How can my agency attract new customers and stand out in the community? BMW is tackling a similar question, seeking to redesign dealerships by “decluttering the showroom” over the next several years. The concept is simple—replace cliché cubicles and high-pressure conference rooms with a bright, open space featuring interactive high-definition touchscreens and employees assisting customers on tablets. Yup, just like an Apple store.

How can we become an employer of choice for bright young talent? You don't need a search engine to know that Google has earned that status. Sure, the company's exceptional perks, which include organic meals, investment in employee training and education and wellness centers, play a role. Also important is the culture that Google has created. Almost all “Googlers” say the company has great leadership that welcomes innovative suggestions from employees, and it doesn't hurt that leadership encourages employees to spend up to 20% of their time pursuing an innovation or other interest of their choice. Imagine if your workplace stimulated so much passion and creativity.

There are many more challenges and opportunities facing our industry that already have been addressed in one way or another by a different discipline. Whether these relate to the underwriter seeking new, more efficient ways to properly assess risk; the independent agent who obsesses over differentiating herself from the direct writer down the street; or the claims adjuster who desires to fulfill the company's contractual obligations while addressing the client's emotional needs, the answers may be found in a purposeful tangent. What better time to find one than planning season?