be Cutting Edge - October 2020

October 2020

A Newsletter Committed to Independent Insurance Agents Success & Engagement

MIIAB has MOVED to Carlson Tower

Our new address is

601 Carlson Parkway, Ste 450

Minnetonka, MN 55305

Our phone numbers and emails are the same.

Do you ever feel like there is way too much appreciation going on in your workplace? If you said no, you’re not alone. Your team would probably say the same thing.

A Gallup survey revealed that 65% of employees haven’t received recognition in the last year. This directly correlates to the studies that consistently report that 2/3 of American workers are disengaged.

Employees who don’t receive recognition are 51% more likely to look for another job; are less motivated to produce more and better work; and they are less likely to respect you as a leader.

It’s easy to see that one of the most important communication skills in a leader’s skill kit is the ability to give positive feedback. This is also one of the most underdeveloped skills for many leaders. The reason is that some leaders just don’t know where to start.

There’s no mistake about it; COVID-19 has devastated certain business sectors, and many would-be buyers, customers, and donors are hurting. To add insult to injury, there are a lot of tone-deaf people sending emails and making calls. Although most likely not deliberately obtuse, they’re insensitive and ineffective just the same.

In times like these, a little empathy can go a long way and have lasting effects. After all, we will come out of this eventually, and when we do, people will remember who was kind and who was cruel. With a little bit of effort, you can up your empathy game and ability to connect with others.

Many businesses and professionals will at some point encounter a visit with an investigator. The investigator may represent a government agency, an internal compliance department, or a third party. Many people mistakenly believe that if they attend the interview and answer the questions, everything will be fine.

This is not always so. It is not uncommon to hear from clients who were ambushed at or ill-prepared for an interview say: “But I thought the truth would set me free.” While many investigators are professional, there are some who can be overly aggressive, less than candid about the purpose of the interview, or who like to play “gotcha.”