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David Cassar, left, client relationship manager for Capital H Group, and principal Buck Baker, not shown, talk with Derick Adams, human resources vice president for Amerisure Mutual Insurance Co., about a project that Capital H Group created for Amerisure.Lessons learned
Specific goals help coordinate the team
Identifying standards and writing specific examples down helps keep employees on track.
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FARMINGTON -- Just as New Year's resolutions seem to work best when put down on paper, Derick Adams has found that an effective way to improve the performance of employees is to give them specific examples of what benefits the company.
Adams is vice president of human resources of Amerisure Mutual Insurance Co., a Michigan commercial insurer with 750 employees in nine states.
Working with the Troy office of Chicago-based Capital H Group, Adams and his management team have identified seven competencies that help the company improve efficiency and profits -- strategic execution/development, exceptional service delivery, solution development, optimizing alliances, collaboration, personal responsibility/accountability and continuous learning.
Then they came up with five to eight ways that employees can improve their performances for each competency.
Adams said he is seeing results.
"It's amazing. If you tell employees that it's important for everyone to say good morning, they'll do it. They want to help you be successful," Adams said.
For instance, one of the sample behaviors for collaboration states: "Seek advice and consult with subject matter experts to gain understanding and support for business solutions."
Insurance underwriters in Texas recently followed that guideline when they consulted with their counterparts in Florida about dealing with hurricane damage.
"Instead of underwriting with the best information they had, they got the best advice from the best," Adams said.
Last weekend Amerisure employees participated in the annual PFUND 5K walk/run in Ann Arbor to raise money for research on neurological diseases. One of the main sponsors was the Hiller's Foundation. By showing their support for a policy holder, Hiller's Market, the employees were acting on another Amerisure competency - optimizing alliances.
"We want the policy holder to know that we feel they are that important," Adams said.
Adams said the competency model also improves customer service, which has been a top priority ever since Amerisure executives decided to restructure the business eight years ago. They reduced the work force from 2,000 to 750 and the number of independent agents the company sells through from 1,000 to 100.
Amerisure's premium revenues dropped from $600 million to $300 million. But stronger relationships with the remaining independent agents have brought premium revenues up to $650 million with a higher profitability, according to Adams.
To come up with its competency model and sample behaviors, the human resources team documented what effective employees do to help the company succeed. Instead of hoping that other employees and new hires will emulate these role models, the human resources department spelled out the behavior that the company wants.
"You can't clone people, but you can clone behaviors," Adams said. "When you articulate the behaviors you want, people will repeat them."
Having a blueprint for success will be especially helpful if Amerisure follows through on plans to open offices in additional states.
"Our greatest challenge will be to get a group of people together that will behave like the people we have in the other nine offices," Adams said.
According to Buck Baker of Capital H Group, the competency model will improve the results from performance reviews. "The competency model has relevance for all company operations," Baker said.
Eric Pope is a Metro Detroit freelance writer.
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