The choice is yours — make good ones
Sedgwick’s president and CEO shares some of his secrets to making the right choices in business and in life.
Our lives comprise hundreds of choices every day — small ones that we make without a lot of thought, and others that we agonize over for days or weeks. At the recent WCI conference in Orlando, Fla., Sedgwick President and CEO David North shared his perspective on the choices we make, how they are influenced by who we are, and the impact they have on who we become.
“Choices have ramifications. Some of them will shape you as a person, shape others’ opinions of you or shape your future,” he advised. “Choices do matter. Choosing not to do what is right in your belief system is a significant choice. If you choose to not do the right thing, then that choice will influence the perception of who you are by those around you.” He said that people will either expect you to make a wrong choice before you even act, or they will expect you to make the correct choices when needed.
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Making hard choices
North explained that injured workers do not choose to get hurt, but when they do, the process is complicated and they are faced with pages and pages of paperwork at a time when they are already not feeling well. He encouraged the audience to “do the right thing” for these workers. He encouraged them to “be the colleague you want your company to embrace. Demonstrate the characteristics you want your boss to have. Caring about co-workers and injured workers is doing the right thing.”
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North said that the hardest choices involve deciding not to do business with a client or choosing not to take on a new client. He said the decision to ‘fire’ a client is usually relationship related, such as how they treat a company’s employees. “Who not to do business with is more important than who you do business with,” he added.
When a company chooses to terminate their relationship with a client, North advised them to do it politely, directly and legally. “Do it cautiously, not too often and with integrity.”
Another area where insurance executives are grappling with hard choices involves technology – its purchase and use. “Technology is creating moral and ethical challenges in our industry,” shared North. “The decision to invest in automation is a choice not to invest in people…We can’t invest in everything… These are tough choices our generation is making right now.”
North said companies need to invest in technology, but they must be careful to balance the needs of their people against the needs of the company.
How to make good choices
There are no easy answers when it comes to making good choices, but North identified three factors that can contribute to making better choices when presented with the opportunity.
- Consider the consequences. Not making a choice is still a choice — choose to do something. “A thoughtful action is better than passive inaction,” said North.
- Own your choices. Just like having one more drink at a cocktail party could make getting up the next morning a challenge, realize that you made that choice and learn from the consequences.
- Your choices become a part of you. “Every choice or lack thereof is a part of you. You will be proud of most choices, but the essence of leadership is to learn from the bad ones,” he said.
Each person sees the world through his or her own lens, and that affects the choices we make. “You can choose to make a difference with the choices you make,” pointed out North, “and your choices affect others.” He emphasized that your tone or choice of words also affect how clients or claimants view you.
“You are who you are, so make good choices. People will see you for who you are because of the choices you make,” he added.
Patricia L. Harman is editor-in-chief of Claims magazine and a contributing editor to PropertyCasualty360.com. Contact her at pharman@alm.com.