship Management / Development• Innovative Thinking / Problem Solving• Pro-actively Customer Centric

How to do this:• Make a job ad sing• Behavioural and team (not panel) interviewing• Personality/personal inventory tools & metrics• Ensure the business culture and systems enable the behaviours that you want.

Onboarding and IntegrationThink about how we normally do this:• Meet the troops• Show the ropes• Train• Incentivize• “Integrate”

What’s the result a year later?

MORE OF THE SAME• We tend to try to make people fit

the company mold.• Problem: the company mold, as it stands is likely

breeding process efficiency, not flexibility and innovation.

Join me for 10 minutes of interesting insight with Dan Pink.

VIDEO• Drive: The surprising truth about what

motivates us:• www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc

Key Messages

• We have to start to think differently about how great work happens.

• Innovation and creativity tend not to happen in a 4X6 cubicle under fluorescent lights, in front of a computer, with a manual that offers step by step, error free transactions to take place, with rewards that incentivize speed and volume.

Multi-Tasking MerrilI Got This!

• Flexibility / Adaptability• Relationship Management /

Development• Innovative Thinking /

Problem Solving• Pro-active Customer

Centricity

Create the EnvironmentIf you want to breed innovation, flexibility, fun, ability to build relationships with customers: • Create an environment that enables those

things where your “change agents” can thrive.• Build your job descriptions, performance

management construct, company policies, rewards and recognition programs to support these.

What would happen if:• Your change agents were allowed to work from home one day a month and his/her

only task is to come up with a process improvement?• A team meeting happened outside the office once a month, lead by a change agent, to

discuss/present a topic of his/her choice related to change?• Part of regular work included working in a different department for two weeks at a

time until all employees have worked in every department….doing that department’s work?

• People were rewarded for innovation?

Take a dive! It’s an experiment. Trigger those rightbrains and see if creative ideas come forward.Then it’s your job to help see those ideas through.

Closing ThoughtsThe river is moving fast.

This is not Disneyland, it’s white water.

BUTYou CAN greatly influence, enjoy, and reap the rewards of the ride.

Grab your paddle!

Enjoy the balance of ORBiT’s Real Time Day 2014

ENGAGE HR™

www.engagehr.com#ENGAGE_HR905.306.8111