|
|
 |
 |
T H U R S D A Y , J A N U A R Y 2 5 , 2 0 0 7
Industry News
LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE & CONVENTION
Register by Feb. 2 to Win PlayStation 3
Early registrants for the 2007 Big “I” Legislative Conference & Convention will be entered in a drawing for a new PlayStation 3 and two Apple iPods. Three registrants’ names will be randomly drawn for the prizes Feb. 2 at noon EST. The recipients of the items will be listed on the Big “I” Web site and will be contacted to coordinate delivery. Those registering after 12:01 p.m. EST on Feb. 2 will not be eligible for the drawing. Click here to event information or to register online.
The Big “I” Legislative Conference & Convention will be held April 25-27 in Washington, D.C. The annual event offers agents an opportunity to experience advocacy, innovation and exhibits not available anywhere else.
Also check out two new videos on the event: “The Sights and Sounds of D.C.” and ”Big‘I’ on the Hill.”
BIG"I" FLOOD PROGRAMSM
New Flood Elevation Certificate & Photo Requirements
Elevation certificates certified (by architects, engineers, surveyors or property owners) on or after Jan. 1, 2007, must be on the new EC form 81-31, February 2006 (EFC). Elevation certificate must meet all photograph requirements in order to be considered valid for rating purposes. Otherwise the application will be rejected or issued using tentative or provisional rates.
An evaluation certificate is required on property located in a special hazard area that was built or substantially improved (or improved after being damaged) after Dec. 31, 1974; or after the date of the initial Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) and is considered post-firm. Check the community status book to see what date a community entered the program and for the FIRM date. Also ask the insured about improvements or damage.
The elevation certificate has been modified to include all building description-related items in section A, dedicating section C to building elevation information. The instructions were improved to provide better guidance for completing the form, and two pages were added for a place to attach the two (or more) color photographs of the front and back of the building.
Those using the Big “I” Flood ProgramSM Selective Direct option and doing quotes themselves on the Flood-on-Line® system, the LFE calculator tool is now available in quote/application. The LFE calculator can assist in determining the proper elevation to use for rating. The tool asks the user to fill in the elevations directly from the elevation certificate form 81-31, dated February 2006. To read more about the LFE calculator, click here.
Here are some helpful hints regarding elevation certificates:
• Have two recent, color photos (3”x 3” or larger) taken within 90 days of mailing the submission and date both photos. One photo should be of the front of the building and the other of the back unless the building is split or multi-level, then at least two additional photos showing views of both sides are needed.
• If using an EC form other than Form 81-31, February 2006, be prepared to provide the same information as required on the new EC form as well as more recent photos.
• Photos can be sent without the official photo form pages from the EC form as long as the photos are dated and identified.
The photo requirements do not apply for a transfer or rollover of an entire book of business to another WYO company or acquisition of a book of business from one WYO company to another. However, in cases when an individual insured decides to change agents or company, the application is considered new business and the photo requirements apply.
More information on elevation certificates, photo requirements and rating flood is available in the NFIP Flood Insurance Manual.
For more information on the Selective Direct option for the Big “I” Flood ProgramSM, go to www.indepenedentagent.com/flood or www.bigimarkets.com or contact Linda Mackey at 800-22-7917, ext. 5380; linda.mackey@iiaba.net.
VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY
Sharpen Your Business Skills
It is a new year, full of promise, new ideas and those dreaded New Year’s resolutions. Everyone looks forward and focuses on change, but does anyone stop to think how they are actually going to meet those new expectations? The Big “I” Virtual University is committed to delivering the tools needed to do just that. The VU provides a number of courses focused on the very important training aspect of change associated with improving business skills.
Today’s business landscape is littered with skeletons of companies that failed to change with shifting conditions. There are many explanations for their failures: they did not anticipate new market demands, chose not to embrace new technologies, lacked a vision and a strategy, didn’t address the concerns of employees, didn’t meet the expectations of stakeholders or in some companies, etc. Regardless of the specific cause of their demise, in each of these examples, conditions outside the company changed faster than within the company. Thus, competitors surpassed the company---or the company just became obsolete.
Change falls in the realm of leaders. In today’s competitive business environment, leaders are judged by the ability and willingness to initiate and implement needed organizational change and to synchronize efforts to achieve improved results. Effective leaders provide the initiative to seek new and better ways for the company to operate in dynamic environments. Leaders are champions of change who seek opportunities for improvement and ways to involve and inspire people to implement improvements. Effectiveness is often defined by the available tools and the ability of leaders to use those tools. The VU is dedicated to helping its members facilitate change by bringing you those very tools through SkillSoft.
One of the universally proven facts about successful and enduring organizational change efforts is that they do not occur easily. Many of the most insightful leaders have seen their organizations fail to take effective actions to change even in the face of rising costs, decreasing product quality and shifting customer demands. Some organizations fail to make needed changes or see change efforts lose their momentum due to parochial cultures, self-centered politics, lack of mutual trust or teamwork, arrogance, fear of failure or of the unknown or lack of leadership at levels below the executive suite.
John Kotter outlines an eight-step process designed to overcome these obstacles to change in his book “Leading Change.” Each the following steps can help avoid the mistakes listed above.
1. Establish a sense of urgency – objectively assess the market and competitive realities. Identify and discuss crises, potential crises or major opportunities. Show indisputable evidence of a need to change.
2. Create the guiding coalition – put together a group with enough power to lead the change.
3. Develop a vision and strategy – create a long-range vision to direct the change effort. Develop specific strategies to achieve the vision.
4. Communicate the change vision – use every vehicle possible to constantly communicate the new vision and strategies. Role model the behavior expected of employees.
5. Empower broad-based action – enlist the support of the people who must implement or will be affected by the change. Modify systems or structures that undermine the change vision. Encourage risk taking and nontraditional ideas, activities and actions.
6. Generate short-term wins - Plan for visible wins or short-term improvements in performance. Create those wins and visibly recognize and reward people who made the wins possible.
7. Consolidate gains and produce more change – use increased credibility to change all systems, structures and policies that don’t fit together and don’t fit the transformation vision. Hire, promote and develop people who can implement the change vision. Reinvigorate the process with new projects, themes and change agents.
8. Anchor new approaches in the culture – create better performance through customer and productivity-oriented behavior, more and better leadership and more effective management. Articulate connections between new behaviors and organizational success. Develop means to ensure leader development and succession.
The first four steps in the process help free the organization from its current state. After accomplishing these steps, introduce and implement new practices. However, people often recognize, but fail to deliver, the tools to those affected to actually support those new practices.
The Big “I” supports change efforts through the VU, for both CE courses and the basic skills, which make agents effective everyday with increased ROI through investment in employees. Many organizations try to implement transformational change by accomplishing only part of the process without ensuring that results are being achieved and perpetuated. Others may forget the need to reinforce earlier stages as they race ahead to meet the goals. As is true in most endeavors, a proper foundation is required for success. Training, in particular, e-learning through the Big “I” Virtual University, can be a cornerstone of that foundation and help drive the change an agency needs. View the VU course catalog today and start down the road to change… for the better.
For more information about how the Big “I” Virtual University can help, contact Madelyn Flannagan at madelyn.flannagan@iiaba.net.
AGENCY UNIVERSE
2006 Agency Universe Study Now Available
The Future One 2006 Agency Universe Study is now complete and available for Big “I” members to order in various formats.
The 2006 Future One Agency Universe Study is the eighth of its kind. The first study was conducted in 1983 and was repeated every four years until 2000 when the study started being conducted biannually. This study is widely regarded as the most comprehensive and authoritative investigation available on the independent agency distribution force.
The primary focus of the Agency Universe study is to provide information on the size and characteristics of the independent agency system beneficial to developing more effective marketing and business practices. Within each report is a wealth of information about independent agencies operating in the United States: their numbers, revenue base and source, number of employees, ownership, mix of business, diversification of products, technology uses, non-insurance income sources and marketing methods. A particular focus of the 2006 study is the increasing use of agency network relationships and their impact on the business operations of agencies. The study also includes a comprehensive look at agency technology practices. See the article “The Numbers are In” in the January 2007 Independent Agent magazine for additional information.
The summary, which is snapshot of some of the most compelling findings of the full report, can be ordered in hard copy (mailed) or electronic delivery (e-mailed PDF). The full report is available only in electronic format (e-mailed PDF). Click here to download an order form today.
For more information, contact Madelyn Flanagan at madelyn.flannagan@iiaba.net.
InVEST
InVEST Donations Due Feb. 15
Participate in the InVEST silent auction and support the program’s annual scholarships awarded to graduates of InVEST pursuing higher education with an emphasis on insurance. The InVEST board of directors will hold the 2007 InVEST silent auction during the Big "I" Legislative Conference & Convention. The InVEST Silent Auction will open at 6 p.m., April 26 and will close at 1 p.m., April 27. Please keep an eye on bids, the InVEST Silent Auction is a popular event during Big “I” Legislative Conference and Convention.
Play an important roll in the future of InVEST’s brightest students by making a donation to the 2007 silent auction. Click here to access information regarding the InVEST Silent Auction including updates on the great auction items.
A 501(c)3 educational trust, InVEST introduces high school and community college students to insurance and the more than 350 diverse careers available within the industry, giving students a new outlook on the future. The program also offers insurance agencies, brokers and carriers a diverse and talented group of entry-level recruits.
Visit www.independentagent.com and click here to download a contribution form. Hurry, the deadline for auction donations is Feb. 15. For more information, contact Sandra Skipper at 703-706-5437; sandra.skipper@iiaba.net.
YOUNG AGENTS
Conference & Convention Events Geared Toward Young Agents
The National Young Agents Committee is offering events geared specifically for up-and-coming leaders at the Big “I” Legislative Conference & Convention. Special sessions include a first-timers reception, the Young Agent attendee and InsurPac chairs luncheon, a hospitality event and the always-popular President’s Panel breakfast with Big “I” leadership. Young agents will gain valuable legislative and leadership skills at this ground-breaking insurance industry event. The Big “I” Legislative Conference & Convention will be held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington D.C. April 25-27, 2007.
For more information, contact Katie Cosgrove at 703- 776-5455; katie.cosgrove@iiaba.net.
|
|
