Now, before I go any further, let me just say that I’m not trying to imply here that the church insurance business is more unsavory than any other insurance business. You’ll find these same things going on with any insurance company. However, churches tend to put more trust than they should in church insurance companies just because they work primarily with churches. That trust will cost you a lot of money.
And some agents understand all too well that they can take advantage of that trust. While most of people who work in that business are probably fine, upstanding citizens, there are also some problem children out there. I’ll give you an example – we’ll call him Mr. Big Bible. Mr. Big Bible worked for a competitor and was known to show up for his appointments with pastors and church boards with a big bible under his arm, even though there was no business purpose whatsoever to have a bible in an insurance meetings. From some of the stories I heard he put on a pretty good show, praying before the meeting and working in the appropriate Godly language. He probably would have preached the Sunday service if they asked him.
Unfortunately, his customers and potential customers didn’t have the whole picture of Mr. Big Bible. You see, at the same time he was leading board members in prayer he was also secretly hiring people to come to our office after hours and dig through our dumpster to find reports and other paperwork with information about our clients. Unfortunately, it hadn’t ever occurred to anyone that paperwork like that should be shredded, so Mr. Big Bible was able over a period of time to amass quite a library of important information. He not only had names and addresses of church clients, but he had their policy expiration dates, premiums, and even specific coverages.
He would then send his agents to those churches to offer quotes, and of course they’d come in like the insurance version of King Solomon, wise in the ways of insurance. They’d try not to be completely obvious by saying things like “normally when we see a policy from that company it has A, B & C at these limits (that are lower than ours), and doesn’t have X, Y and Z that we include”. Sure enough, the customer would pull out their policy and everything the agent said was right on the money. They were freaking geniuses! An awful lot of business was lost to Mr. Big Bible before one of his minions tipped off the program and a lawsuit and big dollar settlement (not to mention a contract with a shredding company) brought it all to a close. Of course, all the money went to the agency owners and not a dime trickled down to the agents who had lost hundreds or thousands of dollars in commissions due to the agency's failure to protect important customer information.
My advice, if an agent walks into your office carrying a big Bible, throw him out. He’s just using it to gain your trust and get your money. And even if he doesn’t walk in carrying a big bible, remember why he’s there. He doesn’t work for a charity.
Related Tags: Church Insurance, Church Mutual Insurance, GuideOne Insurance, Brotherhood Insurance, Philadelphia Insurance, Church Mutual, GuideOne, Insurance For Religious Organizations, Insurance For Churches, Church Insurance Programs, Church Insurance Agent
Selasa, 05 Januari 2010
4 Ways to Avoid an Auto Body Shop
We hope this blog post finds everyone getting around safe during this snowy weather. Below is an article that Center City Collision wrote on advice for safe driving during snow. Center City Collision is an auto body repair shop in central Cincinnati.
4 ways to avoid an auto body shop… on December 30th, 2009 by Kevin Rains
Not that we want you to stay away if you need us but there are several things that you can do to significantly decrease your chances of having an accident and needing an auto body shop…
4 key areas to consider:
1. Visibility: Have you ever gone to your car in the morning after a frost and couldn’t find that ice scraper that you swore would still be in there from last year. So you start rooting around the car looking for anything that might break through the frost or ice. You blast the defroster full tilt but you’re in a hurry so you grab your driver’s license or a credit card (where is that “reward points” card when you really need it!) and clear a spot that is just big enough to barely see through if you hunker down in your seat and pray you don’t need any peripheral vision… rough way to start the day! Then you realize that maybe the wiper fluid will help melt the ice but the last few drops of water squirt out and just add one more layer of ice before emptying the resovoir… yeah.. now it’s even rougher. AHA! The wipers… the next secret weapon in your ice war arsenal to the rescue. Oh wait… the rubber is just about completely worn off. They needed to be changed 2 years ago but somehow you managed to forget repeatedly and now the wipers are not an ally but a highly developed smudging tool.
The lesson: low cost things like wiper blades, washer fluid (the kind that won’t freeze), and an ice scraper (we have free ones at the shop if you need one) can make a big difference. The hard thing is remembering you need them before you actually do.
One other thing on visibility: check your mirrors. Make sure they are all in working order and set to where they can actually do you some good. Especially important when cars have multiple drivers and they need to constantly be re-set to the current driver. Again, a few seconds to adjust them can save you from a costly and time consuming accident.
2. Traction: Your tires are among your biggest allies when it comes to avoiding accidents. Check for wear and tear (if you see a metal belt starting to show or excessive wear – or worse still – balding on the edges its time for new tires) and inflation to the specifications listed on the side of the tires. Also, consider having them rotated every so often. Tire rotation during a routine maintenance or oil changes is a good time to take care of this.
3. Brakes: Have your brakes checked during maintenance as well. When your brakes feel spongy or don’t allow you to stop quickly if needed its time for them to be changed.
4. Distractions: Recent studies have shown that drivers are 6 times more likely to have an accident if they are texting. Phone calls and texting are gaining on drinking and driving as the number one cause for auto accidents.
So in summary here’s a list of things to do to decrease your chances of having an accident:
- ice scraper in the glove box at all times- fill up your windshield washer reservoir with no-freeze washer fluid- keep your wiper blades in good working order and change them at the first signs of wear and tear- make sure your mirrors are set for you to have good visibility- check your tire pressure and make sure it is up to factory recommendations- check for tire wear and tear or balding- rotate your tires during routine maintenance or oil changes- have your brakes routinely serviced and changed as needed- DO NOT text and drive- if you’re going to use your phone while driving (which is not recommended) at least get a hands-free ear piece so your hands can stay on the steering wheel- I’ll just go ahead and state the obvious as well: Do not drink and drive… ever.
4 ways to avoid an auto body shop… on December 30th, 2009 by Kevin Rains
Not that we want you to stay away if you need us but there are several things that you can do to significantly decrease your chances of having an accident and needing an auto body shop…
4 key areas to consider:
1. Visibility: Have you ever gone to your car in the morning after a frost and couldn’t find that ice scraper that you swore would still be in there from last year. So you start rooting around the car looking for anything that might break through the frost or ice. You blast the defroster full tilt but you’re in a hurry so you grab your driver’s license or a credit card (where is that “reward points” card when you really need it!) and clear a spot that is just big enough to barely see through if you hunker down in your seat and pray you don’t need any peripheral vision… rough way to start the day! Then you realize that maybe the wiper fluid will help melt the ice but the last few drops of water squirt out and just add one more layer of ice before emptying the resovoir… yeah.. now it’s even rougher. AHA! The wipers… the next secret weapon in your ice war arsenal to the rescue. Oh wait… the rubber is just about completely worn off. They needed to be changed 2 years ago but somehow you managed to forget repeatedly and now the wipers are not an ally but a highly developed smudging tool.
The lesson: low cost things like wiper blades, washer fluid (the kind that won’t freeze), and an ice scraper (we have free ones at the shop if you need one) can make a big difference. The hard thing is remembering you need them before you actually do.
One other thing on visibility: check your mirrors. Make sure they are all in working order and set to where they can actually do you some good. Especially important when cars have multiple drivers and they need to constantly be re-set to the current driver. Again, a few seconds to adjust them can save you from a costly and time consuming accident.
2. Traction: Your tires are among your biggest allies when it comes to avoiding accidents. Check for wear and tear (if you see a metal belt starting to show or excessive wear – or worse still – balding on the edges its time for new tires) and inflation to the specifications listed on the side of the tires. Also, consider having them rotated every so often. Tire rotation during a routine maintenance or oil changes is a good time to take care of this.
3. Brakes: Have your brakes checked during maintenance as well. When your brakes feel spongy or don’t allow you to stop quickly if needed its time for them to be changed.
4. Distractions: Recent studies have shown that drivers are 6 times more likely to have an accident if they are texting. Phone calls and texting are gaining on drinking and driving as the number one cause for auto accidents.
So in summary here’s a list of things to do to decrease your chances of having an accident:
- ice scraper in the glove box at all times- fill up your windshield washer reservoir with no-freeze washer fluid- keep your wiper blades in good working order and change them at the first signs of wear and tear- make sure your mirrors are set for you to have good visibility- check your tire pressure and make sure it is up to factory recommendations- check for tire wear and tear or balding- rotate your tires during routine maintenance or oil changes- have your brakes routinely serviced and changed as needed- DO NOT text and drive- if you’re going to use your phone while driving (which is not recommended) at least get a hands-free ear piece so your hands can stay on the steering wheel- I’ll just go ahead and state the obvious as well: Do not drink and drive… ever.
From School Cafeteria to the Theater
Here's a rare success story involving a start-up church. Back in about 1999 I got a call from a lady who was the treasurer for a brand new start-up church in South San Diego County that needed insurance in order to rent a school for their Sunday services. I drove to her home and sat at the kitchen table to fill out the paperwork with her and her pastor. I probably did 20 of these a year and most of them never got beyond the struggling congregation stage where they started.
A year or so later she called again, this time to tell me that they had decided to lease some office space for the church staff because the church was growing and they couldn't run it out of her kitchen anymore. Something was going right down there.
Another two or three years passed and she called again. A multi-plex theater building in her city had come available and the church had grown so much they wanted to buy it. It had formerly housed eight theaters and was a very large building valued at more than $2 million dollars. They bought that building, gutted and rebuilt it for the use of their church and the people continued to come in droves. Another building came available next to the former theater, so they bought that. They brought in portable classrooms to handle the overflow. The church now had an attendance of more than 1,500.
About a year before I left the business I had my annual meeting with the pastor and the treasurer, and during the meeting I mentioned how proud I was of the success the church had achieved and how rare it was for a start-up to grow into a megachurch as they had done. He was so thrilled with my comments that he asked me to stay a few minutes longer and speak to the entire church staff at their scheduled staff meeting. I repeated my praise for the staff and could tell they genuinely appreciated the comments.
During my nine years I can only remember four churches that went from a start-up to owning their own church property. Most just struggled along or disappeared. If you're thinking of starting up a new church, it is possible to build it into something amazing, but the odds are against you. Maybe this story will be an encouragement.
Related Tags: Church Insurance, Church Mutual Insurance, GuideOne Insurance, Brotherhood Insurance, Philadelphia Insurance, Church Mutual, GuideOne, Insurance For Religious Organizations, Insurance For Churches, Church Insurance Programs, Church Insurance Agent
A year or so later she called again, this time to tell me that they had decided to lease some office space for the church staff because the church was growing and they couldn't run it out of her kitchen anymore. Something was going right down there.
Another two or three years passed and she called again. A multi-plex theater building in her city had come available and the church had grown so much they wanted to buy it. It had formerly housed eight theaters and was a very large building valued at more than $2 million dollars. They bought that building, gutted and rebuilt it for the use of their church and the people continued to come in droves. Another building came available next to the former theater, so they bought that. They brought in portable classrooms to handle the overflow. The church now had an attendance of more than 1,500.
About a year before I left the business I had my annual meeting with the pastor and the treasurer, and during the meeting I mentioned how proud I was of the success the church had achieved and how rare it was for a start-up to grow into a megachurch as they had done. He was so thrilled with my comments that he asked me to stay a few minutes longer and speak to the entire church staff at their scheduled staff meeting. I repeated my praise for the staff and could tell they genuinely appreciated the comments.
During my nine years I can only remember four churches that went from a start-up to owning their own church property. Most just struggled along or disappeared. If you're thinking of starting up a new church, it is possible to build it into something amazing, but the odds are against you. Maybe this story will be an encouragement.
Related Tags: Church Insurance, Church Mutual Insurance, GuideOne Insurance, Brotherhood Insurance, Philadelphia Insurance, Church Mutual, GuideOne, Insurance For Religious Organizations, Insurance For Churches, Church Insurance Programs, Church Insurance Agent
More Ego Than Evangelism
I'm not sure there's a school in Orange County that doesn't have a church in it on Sunday. When I was writing church insurance I probably wrote 20-25 policies a year for churches renting school space. Why? Does the world really need another struggling church meeting in a building they don't own and with little chance of every growing out of that situation?
Certainly there are many people who have no church affiliation and might benefit from all these dinky congregations, but at the same time there are many church properties sitting idle much of the week, and sitting nearly empty on the weekend, that could be used much more efficiently and to better effect. Are all these pastors of start-up churches called to start a new ministry, or perhaps is it an effort based more on ego than evangelism?
I remember getting a call to quote a large Southern Baptist church in San Diego - large in buildings, anyway. I met with the administrator who told me the church, with an 800 seat auditorium and a nice 2-story educational building, hadn't had a pastor for some time and was now down to about 10 members with an average age of about 75. The church at one time was a thriving community, but cutbacks in the military and changes in the neighborhood had taken their congregation away. The only thing keeping this church afloat was the Christian school that leased their property during the week. The old folks didn't want to change anything they did to attract younger members. They had become a "holy huddle".
Not far from there was a start-up church that had grown very well and was running about 250 in rented school facilities. I half-jokingly told the pastor that he should take all of his people and go join that Southern Baptist church. Once they were members they could vote the old farts off the board and take over the church and it's property. They'd certainly make better use of it than the old people were. I guess you could call that a "holy hostile takeover".
He didn't do it, but he should have. Wasting a church property in the way those old Southern Bapists did is almost blasphemy.
Related Tags: Church Insurance, Church Mutual Insurance, GuideOne Insurance, Brotherhood Insurance, Philadelphia Insurance, Church Mutual, GuideOne, Insurance For Religious Organizations, Insurance For Churches, Church Insurance Programs, Church Insurance Agent
Certainly there are many people who have no church affiliation and might benefit from all these dinky congregations, but at the same time there are many church properties sitting idle much of the week, and sitting nearly empty on the weekend, that could be used much more efficiently and to better effect. Are all these pastors of start-up churches called to start a new ministry, or perhaps is it an effort based more on ego than evangelism?
I remember getting a call to quote a large Southern Baptist church in San Diego - large in buildings, anyway. I met with the administrator who told me the church, with an 800 seat auditorium and a nice 2-story educational building, hadn't had a pastor for some time and was now down to about 10 members with an average age of about 75. The church at one time was a thriving community, but cutbacks in the military and changes in the neighborhood had taken their congregation away. The only thing keeping this church afloat was the Christian school that leased their property during the week. The old folks didn't want to change anything they did to attract younger members. They had become a "holy huddle".
Not far from there was a start-up church that had grown very well and was running about 250 in rented school facilities. I half-jokingly told the pastor that he should take all of his people and go join that Southern Baptist church. Once they were members they could vote the old farts off the board and take over the church and it's property. They'd certainly make better use of it than the old people were. I guess you could call that a "holy hostile takeover".
He didn't do it, but he should have. Wasting a church property in the way those old Southern Bapists did is almost blasphemy.
Related Tags: Church Insurance, Church Mutual Insurance, GuideOne Insurance, Brotherhood Insurance, Philadelphia Insurance, Church Mutual, GuideOne, Insurance For Religious Organizations, Insurance For Churches, Church Insurance Programs, Church Insurance Agent
Senin, 04 Januari 2010
The Mexican Baptist Church
Another story from my early days as a church insurance agent. Part of my territory was Imperial County, CA. The county was kind of an afterthought. Somebody had to cover it, but it was not a desirable area. Imperial County is a very large area geographically that is either farmland (where they have water), desert (where they don't), and a sprinkling of cities, the largest of which is El Centro.
An unfortunately large number of churches in Imperial County are in sad shape. They have older buildings that have spent years subjected to bitter cold in the winter, blazing heat in the summer, and high winds year around. With small congregations there's little money for regular repairs. They're not all that way, but there seems to be a higher percentage of churches like that in Imperial County than other areas I'm familiar with.
I had a call from a Mexican Baptist church in Imperial County just a stone's throw from the Mexican border. The pastor didn't speak any English, but somehow I was able to communicate with him that I needed to tour the building. From the outside it wasn't a bad looking place. It was probably built in the 30's or 40's and had ornate architecture with a big dome.
We made our way into the sanctuary, and although the building was dated, it didn't look too bad. I noticed a section of the rear of the sanctuary was draped off, so I went over to see what was behind the curtain. I figured it was a classroom or meeting area that they want to keep separate from the auditorium. Not quite.
When I pulled back the curtain I found an area where the entire plaster ceiling had fallen in, probably due to a bad roof and water leaks. Plaster was hanging loose on the ceiling, and pieces were on the pews and seats below. I immediately knew that I had wasted an entire day and about 300 miles of driving to come to this church. There's no way we could touch it.
Since I couldn't speak Spanish I couldn't tell the pastor the tour was over, and I didn't want to hurt his feelings, so we continued. The church had a large basement, and as we were walking down the stairs the hand rail pulled out of the wall and the pastor fell down the stairs. It was everything I could do to keep from laughing. Fortunately, he wasn't hurt and as soon as I could I said my goodbyes and began the long drive home.
Needless to say, I didn't extend them an offer.
Related Tags: Church Insurance, Church Mutual Insurance, GuideOne Insurance, Brotherhood Insurance, Philadelphia Insurance, Church Mutual, GuideOne, Insurance For Religious Organizations, Insurance For Churches, Church Insurance Programs, Church Insurance Agent
An unfortunately large number of churches in Imperial County are in sad shape. They have older buildings that have spent years subjected to bitter cold in the winter, blazing heat in the summer, and high winds year around. With small congregations there's little money for regular repairs. They're not all that way, but there seems to be a higher percentage of churches like that in Imperial County than other areas I'm familiar with.
I had a call from a Mexican Baptist church in Imperial County just a stone's throw from the Mexican border. The pastor didn't speak any English, but somehow I was able to communicate with him that I needed to tour the building. From the outside it wasn't a bad looking place. It was probably built in the 30's or 40's and had ornate architecture with a big dome.
We made our way into the sanctuary, and although the building was dated, it didn't look too bad. I noticed a section of the rear of the sanctuary was draped off, so I went over to see what was behind the curtain. I figured it was a classroom or meeting area that they want to keep separate from the auditorium. Not quite.
When I pulled back the curtain I found an area where the entire plaster ceiling had fallen in, probably due to a bad roof and water leaks. Plaster was hanging loose on the ceiling, and pieces were on the pews and seats below. I immediately knew that I had wasted an entire day and about 300 miles of driving to come to this church. There's no way we could touch it.
Since I couldn't speak Spanish I couldn't tell the pastor the tour was over, and I didn't want to hurt his feelings, so we continued. The church had a large basement, and as we were walking down the stairs the hand rail pulled out of the wall and the pastor fell down the stairs. It was everything I could do to keep from laughing. Fortunately, he wasn't hurt and as soon as I could I said my goodbyes and began the long drive home.
Needless to say, I didn't extend them an offer.
Related Tags: Church Insurance, Church Mutual Insurance, GuideOne Insurance, Brotherhood Insurance, Philadelphia Insurance, Church Mutual, GuideOne, Insurance For Religious Organizations, Insurance For Churches, Church Insurance Programs, Church Insurance Agent
The White Mercedes
When I was first starting out as a church insurance agent and doing renewals on my own, one of the first churches I went to was an African-American church in San Diego. It was kind of a run down building in a run down neighborhood, and the church had a history of claims for all kinds of issues, some of which the company probably shouldn't have paid because they were caused by lack of maintenance. Because of the claims history the company had decided to raise the church's deductible from $250 to $2,500 to try and stop the pattern of church repairs paid at insurance company expense.
I met the pastor in his office and for the next hour he gave me one sob story after another about how poor the church was, how he needed a break on his premium, and how they'd try not to file any more claims. I told him that the higher deductible would lower his premium somewhat, but if he had another claim, the church would end up paying a lot more of the costs and could possibly lose their coverage.
He then took me on a tour of the church, the whole time regaling me with more sob stories about the financial condition of the church. The building was insurable, but not by much, but I figured the company would be protected by the higher deductible if anything else happened.
At the conclusion of the meeting I was sitting in my car in front of the building filling in some paperwork, and in my mirror, I saw a nearly new white Mercedes sedan pull out from behind the church. The driver: Mr. "Poor, Poor Me" Pastor. The church couldn't pay their insurance bill, but they had enough money to buy the pastor a new Mercedes.
Some months later there was another claim for something else that shouldn't have been covered. When told that he had to pay the first $2,500, the pastor freaked and immediately starting making racial threats against the company. If the company didn't reduce his deductible AND his premium AND pay the claim as he demanded, he would go to other churches in his association and tell them that the company was racist against black churches. The company folded like a cheap suit.
Sure enough, other claims followed and somebody in the company finally had the guts to cancel the guy. He screamed at me on the phone and in nine years was the only client I ever hung up on. We refused to take him back then, and in later years when he came back begging for reinstatement because nobody else would touch him.
I politely suggested he take his Mercedes and drive it somewhere where they cared.
Related Tags: Church Insurance, Church Mutual Insurance, GuideOne Insurance, Brotherhood Insurance, Philadelphia Insurance, Church Mutual, GuideOne, Insurance For Religious Organizations, Insurance For Churches, Church Insurance Programs, Church Insurance Agent
I met the pastor in his office and for the next hour he gave me one sob story after another about how poor the church was, how he needed a break on his premium, and how they'd try not to file any more claims. I told him that the higher deductible would lower his premium somewhat, but if he had another claim, the church would end up paying a lot more of the costs and could possibly lose their coverage.
He then took me on a tour of the church, the whole time regaling me with more sob stories about the financial condition of the church. The building was insurable, but not by much, but I figured the company would be protected by the higher deductible if anything else happened.
At the conclusion of the meeting I was sitting in my car in front of the building filling in some paperwork, and in my mirror, I saw a nearly new white Mercedes sedan pull out from behind the church. The driver: Mr. "Poor, Poor Me" Pastor. The church couldn't pay their insurance bill, but they had enough money to buy the pastor a new Mercedes.
Some months later there was another claim for something else that shouldn't have been covered. When told that he had to pay the first $2,500, the pastor freaked and immediately starting making racial threats against the company. If the company didn't reduce his deductible AND his premium AND pay the claim as he demanded, he would go to other churches in his association and tell them that the company was racist against black churches. The company folded like a cheap suit.
Sure enough, other claims followed and somebody in the company finally had the guts to cancel the guy. He screamed at me on the phone and in nine years was the only client I ever hung up on. We refused to take him back then, and in later years when he came back begging for reinstatement because nobody else would touch him.
I politely suggested he take his Mercedes and drive it somewhere where they cared.
Related Tags: Church Insurance, Church Mutual Insurance, GuideOne Insurance, Brotherhood Insurance, Philadelphia Insurance, Church Mutual, GuideOne, Insurance For Religious Organizations, Insurance For Churches, Church Insurance Programs, Church Insurance Agent
Jumat, 01 Januari 2010
Leave Alone Slap
This is the first of the people management posts I promised in the blog's Purpose Statement. When I was in banking in the 80's all of us in the management team were required to go through Ken Blanchard's One Minute Manager training. I've long forgotten most of what we spent days learning (the training course is not one minute long), but I do remember Blanchard's description of certain nightmare managers. The one that has stuck with me the longest was called "Leave Alone Slap" (LAS).
LAS managers are the guys who, when things are going well, say nothing. No congratulations, no encouragement, no "attaboys", nothing. You have no idea whether the boss is happy, sad, or insane...until something goes wrong or the boss feels it's time for some new "motivation", and then the boss jumps on you with both feet. Suddenly you're the worst salesman in history, and not only a bad insurance agent but a bad person as well. That's the kind of boss I had in the church insurance agency I worked for. A classic LAS.
I can remember landing a big deal and upon returning to the office with the checks in hand, told the boss about the deal. His response: "That's what you're supposed to do" and he walked off. Real motivating. He doesn't know how close he came to having those checks surgically removed.
I can remember more than once finishing up the year with goals made, trips won, etc., and being called into his office on the first business day of the new year and blasted for some perceived slight. He thought that's how you motivated employees to perform - terror and bullying. In fact, all he did was engender eternal hatred from me and from others treated the same way. Almost to a person his employees hated him, and if he knew it, he didn't care. He was Mr. Christian away from the office and the boss from hell when there.
When friends who had previously worked for him heard I was accepting the job there they warned me not to take the position, and that the boss wasn't what he appeared to be outside of the office. They were more correct than I could have imagined. Surely nobody could be that different in his personal and business life. To paraphrase Barack Obama, yes they can.
Advice to those of you who manage people, whether in business, a church, or anywhere else. Let them know how they're doing. Be encouraging every chance you get. As Blanchard put it, try to catch them doing something right. Sitting in the weeds during the good times and leaping out to terrorize and bully them when things get rough (or just for the fun of it as I suspect my boss did) is not the way people are to be treated if you really want them to perform for you.
And please, if you choose to continue as a Leave Alone Slap, don't call yourself a Christian while you do it.
Related Tags: Church Insurance, Church Mutual Insurance, GuideOne Insurance, Brotherhood Insurance, Philadelphia Insurance, Church Mutual, GuideOne, Insurance For Religious Organizations, Insurance For Churches, Church Insurance Programs, Church Insurance Agent
LAS managers are the guys who, when things are going well, say nothing. No congratulations, no encouragement, no "attaboys", nothing. You have no idea whether the boss is happy, sad, or insane...until something goes wrong or the boss feels it's time for some new "motivation", and then the boss jumps on you with both feet. Suddenly you're the worst salesman in history, and not only a bad insurance agent but a bad person as well. That's the kind of boss I had in the church insurance agency I worked for. A classic LAS.
I can remember landing a big deal and upon returning to the office with the checks in hand, told the boss about the deal. His response: "That's what you're supposed to do" and he walked off. Real motivating. He doesn't know how close he came to having those checks surgically removed.
I can remember more than once finishing up the year with goals made, trips won, etc., and being called into his office on the first business day of the new year and blasted for some perceived slight. He thought that's how you motivated employees to perform - terror and bullying. In fact, all he did was engender eternal hatred from me and from others treated the same way. Almost to a person his employees hated him, and if he knew it, he didn't care. He was Mr. Christian away from the office and the boss from hell when there.
When friends who had previously worked for him heard I was accepting the job there they warned me not to take the position, and that the boss wasn't what he appeared to be outside of the office. They were more correct than I could have imagined. Surely nobody could be that different in his personal and business life. To paraphrase Barack Obama, yes they can.
Advice to those of you who manage people, whether in business, a church, or anywhere else. Let them know how they're doing. Be encouraging every chance you get. As Blanchard put it, try to catch them doing something right. Sitting in the weeds during the good times and leaping out to terrorize and bully them when things get rough (or just for the fun of it as I suspect my boss did) is not the way people are to be treated if you really want them to perform for you.
And please, if you choose to continue as a Leave Alone Slap, don't call yourself a Christian while you do it.
Related Tags: Church Insurance, Church Mutual Insurance, GuideOne Insurance, Brotherhood Insurance, Philadelphia Insurance, Church Mutual, GuideOne, Insurance For Religious Organizations, Insurance For Churches, Church Insurance Programs, Church Insurance Agent
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