Transition strategies for accomplishing the most with limited staff

The insurance industry is full of some of the hardest working people with whom I have had the pleasure of forming personally and professionally rewarding relationships. You go to work every day, helping your clients deal with the unforeseeable, the risks that come with being part of the world. I think we can all agree that, in regards to risk and transition, no time in history has been so saturated as 2020. 

In times of crisis and in times of prosperity, the work you do is absolutely essential in shoring up our lives and our financial futures, but with the complications added by pandemic conditions and added regulations, the typical office environment has been disrupted, temporarily reducing staff or forcing companies to utilize remote technologies. 

We are recovering, steadily rebuilding toward pre-pandemic numbers, but we need to be smart. The insurance space has to make decisions and strategies that are rooted in long-term goals, in building insurance entities that are not only resilient but versatile. In order to accomplish this, and make the use of every resource available, there are a few methods that might seem like common sense but, if implemented with discipline, can facilitate growth in even the most “uncertain” of times of transition. 

Planning, not Micromanagement 

How often have you been part of an organization where the right hand didn’t know what the left was doing? Whether you’re in the office together, working remotely or some combination of both, a team needs to meet regularly, communicate progress and report challenges, keeping your staff up to date and aware of any opportunities to put their skills to use. It is important to allow team members to find their own solutions, trusting them to do the job they were hired for. 

Make Use of the Available Tools

A good project management platform (like Monday, Trello or Wrike), allows your leadership to observe tasks as they are completed and milestones achieved and to look over those final products that represent you—all without being heavy-handed. The ability to view projects in a big-picture view can also help you address any problems that may arise with precise and constructive criticism.

Cross-training Equals Readiness

Some folks are incredibly specialized but the majority of roles within a company have some crossover, as do the people that fill them. Discovering the skills and talents an employee has outside their current position and providing them with training that fosters those supplemental skills is key in building a workforce capable of filling multiple rolls, providing support outside their immediate position and becoming a place that produces accomplished leaders.

Use Your Network

My job is to find the right people for the companies and agencies I represent, to bring them candidates who exceed their expectations, professionals who are more than just a resume. A big part of how I do what I do is my network, the relationships and connections I have formed over the years working within this industry. Now, “leverage” might be a buzzword, but in trying times or periods of transition, it is appropriate. Your network can be a powerful tool in gaining access to resources like website development and marketing that might otherwise be out of your wheelhouse.  

The James Allen Companies finds those individuals committed to growing with you, independent and ready to work with and lead the teams you will need to grow during every transition.