For many agencies it may be a struggle getting your team on board. You may be feeling overwhelmed, like you can barely keep up or you may feel frustrated with your team not understanding the new challenges of the insurance world. You’re not alone, I promise! For many agencies you may have grown to a size where you simply cannot do it without some help.
You may feel that you need a supervisor or manager. Try to avoid hiring these positions in this situation at all costs. Supervisors are there to slap people on the wrist for every wrong thing and managers can often be rejected by the team of their peers since they are seen as authority. Instead, focus on getting team leaders.
Now team leaders can have a variety of different roles. Maybe you have a leader of your management system, maybe of personal lines or sales. This person is there to motivate the team, help execute on initiatives and coach the group toward a greater purpose. Now, coaches also have to address lagging performance as well but in a “let’s work on it together way”. When done right, your team leaders help become more like cheerleaders and champion for the agency to hit their goals.
Many agency owners may feel defeated. You tell people you need them to get email addresses, account round and be positive but let’s face it the outcome is often temporary at best. You need to lead and mentor the team leaders just as much as they are leading the team. We can’t leave them out to fend for themselves! They should have a clear strategy that everyone is in agreement with and authority to help execute your vision without constantly having to ask for your permission.
What makes a good team leader? Great question! You want someone who is teachable, has a great attitude and can clearly see a plan for a greater future. This person is not here to appease the team or be liked. You want them to be respected by all of the team leaders as well as the team they are leading. The reality is they need to call plays as they are happening in the field.
A great example of this is when someone is out, look who is diving in to redistribute the work, making sure the team is excited to tackle the challenges of the day and high fiving them for a job well done. That person should be your team leader!
“Great team leaders help people see how they can rise to challenges, not talk about how the challenge will defeat them!” Kelly Donahue-Piro
If you think your team is ready for a team leader that’s great. Give us a shout, we can share with you our team leader job description!
