“When I talk to managers I get the feeling that they are important.
When I talk to leaders, I get the feeling that I am important.”
Unknown
As we emerge from COVID and start our transition to “normal,” I was struck when I read this quote from a pal of mine that sends me daily, good morning inspirational messages. I attended three in-person insurance related conferences the week before Thanksgiving in Florida, California and Arizona and seeing colleagues, old friends and new friends was very special. Many of the conference sessions discussed artificial intelligence and its impact on a variety of industries, provided new ideas to motivate team members post-COVID when some are having a tough time getting engaged, and shared ideas on what customers want in new products and coverages.
One of the sessions I led dealt with the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in Surfside, Florida and the structural integrity of buildings around the country (see NCOIL Explores Surfside Condo Collapse from our last newsletter). I did my best during this session to not talk so much about the insurability of high rise buildings or the construction of them but to bring the audience into the conversation by discussing WHY this topic is so important. The audience for this session was the National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) and over half of the country’s legislatures were represented, with senators and house/assembly members from Connecticut, New York, Arkansas, Illinois, and the like. I reminded the audience that as the leaders of our country, we must do all we can so that there is never another building collapse. In other words, we have to figure out what is most important and failure to identify that erodes our very quality of life. I was hopeful that each of the audience members would zero in on the key priorities that their constituents and residents need to help make their lives meaningful.
It’s pretty simple and a lesson we can all learn about what’s important and how to make others feel important. Let’s try not to take loved ones, family members, friends and co-workers for granted. Make a conscious effort today to make a list of the most important people in your life and recognize them with a call, text, or a personal visit. I call this “tending to what’s important” and tending to those closest to you is a practical way to make the most out of your life. I am grateful to all of you who support and encourage my work and each of you are important to me.
And let’s please keep in mind the victims of this past Friday night’s tornado devastation in Kentucky and five other states. You can help via your donation to https://www.redcross.org/
Our next edition will be January 3, 2022, kicking off our 10th anniversary year of the LMA Newsletter. Have a great week and a peaceful holiday and New Year!
LMA Newsletter of 12-13-21
