Recently I’ve been working with several insurance consulting clients and there has been a repeat fear of the team’s reaction to change. Very few people love change. I happen to think it’s great. If change doesn’t work we can always go back right? However for many people change is scary, it brings uncertainty, doubt and what I call a case of the worst case scenarios. The challenge for agency leadership is we often give up when get the first signs of resistance.
When we speak across the country, agents believe in the outline we provide of what needs to be done. It’s doing it that’s terrifying! We commonly see the following push back from staff:
- I’m already too busy.
- Our customers won’t like that.
- Are you crazy? There is no way we can accomplish that!
- We tried this once already and it didn’t work.
Now agency ownership usually gives us the following reasons why we can’t do something:
- I’ve told them to do it and it never happens.
- They say they are too busy.
- They will roll their eyes and give push back.
- I don’t want to micromanage.
- How will we track that.
Here is the reality. We all give up too early. Any change as an adult that’s worth it takes time, effort and discomfort. Being awesome isn’t easy. But it starts with ownership. You have to outlast the suck to get to a better place.
Compare it to working out. Everyone knows you should exercise. But let’s face it, starting sucks. But when you outlast the suck, you see the results.
It’s the same in an agency. You have to outlast the suck of the learning curve, of a new process, of getting uncomfortable and wait to see the results. One of the reasons client’s like working with us is we help them through the suck of change. We have done it so we know the first 60 days are hard. If you don’t outlast the suck, how will your agency transform? What’s tough is always worth it!
