SIS President Michael Doran reflects on the impact of the coronavirus shut-down and how the Partner Platform community responded.
From a business perspective, the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic will be remembered well beyond “take your child to work every day” and other work/life-interrupting experiences. This pandemic will also be remembered for what it revealed in the culture of our organizations.
Virtually overnight, the way business was done changed. The ability of any business (assuming they were still able to operate) to adapt was not only about technology and process but also about culture. In particular, the culture’s ability to extend beyond the four walls of a building and directly into the homes of every associate.
With our Partner Platform team, a significant contributor to our culture is a commitment to ongoing and consistent training, among our team and with our Partner agencies. We train on the habits that are intended to create a unique experience for our associates and a unique client experience for the independent insurance agents we serve. Some of those habits include building individual skills and attitudes, which can be blended with other individuals to build great teams working together while continuing to challenge ourselves to improve.
It’s been humbling to see many of the leading indicators around client engagement and associate morale remain strong with our Partner Platform community. That reflects our values: coming together to adapt, have each other’s backs, and find creative options to continue to provide the best service to our clients no matter the environment.
We also strive for a culture of listening, knowing that the more voices we hear the better we can be as a partner. The atmosphere of unrest across our country in these early summer months shows the importance of this listening. With our ears open, we’re ready to understand and provide guidance for our community in times of confusion, frustration, and uncertainty.
Throughout this process, we got better. It challenged our assumptions about what was possible and how our processes worked. And the foundation for all of this was our commitment to training and a belief that we could change.
| We will continue to adapt and change and are grateful to have a committed community along with us. Thank you,  |
President of Strategic Insurance Software and a Partner at NuGrowth Solutions. At SIS, he is responsible for ensuring a great client experience. This involves all aspects of marketing, sales, implementation, client services and training. For the past two decades, Michael has worked at a variety of technology companies focusing on building great cultures and great client relationships.