2. Lois Raats MEd CCC BCC
Founder & Principal Consultant
Ready2Grow Associates
• Strategic Planning
• Change Leadership
• Business Development
• 25+ years’ experience across
all sectors & industries
• Email: lois@ready2grow.com
• Twitter: @ready2growlois
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3. Today We’ll Explore:
• Changes, challenges and opportunities in the
mutual insurance industry.
• Issues that emerge from these shifts.
• How change leaders can address issues and
embrace the future.
• How to build a company and an industry
culture that supports growth.
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5. #1. “What’s happening?”
• Notice the shift.
• “Deer in the headlights”.
• Don’t know what to do.
• Keep doing what I’ve always done - harder!
• Do it myself.
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6. #2. Stop. Consider.
• What I’m doing isn’t working!
• Stop doing it.
• Do something different.
• What are my options?
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13. 2. Stop and Consider.
Challenge: Values
Issue:
Our landscape has changed irrevocably.
What values remain key to our identity?
• Individual, company, industry
• Collaboration. Competition. Others.
Important:
Reduce anxiety.
Deepen the dialogue.
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14. Stop and Consider.
Challenge: Innovation
Issues:
• How can we focus more attention on R&D
both as individual companies and as an
industry?
• What projects would we enjoy collaborating
on as an industry?
• What collaborative projects will help to re-
energize our industry /company brand?
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15. Stop and Consider.
Challenge: Consolidation
Issue:
1. Who is best equipped to survive?
2. What are the best solutions – for the
industry, brokers, clients?
3. While individually established, merged
companies face many of the same challenges
as start-ups: brand, business model, team
roles, markets, and so on.
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16. Stop and Consider.
Challenge: Talent
Issue: How can we become more attractive to
younger players?
• Compelling industry brand
• Compelling company brand
• Compelling, engaging communications that
help to attract and retain talent
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18. GenY: “We are…”
• Independent-minded
• Value individual differences
• Self-focused
• Presented-oriented
• Connected
• Hungry to learn and develop
• Want to make a difference
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19. GenY: “We what to work for a
company with…”
• Strong connections
• “Triple bottom line”: profit, people, planet
• Digitally connected
• Learning organization
• Small teams
• Close to home
(i.e. mutual insurance industry?…)
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21. Stop and Consider.
OPPORTUNITIES
• Celebrate history, tradition, values
• Reimagine future vision
• Renew industry and overall culture
• Collaborate across the industry
• Innovate across the industry
• Engage the next generation
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22. Stop and Consider.
What is required?
Change Leadership
“Inside out, bottom up”
• Individual
• Company
• Industry
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23. 3. Reach out.
Become a Culture-Builder.
Lessons from CEOs:
• Strengthen strengths.
• Lead from core identity: values, purpose, mission,
and vision.
• Reinforce desired behaviours.
• Seek input from all stakeholders.
• Create a shared story.
• Communicate continually to deepen community.
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24. Why Culture Change is Difficult.
1. Culture is invisible.
2. Culture is not easily measured.
3. The forces that shape it are poorly understood.
4. Culture is shaped through conversations.
5. Conversations carry emotions and are shaped by
beliefs.
6. People would rather avoid these conversations
because they are often not comfortable.
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25. Special Culture Challenges
of Consolidation
“Cut and Paste” Symptoms:
• Games: Us-Them, Winner-Loser, Persecutor-
Victim, Big Fish-Small Fish mentalities
• Feelings – anxiety, grief, loss. “Will I lose my job?
How will my job change? Will I like the new
people? Do I have to relocate? Will I like my new
boss?” etc. etc.
• “Acting out” behaviour. Protectionism, silos,
“presentee-ism”, powerlessness - passive-
aggressive behaviour
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26. Leading Culture Change
during Industry Changes /
Consolidations
• Acknowledge natural emotional reactions to change.
• Review and renew Values.
• Reshape a compelling Vision that inspires action.
• Clarify and renew Purpose and Mission.
• Rebuild teams.
• Build buy-in and alignment with new vision through
culture.
• Motivate and reward new behaviour.
• Attract & retain the right talent.
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28. • Visible values, purpose, mission.
• Walk the talk.
• Set culture as an agenda item in every
meeting. e.g. Choose one value statement. Ask
them what it means, and when it’s been in play
this week.
• Collect and tell stories that reflect our values
and purpose.
Ways to Communicate
Culture Internally
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29. • Create a suggestion box.
• Post answers to suggestions and encourage
responses.
• Seek “Caught you doing right” feedback –
offer praise.
• Use social media to communicate values,
purpose, and vision with your staff.
Ways to Communicate
Culture Internally cont’d
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32. 3. Reach Out.
Core Characteristics of a
Culture that Supports Growth
• Engagement
• Alignment
• Learning
• Shared Leadership
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33. Engaged Employees…
• Work for more than just money.
• PASSIONATE – Care about their work.
• COMPETENT – Do things well.
• LEADERS – Take ownership for the outcome.
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34. Aligned Employees…
• Understand the core vision, values, purpose
and mission of the organization.
• Apply the above on a daily basis according to
the guiding principles.
• Solve problems in an agile fashion: given
freedom to decide, fail, and learn.
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36. Shared Leadership
The best practice for teams is shared leadership.
Leaders:
• Are self-directed.
• Take responsibility and get the job done,
whatever it takes.
• Have clear boundaries.
• Think strategically, not just tactically.
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41. 5. Equipped to Lead Change
• Clear understanding of the challenges.
• Renewed values, purpose, and mission.
• An inspiring and worthwhile vision.
• An engaged, aligned, and self-directed team.
• A supportive ecosystem of industry
associations and partners who foster growth.
• So that you are fully equipped to embrace the
future with hope and confidence.
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42. Today we have taken time to…
• Notice what’s up:
Changes, challenges, and opportunities.
• Stop and consider.
What are the issues?
• Seek input together.
How can we work together to resolve them?
• Shift and enjoy the ride.
• Say a hearty YES! to change.
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Thanks for the introduction.
I’m really excited to be here.
I help business owners strengthen and improve their businesses so that they can get better at making the difference they want to make in the world.
Down there below on the right you will see my husband Dan, who has supported me in so many ways over the last 31 years.
Can’t join us today because he’s working at SunLife.
For the last 18 years, he’s worked at SunLife as a Data Analyst, currently involved in fraud detection.
Well, actually, he’s worked for The Mutual Group, which bought Prudential and MetLife, demutualized and became Clarica, which was then bought out by SunLife.
So from basically the same desk, he has worked for 3 different insurance companies over the last 18 years.
I’ll tell another story that includes him in a minute…
I’d like to share a story about Dan and I.
As I’m doing so, I’d like you to listen for strategies I used to work with this experience.
Reflect on how these strategies relate to you in your company, as well as to the industry as a whole.
How many of you are boaters or canoe-ers?
Been to Algonquin Park?
My husband Dan and I love to canoe.
Every few years we find ourselves in Algonquin.
On this particular Saturday afternoon last fall, we’d started off at our resort, and paddled up through Canoe Lake, over the portage to Joe Lake, into Little Joe Lake, and back out.
Really nice little afternoon excursion.
Doing my thing…right side, left side…
We’ve gone through Canoe, up through Joe Lake, into Little Joe Lake, and back out. Nice little 5 hour trip.
Just in sights of the resort on the way back.
Something shifted. Did God reach down his finger and stir the lake? I don’t know but that’s what it felt like.
Suddenly we’re being swept toward the shore on tour left side.
Rocks, roots, stumps, trees, it’s fall, water is cold…I didn’t want to go in there.
So I have a decision to make.
What am I going to do?
Under normal conditions
Wind came up
Currents changed
We needed to alter our course
We needed to alter our modus operandi
Started both padding on the same side
We were in extraordinary conditions we needed a plan
We tried the usual
…
We weren’t really in mortal danger here.
We knew it was pretty unlikely that our canoe would go down.
But still…
There was that moment when the adrenaline was flowing bigtime. The urgent immediately became the important.
All those feelings you get when you’re encountering a change you don’t yet know how to manage.
I’ve entitled today’s presentation “Navigating Change River…Together”.
Because things are changing rapidly.
The future is not certain.
What we used to do is not necessarily producing the results we want.
The people in the boat are not even necessarily the best ones for the job.
But the job must be done.
The river must be navigated.
The goal must be reached.
And we’re all in this together.
And I’m hoping you will not only think about it here.
But that you will take your insights and discuss them with your peers – over break or lunch.
Because we don’t often enough get a chance to think about things collectively, do we?
We’re too busy chopping trees in our own forest to ask as the question – what are we doing in this forest?
In the midst of all this, I suddenly found myself flooded with adrenaline.
I realized I was actually having fun!
In order to lead change, you have to start by embracing it.
Once we overcome our anxiety and doubt, we can start to enjoy ourselves.
Rocks, roots, water…
Progressive companies are always asking “what’s happening?”
Always scanning the horizon.
Spoke to 4 industry CEO’s in preparation for this talk.
Some themes emerged.
Let’s take a closer look.
What is so core to us that we will not be able to change it without radically altering who we are as an industry
One CEO noticed that even though there may be money available, there hasn’t been a concerted effort to use that money to prepare for the future.
Brokers need larger territories.
Consolidation / mergers.
Immediate solution, but longer-term challenges.
Danger is you have companies with histories and traditions, but together they basically comprise a start-up.
Need to overcome aversion to change, build a new common vision, align the teams, develop culture that supports new vision.
Plan changes.
Communicate changes effectively to team.
Fewer but larger brokers.
Brokers have 91% of the Canadian commercial market - creates opportunities to cross-sell personal insurance to existing customers.
http://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/news/cip-society-speakers-discuss-impact-of-direct-writers/1002258875/?&er=NA
Succession planning nil and too late.
Retirements of senior officers. Have leaders been identified, mentored, and equipped for leadership?
Attracting younger talent.
They accept new tech easier.
But as a group, they want rewards prior to putting in time.
They don’t have the patience to put in the time. Want balance & benefits.
New management models are needed.
(What are they?)
Compensation and rewards are different.
Increased benefits, recognition. Not necessarily more expensive.
They’re adaptable.
Positive acceptance of mutual culture.
Our philosophy meshes with theirs.
Will look at total package
e.g. Salary not everything.
Canny
1. we are very focused on ourselves, we have a fast-paced life, we think more about the present than the future
2. someone that is inspiring, relatable, and passionate about their work/company
3. open to innovation/creativity, a company that involves its lower members
Gunjan
a) We are connected; not distracted. b) We have an unlimited need to learn. c) The way we express our curiosity is a reflection of our individual personalities (i.e. if I meet someone, I will immediately find them on social media and try to determine a mutual interest because I like to talk to people.)
a) Charisma. b) Open-minded. c) Creative.
A digitally-connected, open-minded environment in which I feel comfortable in expressing my opinions, ideas, and stepping up to go above and beyond my role.
Carson
1. We want: Apple Computers, 10 - 6 working hours, Office close to home
2. Goal oriented, financially responsible, clear communicator
3. Onboarding activities for new employees, small teams, celebrate success benchmarks, learning opportunities / conferences
Chungsoon
1 - most connected; not satisfied with the norm; looking to do meaningful work
2 - challenges the status quo; will support ideas with no fear of losing own status; does not view employees as employees, but as friends
3 - I would like to work at a company with a triple bottom line
Canny
1. we are very focused on ourselves, we have a fast-paced life, we think more about the present than the future
2. someone that is inspiring, relatable, and passionate about their work/company
3. open to innovation/creativity, a company that involves its lower members
Gunjan
a) We are connected; not distracted. b) We have an unlimited need to learn. c) The way we express our curiosity is a reflection of our individual personalities (i.e. if I meet someone, I will immediately find them on social media and try to determine a mutual interest because I like to talk to people.)
a) Charisma. b) Open-minded. c) Creative.
A digitally-connected, open-minded environment in which I feel comfortable in expressing my opinions, ideas, and stepping up to go above and beyond my role.
Carson
1. We want: Apple Computers, 10 - 6 working hours, Office close to home
2. Goal oriented, financially responsible, clear communicator
3. Onboarding activities for new employees, small teams, celebrate success benchmarks, learning opportunities / conferences
Chungsoon
1 - most connected; not satisfied with the norm; looking to do meaningful work
2 - challenges the status quo; will support ideas with no fear of losing own status; does not view employees as employees, but as friends
3 - I would like to work at a company with a triple bottom line
Canny
1. we are very focused on ourselves, we have a fast-paced life, we think more about the present than the future
2. someone that is inspiring, relatable, and passionate about their work/company
3. open to innovation/creativity, a company that involves its lower members
Gunjan
a) We are connected; not distracted. b) We have an unlimited need to learn. c) The way we express our curiosity is a reflection of our individual personalities (i.e. if I meet someone, I will immediately find them on social media and try to determine a mutual interest because I like to talk to people.)
a) Charisma. b) Open-minded. c) Creative.
A digitally-connected, open-minded environment in which I feel comfortable in expressing my opinions, ideas, and stepping up to go above and beyond my role.
Carson
1. We want: Apple Computers, 10 - 6 working hours, Office close to home
2. Goal oriented, financially responsible, clear communicator
3. Onboarding activities for new employees, small teams, celebrate success benchmarks, learning opportunities / conferences
Chungsoon
1 - most connected; not satisfied with the norm; looking to do meaningful work
2 - challenges the status quo; will support ideas with no fear of losing own status; does not view employees as employees, but as friends
3 - I would like to work at a company with a triple bottom line
So as leaders, we have many opportunities
Leadership that deepens conversations about issues, and increases possibilities for future solutions.
Inside out
360 – where people tell you what they think of your leadership
Bottom up
Seek input from all of our stakeholders to deepen connections and increase engagement.
Above all, they’re culture-builders.
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This diagram gives us a way of thinking about the kind of cultural shifts that our current marketplace is requiring from us.
Quadrants
Left side
Right side
Earlier stage/smaller companies often have a clan culture based in relationships.
As they’ve matured and needed to create system to manage growth, many have migrate to a hierarchical model.
Marketplace requires a shift from left to right.
Important questions:
What are the shifts we need to make?
In what ways and to what extent will we get involved in these required shifts?
How can we make the necessary shifts without
1. Alienating current employees and customers.
2. Losing our identity.
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When energy is flowing freely through the system, we generate life.
To energize our companies, we need to create the conditions that build lively individuals.
To energize our industry, we build lively organizations with strong interconnections.
I trust that if you can rise to the challenges you will be equipped to lead change.
Redefining Values
Shaping a common Vision
Clarifying Purpose and Mission
Rebuilding teams
Building buy-in and alignment with new vision
Motivating and rewarding new behaviour