As a parent of a young son and two daughters I have seen a dynamic that has changed in the world of competitive sports….every player gets a TROPHY, win or lose!
Yet it today’s message I want to look at this dynamic from the perspective of an Agency Business Owner, their team and the organization that they own and run. As a Business Owner do you award your Team for exceeding goals, achieving Agency targets or DO THEY ALL EARN A TROPHY FOR ATTENDANCE? In my experience in the Coaching, Training and working with Insurance Agents for over the past 17 years at the time of this writing, it is definitely the latter. Awards for attendance, recognition for past achievements and maintaining what was once an achievement but today should be the EXPECTATION. In many Insurance Agencies and Small Businesses today, the Team Members have taken over too much control and Agency Business Owners are fearful of holding their Team Members accountable to expansion, achievement and winning based on the measures you set.
How often I hear the story, “I gave him/her a raise because it was their annual raise.” Huh? What does that mean? Because I chose to “attend” work I should earn more? Where do I sign up to work for you? I can attend work and stay there and keep earning more. Hell, why would I ever want to leave!
Here is the deeper question we all must ask ourselves: When did I become so entitled? Why does my Manager/Company/Carrier owe me an accolade or award for doing my job and doing it well? Didn’t I earn more money for my efforts? Every month you employ a Team Member don’t you absorb an expense? Do you make more money just from them attending? And for yourself have you gotten in a pattern of, “you owe me for an award I once earned 5 years, or 10 years ago.” Awards are for winning, not for attending, not for hitting the same goal as the past. Our world is creating children that are entitled and those children potentially become employees and even worse Agency Business Owners that FEEL ENTITLED!
THOUGHTS TO PONDER TODAY: Does an award really feel good when you didn’t win, you didn’t grow, or you didn’t expand? What fuels you more, losing and not receiving an award or recognition and watching the other Team (other Agency Owner) who actually did win, grew his/her Agency, ELEVATED and hit monumental levels? This concept is going to be hard for many of you to swallow if you are the entitled one and/or if you are now recognizing you are running an Agency of entitled Team Members. Answer this question for yourself: how does that shiny trophy, NEW WATCH, new plaque feel compared TO THE REVENUE IN THE BANK FROM A YEAR OF MASSIVE ELEVATION AND GROWTH. And lastly, if you were awarding your Team for achieving and exceeding YOUR Agency Targets how much better would that feel as compared to the ATTENDANCE award. As I finish today I leave you with this thought be better, make your Team better and recognize none of us are entitled to AWARDS. Our improvement not our consistency is what ELEVATES ALL OF US. Recognize improvement in others and seek improvement in yourself. If you only seek recognition for what you have done before, YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED TO AN AWARD. Trophies and awards are designed for winning, not just playing and staying the same!
John Lucero, is a successful business owner with over 20 years of experience in multi-line insurance agency operations for several major National Brands. With an expertise in Recruiting, Educating, Coaching, Developing and Product Knowledge, his passion and drive to ELEVATE Insurance Agencies to higher levels of success is what keeps him inspired about the future and motivated about making a difference.
